We are currently covering the latest breaking story. Allegations have surfaced of the number twenty fourth hero, Orothos engaging with highly illegal behavior such as quirk auctions and betting on various underground quirk related fighting rings. An anonymous source has provided us with security cameras and signed receipts from a number of various illegal activities. The commission has personally taken the hero off of their agency and has stripped the man of all of his titles. More to come later.
Groaning to herself, Hikari rested her forehead on the table in front of her before lifting it back up in order to pour a large amount of wine into her glass with a frown as she listened to the morning news on the large TV next to her.
In fact the first thing she did when she got back from Endeavor's agency was this. Sleep? Never heard of her. Nah, the only thing Hikari could think about was hearing about that hero's demise and getting a glass of wine to drown out the noises in her head. Serves him right.
Yet as satisfied as she was with the news report, the girl couldn't help but still feel stressed as the last couple days consumed her without permission. Her blow up with Endeavor and then helping him a couple days after? What was wrong with her? It's like she was psychotic.
In fact, the very idea made her feel so gross, like she needed to take a million showers in order to wash off the "self righteous hero stink" that covered her right now. Why did you open your mouth and help that asshat? You should've just let him rot, not get more useless heroes on his side. You're not supposed to get involved.
Lifting her head up, Hikari's eyes then focused on the crimson color of the wine only to be reminded of another annoyance in her life, Touya's little brother, Shoto.
His stupid little puppy dogs eyes stuck in her vision so perfectly that the girl forced her head back down onto the table a moment later in order to ignore the distaste in her mouth. And what's up with you being so soft with Shoto? He's not Touya, he didn't need to know your name. That was such a sloppy mess up, it's not like you.
But as she tried to back away from that topic, another seemed to take its place, this one far more consuming then all the other strange things that happened in the last couple days.
And that was Dabi's strange drunk outbursts, but she didn't even know where to start with that one, and thinking about it for too long gave her a headache.
For all the years she had known him, Hikari had never seen him so vulnerable like that. It was rather strange, the villain's words and broken reasonings still running through her head on a constant loop.
And that's why she was back at the liberation, sitting at the large dining table with a stolen bottle of wine from the kitchen as the girl tried to make any sense of the last couple of days.
What even was her life anymore? Everything started out so simple and now she was a stupid double agent for her idiot brother, blowing up at Endeavor at family gatherings and clinging onto Dabi's unknown feelings while still trying to lie to him.
Everything was honestly a disaster at this point.
Closing her eyes at the start of a self induced headache, Hikari leaned back of her chair before lifting her head up at the ceiling. How was she even going to get out of this one? Why was she even here in the first place?
She was a villain, and villains certainly didn't help heroes or take their sides.
Yet here she was, helping her idiot brother and hiding her involvement with Endeavor from Dabi. Talk about hypocritical. She was like a walking contradiction at this point.
Groaning to herself, Hikari then frowned before grabbing onto her wine glass for emotional support.
Yet her personal bubble popped abruptly when an unpleasant voice rang out of her left, far too chippy and happy for the morning. "Ah, good morning everyone! What a surprise seeing you here this early! I bet you're wondering why I'm here, well you know what they always say, the early bird catches the worm and such! Get it, cause I'm a bird.."
Flapping his wings at his own joke, Hikari just barely lifted her head to see her brother's happy demeanor fill the room, earning stares from every villain as well. God, he stuck out like a store thumb, didn't he?
He stopped by a group of guys in the corner in order to give them a sloppy weird handshake that the other side didn't reciprocate before the girl plopped her head back onto the table with a groan. She didn't have time to deal with him today.
Yet her feathers seemed to perk up when the girl heard at least six pairs of footsteps start to make their way over to the bird, the villains grabbing his shoulder in order to pull him away from his current conversation. "Hey, hero!"
Hawks didn't falter though, his amber eyes turning towards the group with a small wave. "Oh, why hello! It's nice to meet you! I don't think we've met before, my name is Hawks."
The villain wasn't assumed in the slightest at the gesture, only slapping his hand away in order to get into his personal space. "We know who you are, number two. You don't fool us, we know better than to trust a bootlicking hero like you."
Sensing the hostile environment, his feathers began to twitch before purposely taking a step back in order to show he was defenseless. What was up with these guys? "Whoa whoa, hey guys. Let's all just come down. I can assure you we are all on the same side here."
Hikari listened from her seat with distaste, knowing that these bastards weren't going to listen to anything her brother said. He was a hero after all, the natural born enemy of people like her, which meant the two sides wanted anything but to work together.
And they were right in a sense, because Hawks was very much trying to screw over the liberation, so they shouldn't have trusted him in the first place. Well of course she was also, but being a villain made blending into the background of other villains fairly easy.
A hero though, well they were a walking red flag, a siren that automatically caused any villain to be on edge, even her. Hell, Hikari still didn't trust Hawks ninety percent of the time. You'd be an idiot to do so anyways.
And it seemed these guys weren't idiots because they took Hawks' sugar coated lies and immediately threw them out the window in order to darken their stance. "Are we? Well then, what got you into the liberation in the first place?"
Realizing he was losing them, Hawks clapped his hands together in order not to seem nervous before giving a forced smile. "Ah, well it's a great story it really is. You see, my buddy Dabi first heard about you guys and you looked promising so I decided to check it out. And what do you know, your ideals are really something I can get behind, ya know?"
He didn't understand why these guys were so adamant to distrust him. Other villains he ran across weren't really like that. They just took his story at face value, so what changed?
Although that's when Hawks realized something important.
Dabi was always the one that would vouch for him whenever a villain decided to suspect something. He was always the one that would threaten them. That's why the bird was able to move around more freely, it was because he was a lapdog to Dabi, always hiding behind his scary and intimidating shadow.
And now that it was gone, it was obvious to tell that the hero didn't have the upperhand here. That without some kind of proof or scare tactic, it was going to be hard to get them on his side. Well, crap.
Shaking their heads, the villains did what was expected a moment later, taking his paper thin explanation and tearing it to shreds before his very eyes. "Dabi, huh? Well we can't trust that sack of shit either. And the fact that he brought you only makes him look even more suspicious. Do you know how many times that guy has screwed over one of us? Too many to count."
Hawks felt himself curse under his breath at that. Of course Dabi would've pissed off these guys at some point. When did he not piss anyone off? In fact, that stitched man was currently pissing him off by digging a hole he couldn't get out of.
Although what he didn't know was that just a few feet away, Hikari was listening to the entire conversation, her head still resting on the table as the girl's thoughts carried away from her.
That idiot, he was gonna get beat up if he didn't calm those guys down. They so obviously want a fight and Hawks was going to lose if he kept this up.
