An Unbound Heart

What the hell am I thinking? I shouldn't be out here in broad daylight. People might start to put a name to my face. Oh, shut the hell up, Jun. You need to do this. After all the shit he's done for me, the least I can do is go support him, right?

Wedges of doubt persisted to invade Jun's mind as the unfamiliar city folk bustled and hurried around her, until an electronic billboard bolted to a skyscraper drew her attention, its words clearly displaying in colorful words, 'HERO BILLBOARD CHART – TODAY! NEXT LEFT'

Bingo.

Her destination soon came into view.

I can't believe I'm doing this.

Patiently Jun waited at the entryway. There was no beginning and no end of the line. People funneled into the enclosed space like a clogged, endless bottleneck. As she waited, Jun's mind wandered deep within the infinite oblivion that was her own thoughts.

"Hey, excuse me? Hey. Hey?"

Jun stared into the black void absentmindedly, entirely oblivious to the detail that someone other than Hawks was beginning to call for her directly from behind. An awkward silence then developed from the people surrounding Jun as they each wondered why the hell she was being so rude as to not respond. Finally sensing their judging stares, her consciousness caught up with her body and scanned each of their faces in puzzlement, totally ignorant of the conversation trying to take place. Twirling around, Jun was greeted by a younger man, buttoned up in a professional coat with a pencil between his head and the tip of his ear.

"Finally. Hi! How's it goin'?" he beamed enthusiastically. "I couldn't help but notice that you look pretty new here. Do you mind if I ask you some questions?"

Jun felt her head dip slightly to bury the lower half of her face into her burgundy-colored scarf in apprehension; her mouth was hidden from view, resembling a turtle receding into its shell.

It took her another moment to survey everyone's uncomfortable and flustered faces as they continued their silent judging. It felt as though everyone grew tall to look down over her. The art of peer pressure struck Jun like a freight train before her entire form exaggeratedly perked up and got in gear. "Hm? Oh! It's – I'm Tani, hi!" she heard herself say awkwardly.

"Uh, sup?" he replied less reassuringly this time while stretching out his fist toward Jun, all while she peered at him in puzzlement, clearly not understanding his cordial gesture.

"Well, anyway," he withdrew his hand, only to retrieve a notepad and pluck the pencil from behind his ear. "It's Tani, right?" he confirmed while jotting something down. "You from around here?"

"No, I-I'm in the next town over."

"Oh, Fukuoka?"

"That's the one."

"North or South side?" he inquired while tapping the pen to his chin.

Weirded out by the increasingly personal specifics of his questions, Jun anxiously replied, "S-south…?"

By then the crowd had dissipated enough to allow her small form to wriggle inside. She used a thumb to point behind her to indicate that she was ready to get the hell out of there, but not before offering the man an uncomfortable bow as he scribbled fervently, all while pressing her with more questions, all of which she selectively ignored this time and opted to dart into the new safe haven instead.

It was a challenge, both physically and emotionally to squeeze through the crowd to get a good seat at the rally, but Jun's struggles soon ceased upon spotting those unmistakable wings up on stage. Before she could register what was happening, a delighted, open-mouthed smile graced Jun's lips upon spotting her friend. Hawks was only expecting her to watch him live on her phone safely at home; what would he think if he actually saw her there, in the crowd, cheering him on? Ferocious giddiness overwhelmed Jun at the thought, enough for her hand to act on its own accord and shoot up in the air to try and garner the pro's attention from afar, but the lights in the stage switched off simultaneously, extinguishing her plans.

Hawks was surrounded by a crowd of other heroes on stage as each took turns reciting their bland hero spiel, one by one. Even though while on the job, Hawks was stellar at keeping up the act, but he had no quarrels or inhibitions expressing an exaggerated boredom and disdain in more trivial situations such as this billboard chart exhibition. Unbeknownst to Jun, and to everyone else for that matter, the little public stunt he was planning to pull, while albeit unorthodox, was all an act for the purpose of making Hawks himself look completely unhinged, to put Endeavor in a better light in comparison.

Once the conversation of the No. 4 had lulled, Hawks had begun to absentmindedly scan the room. His golden eyes caught in place upon spotting Jun, and she couldn't help but notice a spark of surprise in them as the life and energy returned to his face and wings the instant he recognized her.

A light gasp reenergized her lungs while both hands clasped together upon making distant eye contact, only breaking away to pass him a small but eager wave, earning her a warm grin and for the winged hero to briefly withdraw a hand from his pocket to return Jun's ardent wave with his own subtle one.

