Sorry for the long wait! I took a break to work on something original for NaNoWriMo and some other IRL stuff. Thank you for your patience and all of the kind comments. We're almost at the end! There's only one or two chapters left.

Ch. 25: What Came After

Tokoyami doesn't know where he is. There's pressure all around him and an ache in his chest like loneliness, like…like something just out of the reach of his memory. Something bad. Dark Shadow is there, too, helping them process what little filters through their senses. In this state it's hard to find where one of them begins and the other ends. They send each other impressions of ideas and feelings: voices, dust, movement, then pain. Light. Danger.

Tsukuyomi lashes out. Someone grunts as they make contact, and then there are more hands on them. They panic – their skin bubbles with jagged shadow-stuff as they pull and shove at the hands. People shout, and then a stern, calm voice cuts through all the others. Dark Shadow disappears, and Tokoyami's panic lasts just seconds more before he, too, is dragged into the dark by the scent of a strange perfume.

XXX

Dark Shadow is with him again when he wakes, cool and smooth like a river rock where he curls within their body. Someone nearby is humming softly, filling Tokoyami's head with a soothing melody. His body feels too heavy to move, so he lies still and listens. He isn't in pain, but parts of his skin feel strange and his chest is sore. His mouth is dry as dust, and there's something over his beak.

The soft, warm feeling evaporates. He opens his eyes and lifts a hand to his face, terrified that Ujiko has done something to wire his beak shut. Someone grabs his arm to stop him, and he probably would have gone into a full-blown panic attack were it not accompanied by a familiar voice and a long-missed face: dark hair and sharp red eyes, the only facial feature that he inherited from her. Mother.

"You're okay, Fumikage, you're okay. It's just an oxygen mask to help you breathe a little easier," she says softly. She keeps hold of his hand, gently rubbing her thumb over the bandage wrapped around his palm. Tokoyami wants to tell her how much he loves her, how glad he is to see her again, how frightened he was. With the mask on he can't really speak, but she smiles and seems to understand anyway.

"It's okay, baby, you're safe. No one here is going to hurt you." Her hand rests against his feathers.

There's a slight tug on his energy as Dark Shadow emerges from him, small and misty even though the room isn't bright. Their mother immediately reaches out to him, scratching his head when he bumps against her hand. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm so glad to see you. No one could tell us for sure if you made it through."

She wipes at her eyes. Dark Shadow pulls himself into a more corporeal form and wraps around her. "We missed you, mama."

"I missed you, too," she replies, "so much it broke my heart."

Tokoyami squeezes her hand as Dark Shadow hugs her. He wants to hug her, too, and to see where his father is. He tries to sit up, but his mother presses him back to the bed. "Take it slow, Fumikage. Let me get a doctor and call your father, and – oh, here. Do you want the lights off?"

The shadows on the walls congregate into two semi-solid forms that turn the light switch and press the call button without her ever having to release his hand. His mother's quirk has no consciousness or will of its own, and he's used to the oft-unseen hands manipulating things in their house. With the lights down Dark Shadow grows and returns to his usual shape, taking energy from the darkness instead of their body. He hovers just above Tokoyami, looking around the room to collect information for them both.

"Computer with numbers and lights. Bag of water-stuff. It's attached to you," Dark Shadow thinks. He bristles at the last, and they both follow the line of tubing from the bag to Tokoyami's wrist. "Doctors. No doctors, no needles! Won't let them hurt us."

Dark Shadow looms over Tokoyami and their mother, prepared to protect them both. Tokoyami jerks his hand away from his mother's and reaches for the tube. She grabs his hands and holds them gently. "Don't pull on that. It's fluids so you don't get dehydrated and medicine for pain. Nothing else, I promise. We…Mr. Aizawa told us what they did to you."

She shuts her eyes and takes a breath, reigning in her emotions in favor of being calm for her son. "You are safe. You're in the medical ward of U.A."

"U.A.?" Tokoyami thinks. Dark Shadow peaks around the room and confirms it. The anxiety drains from Tokoyami and he relaxes again. He can't process why he's at U.A. or how he got here, but it doesn't matter. Despite everything that's happened there is some instinct in him that still believes in the inherent good of the school.

Dark Shadow sinks within him once more, having exhausted what energy he and Tokoyami had left during the outburst. The heavy feeling returns, and Tokoyami turns towards his mother. He doesn't want to close his eyes. He's afraid that he'll never see her again.