But she also knew that the hero wouldn't resort to any kind of dirty fighting, especially in the public eye, which basically meant he was screwed.
Of course his words wouldn't be able to get him out of this one, not when they saw right through his horrible lying facade.
Twisting her brow in conflict Hikari then groaned to herself. Wait, did she care that her brother was going to get hurt? Ew gross, no of course not. There was no way she'd ever care about such a self centered hero, especially the one that abandoned her for years.
That's not what a textbook villain did after all. Like she said before, it was in their genetic DNA to hate heros, to want them to suffer for their idiotic self righteous attitude. So, that's exactly how she felt right now, with no remorse, only enjoyment for his pathetic fuck up.
Although as she said that, her knee began to tap against the table rapidly, almost like a knot of nerves was bundling themselves together.
What was wrong with her, why did she seem nervous? Villains didn't get nervous, she didn't get nervous.
It was probably all the wine, that's it. That's why she was acting jittery, not the fact that the group was getting closer and closer to Kei, enough to plunk out one of his stray feathers and say. "You know, I've been wondering what it was like to plunk all the feathers off your pretty little wings. Let's find out, hm?"
Twisting her lips together in distaste, Hikari closed her eyes against the wooden table before taking a heavy breath. It's not your problem, you're not supposed to care, you don't care, okay? If Kei gets hurt then it's his own damn fault not yours.
Suddenly she felt like she was back in that disgusting hero conference room, where she stood up against her better judgment and openly spoke to those heroes in order to "help" Endeavor. God, the word still held disgusting in her own mind. It's like she was going soft or something.
No, no way in hell that was happening. She was Valkyrie, the most feared gang leader in the underground, she was Takami's daughter, related to one of the most notorious serial killers in the world. She wasn't weak, she wasn't soft, and she certainly wasn't gaining a heart, especially not for stuck up idiotic heroes like Endeavor, Shoto and Hawks.
Forcing herself to remain still, Hikari focused her mind to clear away the unease in order to force herself to enjoy the situation before her.
Before all of this, she had dreamed of seeing her big brother hurt ,that's why she did it herself, why she played games and made him believe that he killed her in that abandoned mall.
Sure, it was fucked up but it was what she was, it was what he deserved.
It's what every hero deserved, so the fact that she actually helped Endeavor, caved to Shoto and was feeling worried about Hawks just a few feet away was utterly ridiculous.
Listening to her brother physically flinch at their dark intentions, Hikari shoved down every confusing action before purposely forcing herself to not care. "W-Whoa there, hold on a sec. Ya really think my wings are pretty? That's really great and all but..whoaa okay okay let's just calm down here. I think our tensions are running pretty high, yeah?"
And it worked for a moment, the strain in her throat slowly dissipating before a multitude of memories forced its way into her mind, each of them overwhelming and sickeningly sweet.
The first one was something her brother said at the mall, when she asked him if he ever thought about her at the commission. Even now the response clouded into her head, making her mind spin.
"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."
No, no, stop it. So what if he said that? That didn't mean anything. Stop being so stupid Hikari. One sentence doesn't mean anything, he's still a hero. He still sold you out.
"I've been selling you out for years. It's time I do the right thing for once."
That painful phrase stuck to another as Hikari felt her breathing start to shallow immediately. Stop getting too attached. You know he's going to leave again, you know Dabi's gonna kill him. Just step away, ignore him, ignore everything.
"I'm right here, Hikari, and I'm not going anywhere. Let me help you, show me your pain so we can carry it together…"
Fuck, stop it. Stop tormenting me. Who cares if I really liked hearing that, who cares if I wanted it for years? That's not who I am anymore, that's not who Valkyrie is.
And as the group got closer and closer to Hawks, Hikari forced herself to repeat the same four phrases in her mind, the ones that always kept her grounded, the ones that kept her from slipping out of the person she had worked to be for years.
I am a villain
I am Valkyrie
I am a Takami
I am not soft.
Yet that's when a memory crashed into her immediately, recalling her brother's arms around her and his gentle voice saying the words that would truly haunt her forever, whether she liked it or not.
"It's just your big brother, your family, loving you unconditionally."
And then, something snapped
Putting his hands up in defense Hawks backed away into the nearest wall only for his back to hit the surface a moment later. What was up with these guys, it's like they weren't going to be satisfied until he was beaten to a pulp. Well, that wasn't very nice.
Although the bird knew he could defend himself, that also meant possibly getting kicked out of the liberation and failing his plan, something that Hawks wasn't prepared to do. A hero fighting a villain, now that looked bad, it made him look like a traitor.
And maybe that was the point, maybe that's why these guys approached him in the first place, so that he would slip and be caught for his crimes. Now that he thought about it, that made a whole lot of sense.
If only Dabi was here, he'd scare these guys straight. Man, he never thought he'd be saying that ever. Usually that stitched villain was more trouble than what was worth. But right now he seemed completely screwed, the bird trying to rack his brain for any kind of solution and finding none.
Although that's when someone tapped one of the guys on the shoulder, the large man turning around only to reveal his sister, Hikari standing behind him. Wait, what was she doing here?
The villain's didn't seem pleased either, clearly underestimating the new presence. "What do you want, girl? Can't you see we are busy here."
Hikari only narrowed her eyes though, looking down at her brother back to the annoying presence with a plain voice. "You're interrupting my peace and quiet."
Hawks couldn't help but blink in disbelief at that, wondering what her plan was. She could've very easily stayed out of this, so why hadn't she? The girl always claimed everything wasn't her problem.
The group turned to each other at her response before their eyes began to lit up with recognition, recalling the display their boss put on with the girl. "Hold on, you're that Takami girl, aren't you?"
At the sound of her fathers name, Hikari closed her eyes, an action that was unknown to Hawks. Somehow it seemed like she was bothered by that name. He didn't blame her though, knowing that both of them didn't have any good memories of their dad.
Taking a challenge step closer, the girl then opened her eyes so her gaze could piece the man silently. "What if I am?"
The man didn't falter though, only allowing his lips to curve into a hearty laugh at the sight, clearly not taking the blonde seriously at all. "Heh never thought I'd see the day when his crybaby daughter would come back. Is that why you're always hiding behind Dabi and being his little bitch, so he can protect you? Aww how sweet."
At the insult, everyone in the group seemed to join in the laughter, hoping that they would get the chance to see Takami's daughter cry and run away like all the rumors about her seemed to be. She didn't look like much after all, and the only time they did see the mysterious girl was behind Dabi's shadow.
Hawks only watched with interest though, wondering just what her plan was in all of this. It wasn't like she was going to fight all these people and risk her stance at the liberation, right?
Right?