The dense crowd and heavy chatter then ceased to faze Jun. Watching that pro hero, supporting her friend, made every minute feel like she was floating on cloud nine…

…Until Hawks decided that it was his time to speak.

Damn… and I thought he idolized that hotheaded fool. I wonder if that means I can have my mug back.

The automatic doors unhurriedly slid apart as Jun dashed through them before they could fully open. Deep within the confines of the hospital corridor, she found the special unit reserved for heroes only, where he had called and let her know where he was currently roosting. It was late in the evening, and Jun had just crossed back to her hometown of Fukuoka when her phone flooded with breaking news of the Nomu attack, then later when she desperately answered her phone, a powerful and conflicting wave of anticipation and reassurance flooding her mind and body over her friend's condition.

It took well into the evening for Jun to make a total dash on foot to the other end of the city – but it didn't matter. All she could think about was seeing Hawks, to comfort him, to give him an earful for letting himself get this way by sacrificing all of his feathers in the joint fight alongside Endeavor.

In her frenzied rush to meet him, Jun didn't have room to think about exactly why she would go out of her way to do this. It didn't strike her until much later that she was actually experiencing intense emotions for another being to the point of self-sacrifice. She had shuffled through the crowded downtown area overlooking the hospital, ignoring her instincts telling her to turn back and hide herself from them. Strong affection for her only friend overrode any other thought or emotion, even if it meant putting her own security at risk.

Hastily opening the door revealed an empty and untouched hospital bed, with Jun's attention gravitating toward the dirty light brown hero jacket draped aimlessly over a chair before finally settling on the slim figure of Hawks standing in place nearby, his clothed yet exposed back facing her.

With his feathers gone, he couldn't sense the unexpected arrival.

His arm was quick to dart up and rub his inner elbow against his face, as if wiping away something before turning to greet his surprise guest. The hero's emphasized jovial expression immediately dissipated the moment Jun stepped foot into the room. His fatigued eyes grew wide as his head turned in her direction, and she watched, as if in slow motion, as that once forced grin blossomed into a gorgeous, open-mouthed smile that beautifully enhanced his features while simultaneously engulfing her heart in identical warmth.

"Kid! Aren't you a sight for sore eyes," he beamed. Jun's sight immediately descended to the half-shattered visors on the end table before reconnecting with him.

Something didn't feel quite right. Streaks of district line marks were smeared under and around his natural black eye markings, as though something had dried under them very recently. Come to think of it, his eyes appeared somewhat puffy. Irritated. Professional bandaging pressed between his tired but brightened eyes, where a small red spot had seeped into its sterile fiber.

At that, Jun's mind short-circuited. She so desperately wanted to scream at him - What the hell even happened out there, bird brain? But she couldn't. She knew he was a hero, and she also was aware of that sense of urgency, that need to save and protect no matter the cost. It was a feeling that she understood all too well, but could never express legally, to her utter dismay.

"Hawks," Jun stated simply, her face constantly shifting to that of anger and solace before finally deciding on one. "I'm… really happy you're okay."

"Aw, you really are goin' soft on me," he noted in delight.

"D-don't make this about me, this is about you, birdie." Jun's focus then shifted to the short stubs occupying his back where majestic crimson wings once rose proudly. "Your… are they - what happens now…?"

"Hm? What, these?" he gestured freely to his back. "No worries, dove. Give 'em two days to recover and there'll be a fresh coat, good as new! And don't mind the whole hospital setting. It's protocol to get a post-fight checkup. For precautionary reasons, y'know how it goes." Hawks unworriedly peeled the bandaging off the bridge of his nose and passed Jun a delighted, close-eyed grin and a thumbs-up. "See. Not a big deal."

She let out an audible sigh of relief. Who knew that caring about someone else would be so exhausting?

Hawks then blinked, his lighthearted expression easing to resemble gratitude. "My plan was to give you a call and let you know everything's alright. Never would've thought you'd make a special trip to see me." After a brief delay, he added softly, "Not here, and definitely not at the Chart, either."

"Ah, well, it wasn't that out of the way," Jun lied poorly as if she wanted him to see right through it.

"Hm, that so?" was all Hawks said, as if he were formulating what to say next.

"…."

"I seriously hope it wasn't," he exclaimed nonchalantly. "Those charts are always a huge drag. This guy's got more pressing things to do than smile and be eye candy, y'know what I mean?"

His indifferent admittance pierced Jun's heart. Was he saying that he didn't care that she showed up to support him? Had she essentially wasted her time?

