Mortal Coil
"Seriously, is the knife at this point really necessary? I'm right here, you already got me," Jun said in a pathetic attempt to diffuse her nerves while walking straight ahead with Spinner close behind. The back of his head had begun to change to a hideous color from his blood mixing into his light purple strands of hair. She still hadn't apologized for essentially causing him to slam backwards into the wall on the way over. He merely grunted painfully in response.
While being escorted down a dreary corridor, knife to her back, Jun overheard a conversation taking place nearby – and judging by their venomous, forbidding tone - it sounded incredibly heated.
"The plan was for tomorrow, at the factory on the coast. Not in the middle of the damn city!"
That… that voice…!
The familiarity of that voice was striking, but at the same time, it was just so… intimidating. Their hostile tone demanded authority.
It couldn't have been him.
Spinner then urged Jun to the next room, not granting her the chance to confirm her suspicions.
"Everything I do, I do for the League, Dabi," Hawks felt obligated to remind his supposed ally. Telling by the blade that was pressed up against the villain's neck moments before, their trust in each other was already shaky, especially after the incident with Jun. But after the Nomu attack that day, their partnership was on a whole new level of wariness.
"I hope you're not expecting to meet the boss so soon after this," Dabi said coldly. "In fact, I'll go ahead and say I don't give a damn. We'll be in contact again, Hawks-" Dabi raised his phone, receiving an alert from Spinner. His discolored face perked up grotesquely as he smirked at the simple message.
"Hm, change of plans. Clearly, we've had our share of disagreements, so how about this," Dabi offered dryly, shoving his phone back into his coat pocket. "I wasn't arranging plans to have you meet the others so soon, but hell, seeing how you already dipped your toes in the water with Compress, might as well take the dive, right?" he concluded with a stiff yet inviting shrug.
Hawks studied Dabi's unusual body language and the implications behind his words carefully. Whatever that text message was, he needed to find out.
"Your premature meet-and-greet with Compress was a mistake, but I'm willing to let that slide – if you consider this. Suppose that we have a brand-new recruit next door – and not that mousy girl you couldn't be bothered to fetch for us, either."
Dabi paused, letting his jabbing remark sink in as Hawks' eyes squinted spitefully in response.
"Then suppose that they're being led on a tour of sorts as we speak. Don't you think it's only fair to give a proper introduction?"
Devious, baggy eyes stared down Hawks' equally vexed ones before his raspy voice added, "So, let's suppose that what I'm telling you is the truth. Regard this as a trust building exercise. Really seal the deal between you and the League."
Hawks internally assessed his options. If Dabi was telling the truth, then Hawks didn't want to drag another innocent person into this mess of an organization, but he needed to do whatever means necessary to earn the trust of this damned villain and, by extension, the League. On the other hand, if he was lying, then that meant-
"Or don't," Dabi added frigidly. "I don't find it important, really."
"Since I'll be a part of the club soon, it makes sense to join the rest of our social circle." Hawks shrugged, feigning compliance. His relaxed demeanor was short lived, as frighteningly sharp eyes narrowed vehemently at the villain – his intense glare challenging Dabi's. "Keep in mind, Dabi," his low tone warned. "If you go back on your word with this, then suppose that being a compulsive liar will be the least of your problems."
"My, my, if it isn't Tani! Fancy seeing you here, my dear," Mr. Compress announced with a lively bow. "Glad you've decided to accept our gracious invitation."
"It's not like I had a choice." Staring straight ahead, Jun's eyes shifted silently in Spinner's direction, who had been holding his head with both hands and groaning in pain.
"Good lord, what happened to your head, Spinner?" the masked villain implored.
"This moron decided to go batshit and shove me in the alleyway," replied Spinner through gritted teeth, ignoring the splitting pressure between his temples. "It's getting worse. I think, I'm thinking I should - get it checked out."
"With what money?" questioned some weird blonde girl leaning her chest over an old, decrepit table. One arm splayed out while the other supported her chin indifferently. Toga was her name, Jun soon discovered, who looked as though she could use a nap. And perhaps therapy. Beside her was a masked man in all black, Twice, who appeared to be muttering senselessly to himself, then to her.
"That is true, Spinner. I'm afraid there is not much we can do at this point," answered Mr. Compress before his concealed face turned back to Jun. "Please excuse this ramshackle of a hideout. It is only temporary. Once our plans are finalized, we shall relocate to a more – suitable establishment. Until then, please bear with us during this transitioning period."
Jun didn't quite understand why, but she felt the pressing need to stall. "What, uh, happened to the last place?"
"Why would you care?" spat the reptilian villain, his tone growing in irritation.
"Come now, Spinner." Mr. Compress crossed his arms to make his point. "Our past location was destroyed in a raid concocted by All-Might himself, which happened… the last time we tried to recruit someone," he noted cautiously, recalling that absolute trainwreck of a day. "We should be grateful that this is going as smoothly as it is, dear Spinner."
"Yeah," Toga piped up with startling energy in her light tone. "This one looks wayyy less scary than the last guy."