Hikari responded a moment later, though, her eyes turning down at the comment before allowing her lips to curve into a small giggle to match the others, causing the group to stop immediately.
Didn't she know they were laughing at her?
Pushing her back by the shoulder, the man frowned at her lack of concern, his brow turning more annoyed than before. "What are you laughing about?"
But that's when the girl only lifted her head up before giving a small smile.
Then before he could process it, everyone watched as Dabi's bitch, his shadow, willingly punched the man in the face with an extreme amount of force, so much so that he tumbled to the ground from the impact.
Hawks couldn't help but widen his eyes at the sight, taking a step back as the rest of the group circled around her, quirks at the ready. "Hey, you're gonna pay for that!"
The girl didn't seem intimidated though, instead cracking her knuckles in silent wait before gesturing to the fallen villain just a couple feet away. "You wanted a fight, I'm just giving you one."
Growling under their breath, the group still hesitated, probably because they didn't want to be killed or kicked out from the liberation.
But luckily, one more dig from Hikari seemed to make all of those worries existent, using their own words against them. "What's wrong, don't think ya can beat Dabi's little bitch?"
Lifting his hands up to go for a counterpunch, Hikari only smirked at the action before immediately dodging and allowing two feathers to slip out of her pocket in order to wiggle its way into his jacket and pull him backwards into the buffet table.
His body slammed into the surface roughly, throwing all the food off the surface before Hikari dodged another body a moment later and kicked her sharp steel boots into his left knee, causing the man to collapse to the ground in an instant.
Smiling maniacally at his pain, another feather left her pocket just as someone attempted to sneak behind her in hopes of a sneak attack. Big mistake on his part.
Then all at once, the feathers moved so fast that the attacker didn't even notice the object sneak in behind him and slip into his jacket before it was too late, latching onto the fabric and sky rocketing the guy so far upwards that he couldn't help but scream.
Hikari watched the struggling man for a moment, taking pleasure in the terrified shouts and pleas before closing her eyes as the villain fell at least ten feet, slamming into the marble floor in front of the rest of his friends.
Narrowing her eyes, the girl then watched one of his friends try to reach out to the fallen man, lifting his head ever so slightly only for Hikari to ball her hands into fists and punch the man in order to turn him unconscious.
And as she watched everyone groan and lie still in pain on the floor, Hikari felt her heart beat with that same additive anxiety that she missed.
That's right, she was a villain, this is who she was. Not some soft prissy little girl, but someone that needed to be feared.
Hawks watched as the blood dripped off her knuckles with vacant eyes, feeling his heart cease up with concern. Why was she acting like this? She had no reason to insert herself into that conversation. He didn't understand.
Lifting a hand out in concern, the bird frowned. "H-Hika-chan, what are you..?"
Yet Hikari only hissed back, her amber eyes wild. "Back off, hero."
Then, the female villain reached down before grabbing onto one of her conscious victims' collars in order to show the watchful eyes of the rest of the liberation. "Take this as a lesson. You fuck with Hawks, you fuck with me."
And that's when everything crashed into the hero at once. She was protecting him, wasn't she? That's why she inserted him in the conversation, why she broke out into this fight even though it could've cost her the case, why she wouldn't let him interfere.
It was because Hikari knew he needed help, she knew he needed someone to scare off and intimate these guys so they'd leave him alone. And since Dabi wasn't here to do it, Hikari became the one to take his place.
She just saved him, didn't she?
Seeing that this Takami girl wasn't to be messed with, the rest of the members nodded silently, feeling a sudden chill in the air as the girl dropped the man a moment later, not caring how ungracefully he fell back onto the floor.
Although her blissful insanity was quickly whipped away when Skeptic seemingly appeared from the doorway, eyeing the carnage from the girl before speaking plainly. "The boss would like to speak with you."
Knowing it was probably about what just occurred, Hikari only turned Re-Destro's right hand man before narrowing her eyes, obviously not pleased with the idea. "Oh, does he now? Well, how lucky am I See ya, hero."
She debated fighting him also, just to let off some unnecessary stream in order for that pointy nosed freak to realize he couldn't just call her whenever he wanted, like some kind of lapdog.
But that's when Skeptic's gaze turned to someone else, his eyes dead set on Hawks. "He wants to speak to both of you."
And just like that, all amusement whipped away from her face as a twist on unease filled her chest. She understood why he wanted to talk to her, but Hawks also? Well, that couldn't be good.
Hawks always seemed to share his concern, giving a halfhearted chuckle at the comment while his feathers twitched in anxiety. "Ah, well we don't wanna keep him waiting then I guess. Thanks for the info Skepty!"
Following the man, Hawks couldn't help but watch his sister as they descended the long hallway, noticing the clouded and obviously distracted look in her eyes. It almost looked like she was bothered by something, but what could that be?
All he knew was that her actions were anything but normal for her. Usually she'd be harassing Skeptic every step of the way, but instead Hikari was strangely silent, seemingly trapped in her own mind as they approached the door.
And although he couldn't ask her what was wrong because of the stupid cameras on his feathers, Hawks was curious.
What happened to make a villain act like that?
What made her cause a scene and save him back there?
Sadly, he didn't know.
"There you two are. I've been meaning to speak with you privately for some time now."
When Hikari and Hawks entered Re-Destro's room, the first thing the girl did was seemingly make herself at home, strolling past the bird in order to take a seat across from the villain himself, quite disrespectfully if I might add.
It was obvious the girl showed him no respect, and she wanted him to know it. "Let's cut to the chance, shall we? The less I have to be here, the better."
The hero couldn't help but watch with stunned surprise though, his own feathers rustling at how thin of a line this girl was on. "Ah come on birdie, don't be like that. I'm sure the boss here called us in here for something very important."
Hikari didn't seem pleased about her brothers stupid nickname, rolling her eyes before leaning forward to stare at Re-Destro. "If this is about the fight then forget it. I'm not apologizing."
The villain didn't seem to mind in the slightest though, lifting his hands up in fake defense. "No no not at all. I imagine things have been quite stressful for you after all. Is it so wrong to just want to be friendly, Takami?"
Yet Hikari wasn't stupid, and she knew that buttering up to his man would only screw her over in the end. She wasn't about to let her guard down, especially right now. "Yeah, nice try. I'm calling bullshit on that one."
Giving a heavy sigh, Re-Destro seemed more disappointed than anything as he reached behind him and pulled out two glasses and set one in front of Hikari as a peace offering "Still as abrasive as always. Have you come to a decision about my offer?"
Eyeing her glass quietly, the female villain leaned forward before accepting the offer, allowing the man to pour a new glass of wine into her glass as Hawks couldn't help but watch the exchange with confusion.