"I-I see, I totally get it. I was just in the area today. That's all," Jun muttered awkwardly, trying extra hard – and failing – to conceal her bruised feelings, prompting her friend to lift both eyebrows faintly.

"It wasn't a special trip, was it?" he prodded.

"What're you getting at?" she responded with squinting eyes.

"You happened to be passing through the next town over and stumbled into the rally, huh? The one I happened to be flaunting in? It happens." An exaggerated shrug complimented his unworriedly shut eyes, only to be replaced with a more knowing look upon reopening. "Unless, it wasn't just coincidence."

"Well, of course it wasn't!" Jun blurted out without thinking, unable to carry on with the lie anymore. "Even if you think these things are a joke, I still want to support you in any way I can. You mean the world to me, Hawks! I want to do my part and make sure you're safe. And I want to prove to you that I'm worth being a part of your life!"

Silence.

What the fuck did I just say.

Jun couldn't even begin to fathom what had possessed her to spill that. She attributed it from all the pent-up stress and emotions over potentially losing her one and only friend that day, to the point of losing the strength to hide how she truly felt about him.

At that little outburst, Hawks stared, unblinking, in astonishment. He wasn't expecting her to be so forward about it. His face remained unreadable as he contemplated the insistence and implications behind her words. He was so important to her, Jun indirectly admitted. If that was any indication, he didn't have to pry her for answers anymore. No more need for the subtleties. She was now open, exposed by wired emotions fueled by impossibly deep fondness for her friend. An intense fondness that, he couldn't lie, had a mutually profound grip on his soul as well. With that knowledge, Hawks now knew for certain – he could easily coerce from Jun the intel he was initially assigned to gather…

if he wanted to.

He felt compelled to follow up on the matter, for the feeling Jun so tactlessly described, the one that caught him completely off-guard. It was something he had never experienced with anyone before. The thought prompted warm shivers to shoot up his spine and through what little was left of his wings. Hawks had always excelled at improvising when necessary, but no amount of training had prepared him for this.

"You-" Hawks chuckled uncharacteristically nervously, unsure of how to respond, while a flush of red dusted his cheek bones and across his nose. An ungloved hand combed through the front of his swept-back hair, his attention turning back to her. "Kid. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you made it today. I was just tryin' to say, you didn't have to… go out of your way for me."

"I wanted to. And you'd best be damned if I wouldn't do it again, bird boy."

"I know that, babybird," he spoke softly. "And you know you don't have to prove anything for me to want you around." His tone was unusually hushed, seeking to comfort. Peering at the floor, Jun passed a few short, silent nods of acknowledgment. Hawks hummed and exhaled through his nose in content. "Guess there's a silver lining to those charts after all. Heh, who knew."

A silence that teetered on a confusing blend of peaceful and discontent then shrouded the room. She was so happy he was safe, and yet… one thought continued to gnaw at her.

"Hawks," the solemnness in Jun's tone persuaded him into giving her his utmost attention. "I know as a hero, you shouldn't promise anything, but I think you can at least do this for me."

She swallowed dryly in apprehension.

"Please, just… don't play these mind games with me anymore. If you have something you want to say, then just say it instead of dancing around the point. I-I'm not as stupid as you think I am."

Hawks' tarnished eyes widened for a fraction of a second. He angled his head down to the floor and cleared his throat before blinking and relinking with her eyes. "You know you're not a game to me, Jun." His voice was borderline shaky, an unusual mixture of both fear and guilt.

"I want to agree with you, Hawks. I really do."

Hawks wanted to protest. To tell Jun that he adored every little aspect of his bond with her, that it was the most precious possession he shouldn't have had the privilege of owning. But he couldn't in good faith. Not when what she was saying was true.

"Are you okay?" she murmured out of guilt over snapping, still noting the faded streaks outlining his eyes and cheekbones.

"I'm great," Hawks managed to force out as he kept his lips in a tight line to stop them from trembling, with what resembled a feeble grin at the corners. All while painfully suppressing the powerful buildup of liquid in his eyes that threatened to spill. "You?"

"Once we get the heck out of here, I'll be just peachy."

"Heh, I hear you loud 'n clear. Give me a sec to do some last-minute business here, then I'll walk you home." His scratched-up arm brushed against Jun's amicably as he swept by and plucked his coat to drape it on. All the while, the small voice in his head screamed at him – how could you leave her like this? But the thought of his self-loathing got the better of him. He needed space to think.

"Are you going to see Endeavor?"