His mother smiles. "It's alright, you can go back to sleep. Recovery Girl said you might be in and out for a while. Your father and I will be here when you're ready. We're watching over you now – us and your friends."

Safe? Dark Shadow thinks.

Safe. Tokoyami replies. The humming returns, and he lets the ocean of darkness wrap him in its comfort once more. Tokoyami and Dark Shadow drift with its current, sometimes deep down in the abyss where all is quiet and still, sometimes close to the surface where they can make out voices.

"Physically and mentally, they will heal, but it's going to be a long process. Even with the records he kept, we barely know half of what happened."

"We can be patient. They're alive, that's all that matters."

"We should have reached them sooner. I should have seen through the ruse and realized we were looking in the wrong direction. I'm so sorry."

"You brought them back. That's more than enough."

"It's a start. Tsukuyomi will always have a place at U.A., so long as you and he agree to it."

"Gladly. …and what about Hawks?"

"…"

"What do we tell them?"

"The truth. They deserve the truth."

XXX

The next time Tokoyami drifts towards the surface, he is far more aware of himself. He can take stock of the individual parts of his body again, rather than feeling like one large sack of sand. The mask over his beak is gone, although the IV line remains. The room is dark and quiet aside from the monitors and, again, a low hum. The voice is familiar, although it doesn't belong to either of his parents. Tokoyami opens his eyes and turns to locate its source.

There's a tall, thin figure sitting between his bed and the door, tapping out a rhythm on the arm of a chair while their attention remains on a tablet. The glow of the screen reflects off their glasses and makes their long blonde hair look like a halo. Without the usual speaker and wild updo, it takes Tokoyami a long moment to place him.

"Present Mic?"

His voice comes out in a hoarse whisper, and it isn't until he coughs to clear his throat that Present Mic looks up from his tablet. When he sees that Tokoyami is awake, he immediately puts the tablet aside and shifts closer to the bed.

"Hey there, listener. Your parents aren't far; we got them to rest in a bed of their own for a few hours. You weren't supposed to be lucid again until morning."

"Sorry."

Mic smiles. "Don't be; this is a good thing. How are you feeling?"

Tokoyami frowns and takes stock of himself. Nothing hurts, exactly, but his body feels like it's not entirely his own – and not in the usual way. Dark Shadow seems to be sleeping, his presence comforting but vague. He won't manifest until their body has enough energy to spare or a threat presents itself.

"Strange," he says at last. "Cold."

"Do you want me to call someone?"

"No!" Tokoyami wants to shout, but it comes out as more of a whimper. He still doesn't like the idea of any doctor's hands on him.

"Hey, it's alright. That's fine, it can just be you and me for a little while," Mic replies. "Is that okay?"

Tokoyami nods, and the monitor registers the slowing of his heart.

"Okay. You can go back to sleep if you want. I'll be here." He pulls another blanket from the end of Tokoyami's bed and folds it over him.

Tokoyami shakes his head. He has too many questions. "Sir?"

"Hmm?"

He can't sort through the more important questions when his brain feels like soup, so he goes with the first one that comes to mind. "Why are you here?"

Present Mic smiles. "For you, of course."

"Ah," Tokoyami replies. His memories of what happened during the last hours of his captivity are fuzzy, but he knows Dark Shadow and Shadow's Shroud had something to do with it. Not to mention the fact that he has been with the villains for months. The heroes have every right to be cautious. "Dark Shadow is sleeping now. You don't have to worry."

Mic's smile grows sad. "I'm not here for Dark Shadow. Well, that's not true – I am here for Dark Shadow, but not because of him. I'm here to protect you. We've been taking turns."

"We?"

"We," Mic confirms. "Me, Eraserhead, All Might, Midnight, even Principal Nedzu. Your friends wanted to join us, too, but we can't leave minors alone right now, ya dig?"

"But…why?" Tokoyami asks.

"Because we just got you back, and there's no way we're letting anything else happen to you. You scared the hell out of us, you know."

Tokoyami looks away, chest tight with shame. "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. We're the ones who should apologize, we…" Present Mic swallows. "Later. We'll talk about everything later, I promise. I'm an ugly crier and you don't need to see that right now. Trust me, just ask Eraserhead."