Wait, he hadn't heard about this before. What offer had this man given his sister? "What's he talking about?"
Hikari only swirled the wine around in her glass melodically though, almost like she was calcucating her next more.
And when she spoke, it was extremely accusing, like she was trying to tell her brother what was going on without directly speaking to him. "You mean the offer where you blackmail me into being your bitch so you won't leak my real name?"
At the influx of information, the bird couldn't help but give an anxious flap of his wings in response, something his sister glanced at before turning her attention back on the villain. When did this even happen? What other important things had he missed while being on lockdown with these stupid cameras? Was his sister okay?
His worries were kept silent though, settling for a quick intake of air as Re-Destro shook his head at the word choice before lifting his own glass in response. "I prefer to call it something far more tasteful. Everything is for a purpose, you must remember that. In order for there to be a free world we must first destroy the old fragile foundations, the ones put up by corruption and those so-called heroes. You should be honored that you are part of such a worthy cause, that I need your strength."
Hawks couldn't help but be disgusted by his ideals though, knowing that the pretty picture he painted was just a facade for all the bloodshed that was going to happen instead. This guy was just sugarcoating everything to make it sound less insane.
His sister seemed to feel the same, as her eyes moved down towards her drink before scoffing into the surface and taking a sip. "Whatever lets you sleep at night, crazy."
Noticing the clear disrespect, Hawks then watched as the villain's lips twisted down for a fraction for a second before narrowing his eyes in order to gain a response. "Hmm I wonder if you were as distasteful with Riku? It seemed like he also had quite a feat, tying you down."
At the mention of her abuser, Hikari did indeed stop, her gaze immediately piercing him with so much weighted malice that the entire room seemed to drop in temperature. And even though no words were spoken, it was obvious to tell that the girl was affected by his comment.
Seems like she didn't want to voice it though, knowing it would've made him win.
And even Hawks felt annoyed by the sudden mention, seeing that it was obvious the man only did it to piss her off in hopes of Hikari attacking him again.
Sensing the tension in the room, Re-Destro then chuckled to himself, knowing he had finally gotten a reaction. "Ah, that seems like a tough topic for you so let me start another."
Then the man leaned forward before speaking words that made both birds in the room freeze all at once. "I would very much like to know the reason why you were hanging around with Endeavor the last couple days, considering you're supposed to be on our side?"
An internal sliver of dread appeared in Hawks' throat at the accusation, closing up all of his words as the bird stared at the villain that had already found out about their little betrayal.
But because the man wasn't talking to him, the hero kept his mouth shut, knowing that saying anything in defense of Hikari would look suspicious.
Hikari on the other hand, paused the swirling of her wine at the statement, obviously also caught off guard by his words before twisting her lips into a tightly wound smile, one of clear annoyance. "Mmm spying? Why am I not surprised?"
Re-Destro was quick to counter though. "I have to keep my loyalty somehow. So please enlighten me."
And in this moment, the villain was completely confident, knowing that he had caught Hikari in her deception by surprise, taking great joy in seeing her fall apart and crumble before him. That's what he wanted after all, why he brought them in here.
So he could watch the "big bad" Takami daughter squirm under the pressure.
Although what the man hadn't expected was for Hikari to see through him immediately, to have already expected his spying habit and have a perfectly planned response in a millisecond.
Twisting her lips into a victorious smirk, the girl began her lie. "You're not the only one that hates that guy. So I figured why not have some fun while I'm stuck here? A little cruelty goes a long way, you know. That way I decided to play around and give those stupid heros hope."
Even Re-Destro couldn't help but be surprised at that, raising an eye in question. Was she saying what he thought she was saying? "You're leading them in the wrong direction?"
Giving a light chuckle, Hikari only lifted her lift in response, knowing she had won. "Of course I am. I wouldn't be caught dead helping those losers. They think I'm an inside spy but in reality I'm just screwing them over more by giving them bad information. Or do you disapprove of that?"
The story was believed to say the least, Hikari knowing that playing around with heroes just for fun wasn't out of the norm for her. It was a very "villain" thing to do after all, and it would've explained her involvement with Endeavor perfectly.
No villain would be caught dead actually helping the number one hero after all.
Expect you did help him.
Okay now is not the time for you, intrusive thoughts. I'm working here.
Shaking the gross fact away, Hikari then leaned back in her chair before crossing her arms. There was no way he could prove her story wasn't true after all. The spy had only seen her at the location, not what she was doing or saying.
Hawks couldn't help but be confused though, not sure if what she was saying was actually the truth or not, mostly because he knew how well his sister could lie when she wanted.
Was this another case of that, or did Hikari betray him all along?
Re-Destro seemed rather intrigued also, turning to see both Hawks' and the girl's reaction before crossing his fingers together in silent thought. "And why do they think you're a spy?"
The question caused Hikari to pause, glancing to lock eyes with the hero for a moment before taking another sip of her wine, something that got Hawks quite nervous about.
There was no way she was going to sell him out, right? She was his little sister after all, his family. Yeah, things hadn't been the best between them but she wouldn't actively betray him when they fought for the same goals, right?
Yet all hopes were dashed when Hikari turned her hand towards her big brother before pointing at him with an uncaring cruel smirk. "Cause Hawks asked me to screw you over."
Widening his eyes in disbelief, the bird immediately turned into panic mode, all of his feathers sharpening with fear before his mouth hung open in shock. Oh my god, she did just sell him out, unbelievable.
"W-Wait..hold on..I didn't…"
Although the boss only seemed to talk over him though, clearly not caring about whatever bullshit excuse he was about to pull. "Interesting. I wonder why he would ask you such a thing? Are you two rather close?"
Once again trying to make his case, the hero stuttered back. "Well, I…"
Hikari only laughed though, filling the entire room with her psychotic chuckles of glee. "Close with a hero? God no. He was desperate and I said I'd do it just to fuck with him."
Feeling her the color drain from his face, Hawks felt a stab of hurt from that. Wait, was everything all fake, did she really only agree to help him in order to see him fail?
Had he really trusted her too much? "H-Huh?"
Hikari only seemed to make fun of his naive nature though, rolling her eyes as Re-Destro watched the display with interest, taking in how quickly she reacted to his hurt. "Look at him, so stupid for believing me. What an idiot he is."
The hero's head began to spiral all at once, the room suddenly growing smaller and smaller before Hawks forced himself to speak out in order to patch up something that was crumbling down by the second.
The mission, it was all falling apart before his eyes. How could he be so stupid?! "What..hold on, man. What she's saying isn't true, okay? I didn't do any of those things. She's making it up. You gotta believe me, man. I've always been for the liberation."