Hawks stopped dead in his tracks at the inquiry, his featherless back facing Jun.

"Tell him – great job out there. I knew I was right to be a fan. Both his and yours."

Hawks' tight, pursed lips twisted downward into a slight frown, ignoring the nagging voice in his head to respond, and walked out the door, closing it softly behind him.

The stroll to Endeavor's hospital room was an unpleasant one. Truth be told, Hawks was absolutely not okay. Alone in that room, he unwarily allowed weakness to conquer him, and in doing so was that close from letting Jun see the tangled, incomprehensible mess that he was internally. Hawks got momentarily careless. And further, that Nomu attack was not supposed to happen so soon, or in such an indiscreet location – and the Nomu used was well beyond the scope of what was agreed upon. There was a breach in agreement with someone, an individual who he needed to have a serious word with straight away.

A lengthy mirror coated the wall as Hawks passed by, and he paused to get a glimpse at himself in its reflection. It was like the hero to always choose to put his own emotions and grievances on the backburner, as if running away from them, utterly refusing to acknowledge they even exist. He was unable to stare for long. But in the brief moment he did, Hawks didn't like what he saw.

Tired eyes trailed up and down his disheveled form, reflecting on his hardened exterior, on the person he was trained to be. He had been taught so thoroughly to pry and analyze when necessary, he had never learned to switch that mode off, and would do it even when he wanted to stop by for no other reason than just to see Jun. And that's what utterly stumped Hawks about her. Doing something, seeing someone, for what he perceived as for 'no reason,' made no sense to him. He always had a reason for his actions. A motive hidden behind every decision that would ultimately benefit others and his duties. That's how it started with Jun, but every day with her pushed him further astray from what he was assigned to take from her. Less and less he felt the urgency to see her under falsehoods to gather intel, and yet, he refused to admit that he did it for personal, human connection.

She doesn't deserve this. His lids dropped morosely at his reflection.

Hawks possessed impeccable manipulation skills, but the thought did not impress him. For what seemed like the very first time, he felt dirty. Hawks' chest ached as he came to terms that he was playing mind tricks on her. If Hawks were honest, he wasn't sure who the real him was anymore. The stark dissonance was excruciating. He wanted to uphold his lighthearted persona to put others at ease. And yet, he also wanted to show Jun a different person than the one staring back at him, the facetious persona he slipped into every day. But he couldn't – for the sake of the mission. For the sake of everyone.

On the late-night walk through the nicer half of the city, Hawks refused to let Jun cross its boundaries to go to her home this late. "Come crash at my place for the night," he insisted before gesturing to his wings which had begun the swift process of growing back feathers. "But we'll be taking the long way. You don't mind, right?"

"You mean you haven't gotten sick of me yet? The Billboard Chart wasn't enough attention for you, huh? I should've known this would be your plan," she teased and jested to lighten up Hawks' admittedly dampened mood. "…but if I'm too much of a bother, I can go camp out in a box somewhere. I don't mind being a hobo for the night."

The effect was immediate; Hawks hummed out a healthy chuckle, deep within in his weary eyes was that beautiful spark Jun was fishing for all day. It wasn't easy to pick up, but it seemed as if rather than for a laugh, his brief chuckle felt more so his own gentle way of expressing acknowledgement and appreciation for her obvious attempt at cheering him up.

"As much as I'd love to see you give up and crawl back to me in a box, I'm afraid I can't say yes to that." Hawk's chilled hands pushed deeper into his coat pockets before raising his head to observe the dark overcast beginning to roll in. "Heard the temp's supposed to be below freezing. They even said it might snow tonight."

"So? You think I can't handle a little chill?"

"That's not it. If snow is the case tonight, then I wanna be there and watch it with you." The stark switch to Hawks' gentle tone struck a sensitive chord in her.

"M-may I ask why?"

"Because in my experience, something about the smell and sight of the first snowfall of every year," he paused. "It's always… so beautiful," he trailed off while gazing down at Jun with half-lidded, adoring eyes - as if he were speaking about more than mere snow. "This time, I wanna experience it with you, too."

Jun had no time to process the hero's words, and his doting expression hardened when his pocket had begun to vibrate. The buzz from his phone indicated an unanticipated meeting, scheduled: immediately. He had to leave, now. Hawks absolutely hated to have to leave Jun alone again, especially after going out of her way to make sure he was safe, but there was no rescheduling this. But he knew she'd be safe on this side of the city. In a frenzied rush, Hawks had dropped the keys into Jun's palm as if she owned the place while giving her pointers on where to go from there, with his playful demeanor returning full force, "Surprise me by staying out of trouble tonight."