Tokoyami shakes his head. He doesn't want to confront this now, either, but his chest feels like it will burst if he doesn't say something. No one should cry over him. No one should want to be anywhere near him.

"I have plenty to be sorry for, and I won't let it fester away. I won't be like him and lie to you about it. I won't let my lie become someone else's weapon," Tokoyami says.

"Hey, slow down-"

He can't. A damn has burst within him and now the words just keep coming, even though every one makes it harder to catch his breath. "I betrayed everyone. I watched the villains hurt civilians and heroes alike and did nothing. I saw that nomu hurt you. They made me watch. I told them how to get into the school grounds because I thought I could save Kirishima and Amajiki, but I was wrong. They killed them anyway. They killed them, and it's all my fault. All my-"

And now he really can't catch his breath. The last word just won't come, and his lungs refuse to work. Dark Shadow is stirring now, echoing the panic in his head. His distress is so loud Tokoyami can't make out anything Present Mic is saying, though he's vaguely aware of the man's hands: one supporting his back and the other pressing Tokoyami's hand against his chest. That's what finally catches Tokoyami's attention. Present Mic's chest vibrates like a hum he can feel instead of hear. He latches onto that and mimics the rise and fall as best he can.

Slowly, Dark Shadow settles and so does Tokoyami's breathing, though the ache in his chest remains. It's only when two sets of hands ease him back against the pillows that he realizes Recovery Girl is in the room, too. She's speaking to him softly, and probably has been for some time.

"…you are, dear. Nice and easy. That's it. No, don't try to talk yet. Just breathe."

He follows her instructions and keeps taking long, slow breaths. He hopes the damage to his lungs isn't permanent. That would be just one more thing to thank Hawks for whenever he-

No. He can't let his emotions get the better of him now. Recovery Girl will probably decide to sedate him if she sees his heart rate up again, if she hasn't already. He flinches when she takes his arm; to his surprise, she releases him immediately and makes no attempt to touch him again. She must be used to dealing with panicked, traumatized patients; it seems wrong for a school nurse.

She hands him an oxygen mask. "I healed the worst of the puncture to your lung, but your body is still recovering. Will you put this on?"

Hhe appreciates the opportunity to take some control over his body. It makes it easier to accept the mask and place it over his beak, letting it do some of the work for his sore chest.

"Thank you," says Recovery Girl. "Your body might need help resting, too. May I give you something to help you get back to sleep?"

Tokoyami shakes his head vehemently, clenching the sheets tightly with his good hand. He doesn't think it's really a request and expects her to slip something into the line already in his hand, but she simply nods. "Alright."

"I think I have something else that will help you rest easier," says Present Mic, using his hands as well as his voice. "There's a lot in what you just told me that we should talk about, and I know you won't believe me right now when I tell you that you are not to blame for what happened. But you should know this much: Kirishima and Amajiki are alive."

Tokoyami sucks in a breath and pulls the oxygen mask off his face, ignoring a pointed look from Recovery Girl. "What? How? I saw…"

But he hadn't seen it, had he? Not the second time; Shigaraki only said they'd been killed. He never gave Tokoyami any proof.

"I don't know what you saw or what you were told, but both of them are back on campus now, right as rain – or nearly there, anyway," says Recovery Girl.

"We sent an alert the moment Kirishima's ID triggered the school alarm. So if you were the one who told Toga about that, then you didn't kill them. You saved them," Present Mic insists.

"They spent a day at Fatgum's agency and were escorted here once the campus was clear. Between Togata, Hado, Tetsutetsu, and 1A, I don't think they've been alone since they arrived," says Recovery Girl. "They want to see you, too, when you're ready. In fact, I believe you have well-wishers from every class in the school."

She gestures to the other side of the bed, and for the first time Tokoyami looks past all the medical equipment to notice a table piled with cards, flowers, and other gifts he can't make out in the dark. His eyes widen.

"Can I…can I see them?" Tokoyami asks.

"I'll make you a deal," says Recovery Girl. "Wear that mask for the rest of the night and sleep as much as you can. If your vitals look good in the morning, and if your parents agree, you can have a few visitors."

Tokoyami glances at the clock. It's just after 3:00 AM. 5:00 AM counts as morning for plenty of early risers on U.A.'s campus (although Tokoyami was never one of them). He can handle two hours with the mask, even if he spends it staring at the ceiling. He nods in agreement and slips the mask back over his face.