Hikari only frowned though, waving her hand away. "Give it a rest, hero. He already knows.."
The hero couldn't help but sharply turn his head at that, eyes wild with confusion. What did that even mean? What was she talking about? "Wait, what?"
Re-Destro seemed to tire of the conversation though, lifting a tired hand upwards to stop the two birds from fighting."The girl is right. Unfortunately I've already suspected the hero as a traitor so that information doesn't come as a surprise to me. I just brought the two of you in here to see if Takami here would be willing to rat you out or not, to see if you two are accomplices."
And that caused Hawks to immediately withdraw everything.
Did he just say that this villain already knew about their betrayal, and he brought the two of them here just to grill Hikari and prove her loyalty to the liberation? No way, how did this guy even know all that? He really was scary.
Now suddenly everything seemed to make sense. Why Re-Destro had asked for not just HIkari, but both of them together. It was because he already knew about everything and wanted to see them squirm and confess.
Hikari didn't seem surprised by the revelation though, almost like she had already figured it out in the middle of their conversation.
Wait, was that why she sold him out so easily before?
Hawks didn't know what to believe anymore. "What did you mean you already knew? How?"
The girl only scoffed though, crossing her arms over her chest with disgust in order to ignore the hero. "Accomplices? Please, that's not how I work. I'm just having a little fun while being stuck in this god awful place."
Re-Destro seemed to watch their responses for a couple more minutes, obviously trying to decipher any lies from them before finally giving up with a heavy sigh. "Very well, but now that leaves what we should do about our traitor here.."
Gesturing to Hawks, the bird felt himself seize up. What was this guy gonna do? Would he have to fight his way out of this? Things certainly didn't look good, that was for sure.
Yet that's when Hikari spoke up, her voice smooth and concise. "Simple. You shouldn't do anything. Yeah, the guy is shady but you have those cameras on him right? He can't even leave the liberation so there is no way he can call on his little friends to help. Just heighten the security and watch him squirm."
Her brother couldn't help but turn in surprise at that.
Sure, to anyone else it would've been standard villain behavior for Hikari, but take away the cruel language and it actually sounded like she was trying to lessen his punishment so he wouldn't be hurt.
He expected Re-Destro to murder him after all of this, to set his liberation thugs on him and for his sister laugh in the process. But it seemed like Hikari was seemingly taking his side, whether she realized it or not.
Because not doing anything about his spying, wasn't really a punishment at all.
And as Hikari finished the rest of her glass, the girl remained carefree, almost like she was trying to pretend that Re-Destro and her were old friends fighting for the same cause, sharing their hate for heroes.
But Hawks knew better, he knew how deceptive his little sister could be, and he knew how manipulative she was into getting what she wanted.
That's just how Valkyrie was after all, making their ideas seem like your own.
Re-Destro seened to fall into this trap as well, feeding into her plan before keeping a watchful eye. "And you will continue to feed lies to Endeavor and the other heroes in his stead?"
Nodding once, Hikari then set the glass on the table, not batting an eye. "Obviously."
And that seemed like enough for the man, buying her lies of hating Hawks before closing his eyes in understanding. "Very well. I will place Hawks on full lockdown until our mission is completed, not a second will he be left unattended. I assume this means we have your full corporation, Takami?"
Hikari then uncrossed her legs before standing from her position in order to turn her back on the man and throw her hands up in fake surrender. "Don't get it screwed up, I still hate you. But that name needs to be buried, so for the meantime I'll play your game."
Locking eyes one more time, Hikari than moved towards the door, her lips curving into a cruel smile that made her brother shiver with how much intent it held.
'Besides, if that means I can fuck with some heroes then it isn't all bad."
When the two siblings exited Re-Destro's room, Hikari was strangely quiet again, diminishing her cocky attitude into those same clouded eyes that the bird had seen earlier, almost like she was having a full blown conversation with herself.
And Hawks was equally whiplashed from what occurred. Sure, his sister's words just caused his involvement in this case to be nonexistent but then again she did only throw him under the bus so that she could continue being a spy and help Endeavor in his place.
It was strange to say the least. In fact, the hero was utterly shocked when he made the connections. He didn't know, but it didn't really seem like a "villain thing" for her.
Watching her very closely, Hawks knew he couldn't fully express his emotions but still felt himself take a step closer, the girl not even recognizing his movements. "Hikari?"
She remained still though, staring out into space as she ran an absentminded hand through her hair with a heavy breath.
And what her brother didn't know was that Hikari's actions had left her so utterly conflicted that her brain felt like she was spinning, asking one simple question.
Why did she just help him?
Sure, the fight back in the lobby was just a simple fuck up and she shouldn't have done it. Hell, she should've just let those villain freaks beat up Keigo and be done with it. There was no need to step in and she still didn't understand why she did.
But just now with Re-Destro, Hikari had actually originally planned on selling everyone out the minute she stepped in that room.
One look from that cocky bastard and she could tell their little spy game was over. That's why he asked to see both her and her brother after all, to grill them and make them confess.
And for a moment, Hikari thought about doing just that, about selling her dear brother out just to see the hurt on his pathetic little face, to see the utter betrayal when she fucked up his "perfect little commsion mission"
But when Re-Destro asked her about Hawks' punishment, when she truly thought about the bird in pain, imagined him dead, Hikari felt her mouth open by itself in order to defend him instead.
That's right, defend him.
The words felt so disgusting on her tongue but the truth remained. Hikari had helped Hawks escape the clutches of that villain, and that wasn't something that shouldn't have happened.
God, it was like every time she thought about the idiot hero, she felt her heart doing the exact opposite of her brain. Why was it always so hard with her brother? Why was it so hard to make him suffer?
It was almost like her pathetic weak heart didn't want that in the first place.
Who was she kidding, of course she did, she was a villain after all, and villains didn't give sympathy or feel any amount of remorse in their actions. That's always how it was.
Shivering at the utter idea, Hikari then realized that her words before with Re-Destro were just that, words. They were lies that she said in order to throw him off what was really happening.
All that bullshit about fucking with heroes and screwing over Hawks, they were lies.
But they shouldn't have been, and that scared her the most.
Because a couple months ago she would've happily gone behind her brother's back and lied, she would've talked to Endeavor with the sheer purpose of messing around and letting him fail. She would've done all of it.
And now instead she was on the other side for some reason, covering for the heroes and working with them instead of wanting them to burn. The idea made her utterly sick inside.
What the hell, this wasn't who she was, this wasn't who Valkyrie was. She was only supposed to think for herself, to do what she wanted, and yet she was bending over backwards like a little bitch for the people that showed her an ounce of kindness. It was pathetic.