It was miles to go, Hawks' poorly described directions told her. To alleviate some of the boredom, she withdrew her phone – countless notifications and 'Breaking News' stories immediately flooded the screen upon unlocking it. Each one showcased what could have been a catastrophic event that day, all of which featured the same exact video. She recalled the shallow breathes that wrestled and fought with her lungs while viewing it, the first time out of dozens.

The media had managed to record and capture an aerial view of the arrival of the mysterious Nomu, some eerily dubbed it as 'Hood,' and others, 'High-End,' and the destruction of the monumental building with countless civilians trapped inside. A concerned hand darted to cup Jun's mouth every time, with an inhale of anticipation upon watching dozens of people being pulled to safety by intelligent feathers, only for the feed to cut to recording at ground-level with the camera struggling to keep up with Hawks darting at blinding speed to hack and slash each clone at once.

It was a rather mesmerizing display of agility watching the No. 2 twist his wings and body, expertly twirling the elongated feather blades in his grip to adjust after each successful slash. His eyes were sharp; ruffled hair jetted in all directions with his jagged movements, his face frozen in focus - completely unconcerned with his appearance in the heat of the dire situation. His bolting speed and nimble techniques were flawless and professional.

Scrolling deeper uncovered more obscure articles, most of which were conspiracy stories for the source of the attack. Some cited Hero Killer: Stain as inspiration of recent events, others claimed to have 'exclusive' info on the League of Villains, her one and only encounter with them still heavy on Jun's mind. One of the articles that caught her eye mentioned how they are a small group of thugs who employ evil type Quirks to further their currently unclear agenda. The use of the word 'evil' pierced Jun's heart – if they wanted her to join them, then they must have seen something evil within her.

Jun may have been socially inept, but she wasn't stupid. The League of Villains was obviously a criminal organization. The main question was just how much of a threat this group posed, and other equally important concern – how they found out about her, and why they had taken interest in her, despite Jun's best efforts to be invisible to the world. There was nothing of hers that they could ever find useful, she thought.

Unless…

Jun's brows then furrowed in an uncomfortable blend of realization and disbelief.

Unless they somehow knew about my-

A crowd from a distance swiftly approaching pulled Jun from her deep intrusive thoughts. Leading the way was the young man who had asked her some seemingly innocent questions at the Billboard Chart.

"There! She's the one!" the man announced hastily.

"Her? You sure she's the one said to be hanging around Hawks?"

"I'm certain of it – hey, Tani! Come here! I haven't finished interviewing you yet!"

That creepy bastard followed me into the next town, for that?!

Jun stood there, wide eyed, her mouth in a hard line, staring at the approaching crowd like a clueless fool, before coming to her senses and bolted in the opposite direction – her arms swaying back in forth from the effort of the full sprint, all while screaming in her head - Nope, nope, nope, no, nah, I'm good, thanks!

Unfortunately, staying cooped up all those years proved to be a fatal mistake, as the rising scorching in Jun's chest overpowered her lungs, forcing her to pause and gasp for breath. The crowd of what she could only decipher as the media swiftly caught up from behind, and she was about damn ready to crawl into a nearby trashcan to hide, until a mysterious voice in a nearby alleyway beckoned to her, "Over here! Media troubles, right? Hide here, then!"

Normally I wouldn't fall for an obvious mugger's trap like this, but honestly, I'd rather be robbed!

Before heeding the figure's call, Jun caught a glimpse of the professional cameras the crowd was threatening with, prompting an undignified squeal to exit her throat with a mighty leap into the darkened alleyway. While in mid-jump, both her arms reached out into the darkness. She was expecting to hit a wall or another obstacle with a harsh impact, but what she came into contact was a surprise – for her, and for Spinner.

"What the – hey – OW!" The reptilian man said in response to the accidental push – forcing him backwards, tripping over a discarded soda can, before finally knocking the back of his head off the brick wall with an audible 'thunk.'

Silence.

"Uh, did I – did I just kill a guy?"

"Urg, n-no, clumsy brat," Spinner replied unpleasantly. Jun could just make out the lifting of his arm to kneed and rub the back of his head.

Innumerable footsteps closed in near the alleyway, prompting her to follow him deeper into the alleyway and to the entrance of a hidden grotto nearby.

"Look, I appreciate your help with getting me the hell out of there, but I think this is where I'm bowing out," was what Jun said before getting a knife pulled on her.

"Just get in."