Recovery Girl smiles. "Thank you. I'm sure Present Mic can tell a story to help you sleep. A calm one, if you please."

"Of course!" Present Mic replies. "You can help me grade some of these second-year essays. The grammar is getting better, but the spelling is atrocious."

He says the last word in English, and Tokoyami tilts his head and signs a question.

"A-tro-shus," Mic repeats slowly. "I thought you might like that one. It means very bad. It comes from the Latin artox, or gloomy, and…"

As Mic launches into the etymology of the word, Recovery Girl shakes her head and wishes them both a good night. Tokoyami falls asleep to the steady rise and fall of the Voice Hero's speech.

There's daylight streaming into the room when he wakes up. His parents are beside him again, and a quick glance at the clock tells him it's 11:00 AM. Recovery Girl makes him eat while she takes his vitals, apparently pleased with his progress. Tokoyami is pleased too. His head feels clearer, and Dark Shadow is happily curled at his side on top of the blankets, the room left dim enough for them both.

This renewed strength gives him the energy for more questions. He remembers Recovery Girl's promise from the night before, as well as his conversation with Present Mic. "You said I could have visitors."

"I did, if your parents agree," says Recovery Girl.

"Yes, of course," his father says immediately.

"I can't allow them all at once. I know you've been worried about Kirishima and Amajiki. Shall we invite them first?" says Recovery Girl.

Tokoyami does want to see them, desperately so. He hesitates, however. The last thing he remembers clearly is being rescued by Koda, Shouji, Hagakure, and Iida. He needs to thank them, and he needs their help to fill in the blank spaces in his memory. He needs to know what happened to the League, if he really killed Ujiko, if the heroes won and the League has been dismantled. Most of all, he needs to know what happened to Hawks.

He's still angry with Hawks; there's pain in his chest whenever he thinks of him, a wound that Recovery Girl could never heal. But there's love there, too; a bond that started as admiration and grew through shared hardship. Hawks tried to protect him all the way to the end. Shigaraki was going to kill them, and then…and then…

"Fumikage?" his father prompts.

"I want to see Hawks," he says. The adults look at one another warily, and a heavy feeling settles in his gut. Tokoyami does not actually remember leaving the school, so he doesn't know if Hawks made it out with him. He takes a slow breath to prepare himself. "If he's dead, just tell me. I don't want to be lied to anymore."

"He was alive when they brought both of you out, but his injuries were serious. My team treated what we could in the field," Recovery Girls says gently. "More than that, I'm afraid I cannot say. As a U.A. student, we were able to bring you here for care. However, we have no such jurisdiction over Hawks. The Hero Public Safety Commission has taken charge of his recovery and arrest."

Tokoyami sits up fast enough to startle his parents. "What? But none of the attacks on the news were him! He hasn't done anything wrong!"

Oh, but he has, Dark Shadow reminds him.

"Let me talk to the police. He was with me; I'll tell them everything," Tokoyami insists.

"I know you will, and I'm sure someone will be by to talk to you soon. But Hawks' fate is out of our hands right now. The best thing you can do for him is to take care of yourself," says Recovery Girl.

Tokoyami deflates. "We took care of each other for so long; we had no one else. Please, I just…I need to know if he's still alive, if he'll be okay."

Recovery Girl sighs. "I have a few connections I can call. In the meantime, would you like visitors, or do you want some space? I know this news is a lot to handle."

Tokoyami's feelings about his friends are also complicated, if slightly less raw than his feelings about Hawks. He hates the idea of being vulnerable in front of anyone right now. Dark Shadow nudges him, a silent promise that he is not alone with any of it. He scratches Dark Shadow's head and nods. "I'd like to see for myself that Kirishima and Amajiki are alive. And I'd like to thank those who rescued me."

XXX

There is no slow, easy waking for Hawks. It feels more like being plunged into a frozen lake, ice locking up his muscles and pressure crushing his lungs. He struggles and gasps, barely able to process the nearby voice telling him, "Easy, easy," when there is absolutely nothing easy about it.

Later he learns this is a controlled pressure chamber, meant to help heal his severe burns. Quirk healing can only go so far, they tell him. He doesn't care much. He never expected to wake up at all. This is at least the third time he's cheated death, and he's beginning to think it's more of a sick joke than a blessing.