What was wrong with her? Why was she doing this? She was supposed to be a villain, she was supposed to be cruel and uncaring. She wasn't supposed to cover for anyone, She wasn't supposed to feel.
So then why did she?
You know the reason
Internally shaking her head, Hikari felt a wave of discomfort ball into her throat at her own intrusive thoughts. Back with that villain they were easy to control but it seemed like the stress was making her crazy.
Stop it, that's not the reason. I am not soft.
You aren't? Come on crybaby Hikari, you know how desperate you always were for your brother to love you. One little speck of that and you fall apart like the pathetic idiot you are.
Flashing back to herself ten years ago, the girl couldn't help but shake her head. God, she really was pathetic back then, always desperately searching for Keigo's love, so much so that she would've dropped anything to be with her family again, to feel safe in his inviting arms.
And even though Hikari knew she wasn't the same person as all of those years ago, she had to admit that even now, any kindness from Keigo was something that twisted her heart so unnaturally, the girl always fighting the desire to leap into his arms and forget about everything that ever happened.
Her wings, the commission, their childhood, she would've forgotten about it all if she could have that one moment again, that moment of her brother wrapping her in his wings and telling her that he was proud of how far she had come, about how she didn't have to carry everything.
And that voice was right. She was desperate, so desperate for love that she was falling apart by the very second, now scrambling as thirteen year old Hikari and Valekyie fought for control once again.
No, I don't care about that. I don't care about anyone. Maybe back then, but not anymore. Keigo abandoned me. It doesn't matter if he's said some nice things, that doesn't change the past.
Then tell Dabi he's a traitor, sign his fate.
The accusation caused Hikari's hands to start to shake at that, immediately feeling that same sick feeling in her stomach as she pictured her brother being burned alive from the inside just like her nightmares.
She hated it, practically smelling the rotting flesh in invisible memory
But why did she hate it?
Why did she care?
That was the point, she shouldn't have cared, she shouldn't have protected him from Dabi in the first place, she shouldn't have lied to her best friend for the sake of a hero.
But even still, Hikari remained in denial of her true feelings.
I-I can't tell him yet...I need Kei for the commission. For the plan, that's why I saved him, why I blackmailed him…so he can give me what I want…
Oh please, we both know it's not that. That's not the real reason you saved him.
Flashing back to the lies she openly told Dabi to keep Hawks' dirty little secret, the girl cringed at the blackmail she made up on the spot in order for him not to disappear so quickly.
She always told herself that the reason she "saved him" wasn't out of love, that she would let him burn the second he became useless to her.
But that hadn't happened, and now she found herself covering for him time and time again. Why did she do that? Had something changed without her realizing it?
No. No, that was bullshit. The reason she saved him wasn't that, okay? She just wanted to use him, to hurt him, to manipulate him. There was no way that..
You saved him because you care.
There's no way. N-No, I don't care about him
"Care." the words felt so disgusting in the back of her throat. There was no way she was that weak. Not anymore. She didn't save him because she cared, okay? It was for her own personal gain.
At least that's what she told herself to make everything seem better.
Yet that's when her twisted inner self said something that made Hikari freeze with horrible realization, her heart dropping into the pits of her stomach.
Face it, deep down you still love your big brother.
Love?
God, the idea was so overly pathetic in every single way. How could she love someone that abandoned her for years, that never once read her letters and was a self centered jerk? How could she love a hero that never knew almost nothing about her, that let her suffer for years in favor of his own success?
That emotion was so idiotic, so overly heroic in every way that Hikari tried not to be. It was so personal and soft, it was sentiment and attachment to people that didn't deserve it.
It was hearing Keigo tell her he was proud of her.
It was seeing him defend her against Shadow.
It was her brother's arms holding her as she cried.
It was everything Hikari both desired and hated at the same time, the perfect slice of lies that she lived in for those first couple of months at his apartment.
It was was dreading for that safety to disappear when everything was relieved
And it was changing those files to keep him around a little bit longer.
Feeling a ball of emotion make its way into her throat, crybaby Hikari pushed her lips together with unsaid denial. N-No, I don't love him, I hate him, I have to hate him. If I don't hate him then that makes me..
Not a villain.
The words echoed into her head as cruelly as possible, shocking Hikari into stunned silence. Had she really fallen so far with her big brother that she had turned back into that pathetic needy brat that clung to Kei?
Or had she always been like that and just never wanted to admit it?
Hikari then shook her head, as her own mind started to go insane with the newly formed information. What kind of idiot was she? Saving, helping, defending, loving, those weren't villain traits in the slightest. They were..
Yet before she could finish, Hawks poked his sister lightly in the shoulder, his voice calling out from the spiraling void and snapping her back as the bird whispered. "H-Hikari? You okay?
But the only thing Hikari could hear was her own loud pounding thoughts, taunting her over and over again with the same disgusting phrase and driving her insane. Just face it. Come on, face it crybaby Hikari. Face that you love your brother, face that you will never be a villain, only a pathetic little hero. Face that you never stopped being soft.
So much so, the girl felt her control snap in two before turning to her big brother with eyes full of madness, shouting at the hero in order for her own demons to go away. "I am not a hero, I'm not soft, okay?! Just stop saying that!"
Although Hawks couldn't help but flitch at her sudden tone, taking in her shaking palms, frigity stance and discolored face before twisting his eyes in concern. "Uhh..I never said any of that..
And that seemed to make the girl ring with clarity, blinking herself back into reality before confusion played on her features. She thought for sure he was taunting her along with her own brain. Was she really that out of it? "Y-You didn't?"
Her brother only seemed even more anxious about her answer though, taking a step forward to find out the truth. "No? Hey, are you okay? You look really pale."
Yet one touch from his gloved finger tips seemed to bring a heavy weight of exhaustion with it, her shoulders slumping against the nearest as Hikari muttered under her breath. "I'm going insane, I'm literally going insane…"
Reaching a hand out, the hero frowned at her response, not knowing what scared her or caused her to lash out in the slightest. She was acting weird all day. What could've happened? "H-Hika-chan?"
Hikari only sighed though, quickly slapping his hand away in order to erase the inviting warmth it brought her immediately. No, she couldn't do this. This was not happening. She refused to crumble like this, to slip so far into the past.
That's not who she was anymore, and she would prove it.
Shoving her emotions down so that wouldn't overtake her again, Hikari felt the madness in her brain clear ever so slightly before pushing herself back out towards the lobby of the liberation, ignoring Hawks in order to barely mutter something under her breath.
"I need some air."
And just like that, Hikari left Hawks standing alone in those empty hallways, wondering just what had just happened.
Still feeling on edge, Hikari absentmindedly moved through the liberation mansion in order to get off the property as quickly as possible. The whole place felt suffocating after her freak out, making her insane with every stupid portraits on the wall and perfectly disgusting marble floors.