They tell him to be grateful that he's in such a pitiful state he hasn't been sent to prison immediately. He wants to tell them all to kindly fuck off and let him die in peace, then, but he is barely conscious and has little control over his body. Besides, he needs to know what's become Tokoyami, the League, and the heroes who rescued them.

At some point in all this Miruko visits – or at least, Hawks thinks she does. It's hard for him to tell if the incident occurs during one of his closer brushes with consciousness or in the depths of a dream. He hopes it's the first.

"Hey, Wings. You look like shit." Miruko's voice is close but off to one side. Hawks desperately wants to see her. He tries to open his eyes and turn his head, but his body refuses to obey. Miruko sighs, and he can clearly picture the way she runs her hand through her hair and between her ears. The sound turns into a hiss. Her arms, he remembers. She's lucky if she still has them.

"What the fuck did you get yourself into this time, huh? You have a lot to answer for, so you'd better not die. I'll drag you back to the land of the living myself just so I can kill you again. You were supposed to ask for help when you got in too deep."

She pauses, but not for long. "Was it really you who betrayed us, or was it all the League? I want to say I know you, and the you I know would never murder civilians, even if you did snap and decide to take it out on the heroes. If it turns out I didn't know you – well, you're a damn good liar, I'll give you that. And you deserve to rot in hell with none of the pain meds they've got you on now. I just really hope I'm not that stupid. I hope you're not that stupid, thinking you can change the world by destroying it."

Her pause is longer this time. Hawks can feel her eyes on him even if he can't feel much else. When she speaks again, her voice is much quieter. "I don't believe you're a villain. You care too much, Hawks, and it shows. I saw what you did for that protégé of yours. You didn't even hesitate. I thought for sure you'd both be dead under that stone. I wanted to make the kids leave so they didn't see whatever was left, but I got kicked out instead so they could save my arms or something. I'm gonna have some great scars, by the way. Maybe they'll finally stop shoving those modeling contracts at me."

"Anyway. I'm glad you survived. Tsukuyomi lived, too – did anyone bother to tell you?" The elation Hawks feels upon hearing that is better than any drug.

"I bet they didn't," Miruko continues. "I haven't seen him, either, but I asked for an update on all the kids after the raid. It's your fault I'm going all soft. They're saying a lot of things are your fault right now. You'd better wake up and set the story straight before someone else does it for you."

That's a dangerous thing to say out loud in front of the Commission, even if the meaning is only implied. It's one of the things Hawks has always loved about Miruko. She says what she wants to anyone she wants, and no one stops her because it's all a part of her image as a hero. The downside is that people assume it's all bravado and stop listening to the truth behind it.

A chair scrapes back and soft, over-large feet pad a little closer. "Alright, Wings, my time's up. You need your rest, and I'm not allowed to consort with the enemy for long. The League made a real mess of things out there anyway, and someone's got to clean it up. You better get well so that you can help, and so that you can finally tell me what the hell happened here. I don't want answers from anyone but you. I'll see ya soon. I promise."

Then she's gone, and Hawks sleeps again.

The president of the Commission is kind enough to wait until he's fully conscious and mostly coherent to make an appearance. Any sooner and Hawks wouldn't have had the energy for the amount of sarcasm their meeting truly deserves. He's also able to greet her sitting up. It's still not comfortable to have his back pressed against anything for long periods of time, but it's no longer painful.

She greets him with a small nod. "Hawks."

"Ma'am." Sometimes Hawks thinks she gets as frustrated with the formalities as he does.

"How are your injuries?"

"I'll live. Not sure if my quirk will come back, and they say there's nothing much they can do for the scars. I have a feeling no one wants me to be their poster boy anymore, anyway," he replies.

"Perhaps a wanted poster," the president replies. There's a slight curve to her lips. Hawks has always liked her best when they're alone. She has a secret and wicked sense of humor.

"I don't suppose you'll accept It wasn't me as an answer," says Hawks.

The president sits in the chair beside his bed and crosses her legs. "Why don't you prove your loyalty with a full report, and we'll go from there."

Hawks opens his mouth to reply like a trained parrot, then catches himself. They're always telling him to prove his loyalty, but what has the Commission done to earn it? They forced him to betray Tokoyami, and he is positive they had nothing to do with their eventual rescue. "How about you answer a few of my questions first?"

The president raises an eyebrow. "What leverage do you think you have here, Hawks?"

"Enough that you came to see me with no witnesses, so you must think I've got something juicy," Hawks replies.

That barely visible smile returns. "Very well. What do you want to know?"

"Where's Tokoyami?"

"Recovering at U.A.'s facilities."

"Is Miruko alright? Was anyone else hurt?"

"Miruko will retain full use of her arms. A few other injuries were reported, most of them minor. No casualties."

Hawks exhales. "The League?"

"Classified."

His relief disappears in an instant. "They've been my mission for a fucking year."

"And you were either their accomplice or their prisoner. There is no negotiation on this, Hawks," she replies.

"How will I know what's relevant to report if I don't know what happened in the end?" Hawks asks.

"By telling us everything, without missing a single detail, as you have been trained to do since you were a child," says the president.

"You also trained me to lie. Are you gonna trust the word of a potential villain?" he retorts.

"A properly motivated one, yes," she replies.

A shiver runs up his spine, so intense it's painful and impossible to hide. Shigaraki said something similar right before he tortured Tokoyami. He has to remind himself that Tokoyami is at U.A., safely out of the Commission's reach.

On the other hand, there are plenty of other things the president could hold over his head: medical care, his hero status, his past, a cozy prison cell… He doesn't care about his status or who knows his real name anymore. However, the idea of being tossed straight into Tartarus is horrifying. He'd be virtually quirkless while sharing the lunch line with a bunch of villains he put behind bars personally.

With a sigh, he begins to recount the last month, starting at his encounter with Toga-as-Tokoyami. He isn't fully honest, however. He leaves out certain details and conversations, protecting the private moments between himself and Tokoyami. The president knows he's doing it, but she doesn't interrupt, not even when he pauses for water. After all, she's the one who taught him that what's said is just as important as what isn't.

Hawks falters when he reaches the story of their rescue. His memories of it are legitimately hazy, and he hasn't been able to work out exactly how it all happened. "How did they find us?"

"It seems you and Tokoyami have some particularly stubborn friends," says the president.

"U.A.?"

"In part," she replies. "I have no doubt that Principle Nedzu was the mastermind behind much of the planning, but he knew they would not succeed alone. There were mutterings of foul play long before their school was attacked; suspicions that the villain with your face was an imposter or that you were under the influence of a quirk. There were also heores who never truly stopped looking for Tokoyami. As promised, we did not discourage outside sources from the attempt."

Hawks nods, a picture of events starting to form in his mind. "Eraserhead was working with Gang Orca when they caught the Mutant Murderer. If that guy proved he didn't kill Tokoyami, I bet it brought up a lot of questions."

"Especially if someone was a touch less careful planting evidence than they usually are," the president replies.

Hawks smirks, even though it pulls painfully on his burns. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

The president holds his gaze, her expression unchanging. "In any case, the police were forced to re-open the investigation into Tokoyami's disappearance. We were able to keep it out of the media, given their greater interest in you, but it certainly led to some uncomfortable conversations."

"That must have been really difficult for you," says Hawks.

She ignores the jab. "Fatgum's interns were attacked in the hospital not long after that – or rather, a nurse made a suspiciously obvious error on their medication. U.A. immediately moved them to an undisclosed medical center, likely their own campus, and Fatgum's-"

"Wait. They moved Fatgum's interns?"

She nods. "They did. I suspect the League of Villains held them as some sort of leverage over you?"

Hawks hesitates. This is one of those parts of the story where he was vague on the details. He didn't want the Commission to add to the guilt Tokoyami had already heaped on himself. "Yes. They told us Red Riot and Suneater were killed."

"Then I am glad to share that both survived the incident. Fatgum's agency was able to identify several criminal connections and suspicious deaths at that hospital," she says.

"Thank god," Hawks sighs, letting himself relax back against the pillows. That might help to heal a little bit of Tokoyami's heart - and his own, if he's being honest. "Is that how they found us? Through one of the hospital informants?"

"Perhaps. As I said, the Commission was not a part of this. Despite publicly renouncing you, civilians and heroes alike have had little faith in us."