Passing by a group of liberation members, Hikari didn't bat an eye, moving quickly and bumping one of the shoulders of the villains on her way out, not even noticing the grumpy glare from the man in question.
Yet just as she finally reached the entrance, a voice seemed to make her stop completely, knowing that same snarky ass tone anywhere. "There you are. What took you so long? I've been sifting through these cult freaks for an hour to find you."
Catching on to the fact that the villain was actually searching her out, the girl stared at his usually edgy demainer with question. "Dabi? What are you doing here?"
Dabi only scoffed though, lowering his half lidded gaze down like it was obvious. "What? I got the same invitation as you, didn't I? Don't act so surprised. Did you really miss me that much?
The girl only frowned at his classic flirting style, knowing a couple days ago it would've left her a blushing mess. Although, now, she was pissed and slightly drained from the numerous thoughts in her brain. "Why were you looking for me?"
Knowing he was caught, the villain paused for a moment before snapping back his usual cocky self. "Don't get too excited. I just want to clear some things up about that night before you get any ideas."
Ah yes, the night in question, the one where Dabi basically poured out his own heart to her with drunken sobs. How could she forget? It had been in the back of her mind since it happened after all, not knowing what to make of it.
Remaining silent, Dabi decided to speak first, wanting to set the record straight before things got even more twisted.
And even though he was rather panicked on the inside from his drunken confessions, the villain remained calm on the outside, his eyes playing with devious cruel intentions. "Look, I was shit faced, so anything that happened was bullshit. What I said, what I did, it doesn't mean anything, so don't get any ideas or get carried away and think I have feelings for a shitty bird like you."
It was something he always seems to do, explaining things when his actions didn't match his words in order for them to disappear. That's what he needed after all, to make that night disappear so that Hikari could brush it off as drunken lies and horny need.
But they weren't lies though, and that made it all the more dangerous.
Hikari on the other hand though, just stared at her friend and his explanation as the villain waited for an argument, for her to counter his bullshit words and call him out. That's usually what she did after all.
But that's when the blonde haired girl only lowered her eyes down towards the ground before nodding her head once and moved past him to get to the nearby door. "Okay."
Feeling rather stunned by the "non Hikari" response, Dabi immediately turned his head to find her already halfway out the door.
Wait, was she really just going to leave? Was she really okay with that paper thin explanation? No, that was bullshit. Why didn't she question him?
Because he had known Hikari for over half of his life, and she questioned everything.
His questions brought the man to follow her, reaching forward before grabbing the girl's arm and pulling her back to stop her strange movements. "Wait, okay? What the hell do you mean okay?"
Hikari only sighed though, feeling rather drained from her own thoughts to process his own. "I mean okay, I get for clearing it up."
Once again, the villain was surprised by her lack of interest, tightening his hold on her arm in the process. "Hold on, why aren't you questioning it? That's not like you, Princess."
The girl couldn't help but lift her head at that, Dabi catching the dead clouded look in her eyes. "Why does it sound like you want me to question it?"
And that only made the man even more pissed off, knowing she was trying to use her manipulation tactics on him."Stop trying that bullshit with me. I know when you try to turn the conversation around. You shitty bird's think you're so good at that."
Not even realizing what she was doing, Hikari's lips played in realization before giving a half hearted chuckle under her breath. "Worth a shot."
Dabi didn't like that though. In fact, he didn't like anything she was doing, his eyes turning his concern for his best friend. "Something's off with you. What's going on? Is that bird bastard pissing you off?"
The words seemed funny to her for some reason. "Not in the way you'd think."
Seeing that she was still being vague, Dabi grit his teeth in frustration before having enough of her "wishy washy" attitude and pulled her around the corner, away from wandering eyes. That's it, he needed to know what was wrong before it drove him insane a second time.
Hikari allowed the rough manhandling though, stumbling around the corner before she watched Dabi's hands begin to smoke with agitation. "Hey, quit fucking around with me before I get pissed off. Why aren't you giving me a straight answer? It's shady as hell and abnormal for your nosey ass. This isn't you, Princess."
Realizing he was probably right, Hikari felt an absent minded hand go through her hair with a heavy sigh. She felt so exhausted from her own racing thoughts and conflicting heart that she didn't even notice the odd behavior.
Usually she was better than this, better at hiding how emotional she'd become. Guess she could thank Keigo for that one also. "Sorry, just stressed, that's all. Ignore me."
Already dead set on leaving the conversation, Dabi seemed to have other plans, pulling her back once more by her arm before lowering his eyes into a serious octave. "Hikari."
Hearing the sound of her real name, Hikari felt her lips twist together with emotion before the villain realized his tactic was working and softened his voice even more. "Hikari, look at me."
That's when the girl felt utterly exhausted with everything, her shoulders caving before turning back to Dabi with a tired sigh and speaking honestly. "What do you want me to say? It's obvious from what happened that you still care about me, that somewhere there's a part of you that doesn't want to admit it for whatever reason. I think we are little past that now.
She watched him open his mouth to counter, only for Hikari to lift her hand up in order to stop whatever lie he was going to utter. Yeah, she was way past that now. "But it's also obvious that there is something else going on here, something I don't know about, and this whole push and pull shit you do is a part of that. That's why you were acting all crazy that night, I get it."
Flashing back to how desperate and afraid he was, the girl had very quickly figured out that whatever Touya and Dabi were fighting about was rather serious, and something was keeping him from fully admitting his feelings, keeping him at war with himself.
Her hypothesis was confirmed when Dabi's eyes flashed with fear for a split second, obviously terrified that she knew that little piece of hidden information before opening his mouth to counter it.
Hikari seemed to expect that though, letting her shoulders fall in defeat and replying to ease his anxiety. "Don't look so scared, I'm not gonna pry. If ya don't wanna tell me then that's fine. I'll respect your boundaries."
Then all at once, the clouded fearful look seemed to disappear all at once, only leaving utter confusion in its place, like he had no way of understanding why she would just forget something so important.
A small silence held in the air after that, Dabi staring at his childhood friend with so much concern and curiosity. Sure, he hadn't been around for the last couple days but he could tell that something was really bothering her.
Call it a blessing or a curse but he always seemed to know, even back ten years ago when she would cry her little heart out on that rooftop. He knew when something was off, and something definitely was indeed off.
Although that's when Hikari took a step closer before lifting her hand up, lightly touching his cheek, something that stunned the man too much to move.
And when she spoke, it was just as gentle and kind as he had always known her, sadness playing in her eyes as she stared into her soul. "Just know, the words I told you that night were the truth, okay? Every single one. I don't regret saying them, and I never will. And no matter how hard you try to push me away I'm never going to stop caring about you."