Shocking, Hawks thinks, but this bit of sarcasm he keeps for himself. He can't alienate her just yet. He needs to know what happened during his absence before he can begin to think of a way out of this mess. Then again, he's tired of trying. A private cell in Tartarus might not be so bad after all.

"U.A. was slow to call us for backup when their campus was attacked," the president continues. "They relied on their staff and personal connections. In this negligence, they were only able to capture Himiko Toga and a few nomu. They were also very slow in handing her over to the proper authorities, along with a small camera."

Hawks nods. "So between re-examination of the original evidence, the hospital informants, interrogating Toga, and tracing the camera, they were able to pinpoint our location. Gang Orca and Fatgum must've helped out with the investigation – were they part of the raid, too? It still doesn't explain how Endeavor and Miruko got involved."

"Gang Orca's rather extensive number of sidekicks covered more patrol routes than usual, and I believe Fatgum worked with the police." The president levels him with a stare, and he can't quite read the meaning behind her expression. "As for Endeavor and Miruko, it is possible All Might or Nedzu called in a favor. I think, however, that their involvement was personal. Both were quite outspoken after your apparent betrayal, and both have visited while you were unconscious. They want to speak with you."

Hawks chokes, unable to find the words to express how badly he wants to talk to them and how desperately he does not. The president hands him a glass of water and, for the moment, gives him a graceful out. "We can't allow that just yet; not until we have a better idea of how to deal with you. Outside of your medical team and a few high-clearance staffers, the only thing anyone knows is that you are alive and in our custody."

"Even U.A.?" Hawks rasps.

"Yes. You are one of ours, Hawks, as Tokoyami is one of theirs," she replies. "I must admit, I am impressed that a hero force largely made up of students was even slightly successful. It was reckless and stupid on their part, and every single pro hero involved has received a citation saying so, but they did manage your rescue with no casualties."

"Those kids are pretty amazing. The teachers, too." He tenses up as soon as he says it, afraid to draw the Commission's eye too close to the kids.

"Whatever you believe of me, Hawks, you should know by now that I recognize there is more than one way to make a hero. We will all need to work together to face what is coming," says the president.

That last comment makes Haws' stomach twist with dread. "They didn't capture all of the villains, did they?"

She doesn't deny it. "Between All Might's retirement and your betrayal, trust in heroes has been dealt a significant blow. There has been an increase in petty villainy and vigilante activity. Tokoyami's return could undo some of that damage, if spun the right way. Yours, however…frankly, it would be much easier if you had died. The public loves a martyr."

Hawks suddenly remembers a conversation he had with Tokoyami:

"You ever thought about staying dead? We get out of here and then keep flying. Why go back to all of this nonsense? We'll find somewhere to land where no one knows or cares who we are."

He must be silent for too long, because the president speaks again. "I'm not going to actually have you killed, Hawks. Stop looking at me like that."

"What if you did?" Hawks asks.

"Pardon?" It may be the first time he's truly managed to surprise her.

"Well, not literally. More like what we worked out with Best Jeanist. Tell the world I died from my injuries. It was near enough, right? No one would question it, not even U.A."

"And how would we bring you back?" she says.

"You wouldn't," Hawks replies. "I'll never be the Winged Hero Hawks again, even if my quirk comes back. So let Hawks die and let me be Keigo again – or someone else, I don't care. Send me somewhere quiet. I get to be bored, and you get to stop wondering when I'm going to go public about the whole child soldier thing."

The president hums. "I disagree with the wording. However, the idea is not entirely without merit."

"One other condition," says Hawks.

"You haven't got a lot to bargain with, but I'm listening."

"I want to see Tokoyami. He deserves the truth."

"That will make him a liability," she says.

"Then get him to sign a NDA or something. I've got a promise to keep," Hawks replies.

The president stands. "We'll see. I'm certainly open to meeting the one who survived Shigaraki's quirk and held his own against you. There's room here for a young hero with that kind of potential, especially one so ideally suited to gain the public's sympathies."

Hawks bristles and sits forward, ignoring the jabbing pain in his back. "He deserves better than you."

"Better? What could be better than a guaranteed job, access to the best support team in the world, and the chance to live out his dream?"

"The chance to make his own choices. He's experienced life in a cage. Leave him alone, let him be free," says Hawks.

"There's no such thing as true freedom, Hawks. You know that better than anyone." With that, she leaves.