Dabi recalled those words immediately, the ones that said that she loved him, the ones that said that would never change, no matter what. They felt a bitter soul taste in his mouth when he thought about it, hating how much he liked hearing them.
Pulling away in the next moment, Hikari then stepped back once more before purposely gluing her eyes to his cerulean ones, as if she wanted him to remember her words. "So undermine your feelings all you want, do it for the rest of your life for all I care, but I will never undermine mine."
Then just like that, the girl turned her back on him again, leaving the stunned villain alone before focusing her obviously stressed stance towards the door. "Besides, I don't have time to figure out what you want or don't want right now. I have more important things to worry about."
And sadly Hikari meant those words, knowing that she had to get the liberation, Endeavor and Keigo out of the way before she even thought about touching her relationship with Dabi.
He was so utterly confusing as it was, and she didn't have the energy to decode his mind, not when she couldn't even decode her own right now.
Watching in stunned silence, Hikari then turned the corner before purposely pushing one of the liberation members out of the way in the process, not caring about the threat behind her as she towering over them with authority.
And when she spoke, it was dark and full of intent. "Get out of my way."
Seemingly understanding, the man quickly nodded before stepping back, allowing her to finally reach the door in order to leave this godforsaken place. Finally.
Yet as she left, Dabi couldn't help but watch her strange anxious movements, the clouded distracted look in her eyes and frown to himself with lingering curiosity.
If there was something up with her, then he was going to find out what it was.
And for some reason, Dabi already knew it had to do with the other shitty bird in his life.
It took about fifteen minutes before Hikari found herself walking the dark roads of the underworld, the place where she would spend most of her time before Dabi and Hawks and everything that now plagued her mind.
Where sleazy villains would roam the streets, just itching for a fight and some kind of crime and where corrupted heroes went to spend their time away from the responsibilities and stresses of their jobs.
Where everything was so incredibly simple.
Letting out a heavy sigh, Hikari didn't bother with the hood of her jacket to cover her identity, not having the energy to even lift her arms as her feet dragged against the grimy roads. Everything was such a mess, and the girl was getting a headache.
Even in this familiar atmosphere, Hikari still felt at war with herself, her inner thoughts and cruel reasons haunting her with every step. Maybe she really was going insane this time, who knows?
Although that's when someone seemingly reached out from the darkness before pulling her backward by the hanging hood of her jacket, Hikari gasped at the choking sensation with wide eyes.
Quickly ripping the object away from their hands, the girl then turned to find a group of ten people circling around them, and all of them were recognizable. "There you are. You got some real nerve, don't you?"
In fact, looking into the eyes of everything there, Hikari could pick out exactly who they are. They were Valkyrie's past victims, and all of them looked pretty pissed to say the least. "Excuse me? Have you forgotten who you're talking to?"
The villain only chuckled though, taking an intimidating step closer to show he wasn't scared anymore. "You heard me. Just my luck, seeing you out here like this. It's time for you to pay, Valkyrie. We won't take orders from you anymore."
Being caught off guard at his words, she then felt someone push her back a second later, causing the girl to stumble as they laughed at her pain. "Yeah! Now you're gonna be our little bitch!"
Enjoying the sight, another person in front of her then gave a dark smirk before pushing her backwards this time, all while spitting in her face with such disgust and cruelty. "We're gonna make you suffer!"
Even still, Hikari was silent, allowing them to manhandle her as the ringleader of the group then crossing his arms over his chest, thinking he had won. "We heard about your little team-up with number one, how you stood up for those hero bastards. Orothos saw you Val, and now's the time to take back our freedom. We won't follow a dirty hero."
The words felt bitter on her tongue. Ah, of course. That's why they were acting so bold, because they heard the rumor Orothos was speaking around, the one where that hero said that she was weak and washed up.
Just lovely. Now people thought they could break free of her chains, that they could push her around for a change because she helped Endeavor and cover for those idiot heros.
Feeling everything swirl around her, Hikari thoughts seemingly turned dark all at once, unknown to the attackers. God, she was tired of all of this. She just wanted everyone to shut up. She was not soft, and she wasn't turning into some idiotic hero.
The laughs started to raise higher and higher before Hikari felt something within her snap a second time, Immediately ripping off her necklace as her sharpened and ready feathers separated with lethal intent.
Seeing nothing but blood, Hikari then allowed her crazy haywire emotions to release themselves, not caring about the screaming and pleading that soon filled her eardrums the very second her feathers began to cut through the bone of her attackers over and over again.
And in that very moment, the villain lifted her lips into a cruel smirk, feeling that same mind numbing adrenaline course through her veins. That's right, they deserved to suffer, everyone deserved to suffer.
Leaning down at the fallen ringleader, Valkyrie's amber eyes filled with joy at his fear before ramming her fists into his perfectly sculpted face over and over, blood flecks coated her knuckles as she breathed heavily.
The others began to back away in fear at the sight, knowing they had misstepped before the villain's feathers gathered onto their clothes in order for them to remain stuck in one place. She wasn't finished with them yet.
Then very slowly, Valkyrie began to rise from her spot, eyes so psychotically wild as she pushed every logical and conflicting thought out of her mind. This is who she was, this is what she needed to be, something to fear, something unbreakable.
She needed to stop thinking, stop caring and move on.
Because Valkyrie knew that if she stopped this, then the only option was her to face her pathetic weak mind, to admit that her perfectly faced facade was crumbling before her eyes.
So instead she hurt the people in front of her, showing not an ounce of mercy as even more blood coated her newly sharpened feathers and muttering apologies for their actions filled the space. Even still, it wasn't good enough.
No, she needed to hold onto that villain part of her, the past that was slipping away ever so slightly with every kind word from her idiotic big brother. She needed to cling to it with everything she ever had.
Because if that went away, then she'd truly have nothing,
And that was not going to happen.
AHHH finally! This took forever, like I've been writing this chapter for weeks to try and figure out how I wanted to word it. I hope it's good enough. Hikari's fall from her villain personality is really hard to write but it is very important for her character moving forward.
As you remember from the past chapters, Hikari never wanted to be a villain in the first place, she just got so angry at the world and at Riku/Hawks that she saw no other options. And while Dabi clearly wants his dad to die and make the world burn, it is quite different for Hikari.
Here we see her struggling with her brother's kind words and how that's affecting her moving forward. She doesn't want to love Keigo but she can't help but still long for that acceptance, like as a child.
Also uh oh, Dabi is gonna talk to Hawks about Hikari. Mmm that can't be good.
Next Chapter: Hikari back at Endeavor's place. Dabi and Hawks have a "chat"