"Ehh, I wouldn't say this one's the approachable type either," Twice chimed in as he scooted close, violating Jun's personal bubble and scrutinized her at all angles, his fingers connecting together as if he were looking through a camera lens. "But at least this one doesn't have explosives." After a brief pause, Twice made a show to back off impatiently on his tip toes, pointing his index finger at her. "Uh, you don't have explosive hands, do ya? Or scorching breath? Or radioactive-"
"Twice, please," the magician's head dipped forward to press against his fingers in mortification. "We are supposed to make Tani feel welcome here, not show her a warped exhibition of a madhouse."
"Aw, madhouse? It helps to think of it more like a funhouse, amiright?" Twice elbowed Mr. Compress, urging the villain to uncross his arms to humor him.
"Regardless," ignoring Twice, the masked villain's tone grew more serious. "Just come with us. We can give you what this accursed society never could."
"Yeah!" Twice interjected, his head shaking in a 'no' gesture profusely. "We're like a big, happy family here!"
A… family…
Blinking twice, Jun thought about it in silence. These guys didn't seem like typical thugs like the articles described them as. They were offering her the very thing she had distantly craved but could never accept. Friends. Family. Human connection. If they had approached her months ago, then perhaps there would be an alluring temptation to accept. However, Jun didn't need them. She had something, or rather, someone who had already filled that consuming void in her heart.
"What do you say?" Mr. Compress asked formally, extending a cordial hand to her. Spinner was in the corner brooding over something, while Twice and Toga were at the table playing rock, paper, scissors, hardly even paying attention.
"Okay. Sure."
"Wait, for real?" Twice looked up in shock at the same time he chose rock - and lost.
"No! Of course not!" Jun snapped, her tone riddled with derision and disbelief. "You're all out of your damn minds if you think it'd be easy to get chummy with a posse of wannabe terrorists!"
"But, dear Tani… why? Why the hostilities?"
"I want you and everyone else to leave. Me. Alone! I'm sick of you people always up my ass! Now what do you want from me?"
"That's easy," Twice chimed in without missing a beat. "You are like an aspiring villain's dream come true! Why should we spend so much effort trying to recruit members… when we can just make some of our own, right? That's what Shigaraki says!"
"…huh..?"
Mr. Compress cleared his throat. "Our leader was very explicit with you. We know all about your Quirk. With you on our side, we'll be able to raise armies! The League will be infinite!"
"Yikes, chill out, guy," Twice said. "Just start rubbing your hands together and laugh maniacally while you're at it. Jeez."
The sheer force of Jun's ferocious stomps almost seemed to rock the tables as she charged toward Mr. Compress, startling him into leaning back slightly, a clear inextinguishable fire in her eyes. Despite having to look straight up to address him, she displayed zero signs of fear or inhibition.
"How the fuck did you find out about that. Tell me now!" Her meek voice dissipated and gave way to a roaring tone that echoed through the outside corridor – where another heated conversation was transpiring nearby. Small, half-grown crimson feathers caught and sensed the distress call. Hawks kept a straight face, but his little feathers perked up dramatically at the sensation.
Dabi could tell that his meeting with Hawks was over. He was no fool. He knew something more important had just caught the hero's attention. But the villain had gotten his point well across anyway.
"That's our cue," he smirked, the stables embedded into his cheeks clicked grotesquely with the stiff movement. His paced slowed, watching with unfeeling eyes as Hawks exited the room.
"We'll see the extent of that supposed loyalty, you feathered fuck."
In the hallway, Hawks' arms crossed behind his head to mask his urgent need to investigate the commotion and put his screaming instincts at ease. Upon first staggering into the room, the pro hero's golden eyes immediately connected with that of the potential recruit. Hawks' feathers ruffled and puffed out in bewilderment as his entire body froze in place.
Kid…!
Hawks' blood ran cold the instant he connected that the potential recruit turned out to be Jun.
Hawks of course was well aware that she was a massive target for the League, and he didn't ever want to acknowledge that Mr. Compress was attempting to recruit her that night. He hoped that his little chat with him had made his intentions unmistakably clear, but Hawks couldn't deny their actions anymore, nor delay the inevitable.
The area around Hawks became a blur for a fraction of a second upon establishing that Dabi and the others were more ahead in the plan than he was anticipating. The League already managed to access Jun's name, and most likely her Quirk. What – what else could they have access to? What if they even knew where she lived?
It was just as much of a shock to spot her friend there as it was to him, as they both gawked at each other with wide, dumbfounded eyes as each member took turns briefly mentioning their names and half-heartedly introducing themselves. They all acted like they had better things to do, but Jun had a funny feeling that they didn't.
"Hawks," she mouthed underneath the chatter. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Not being the most experienced socially, she was easy to misinterpret social cues, including Hawks' unfitting smirk and subtle head nod of acknowledgement in response to her bewilderment.
Sharp, avian eyes then shifted their attention off Jun in favor of Dabi to scan for a reaction, only to find the villain was already fastened on him, smirking mischievously.
"Twice, Toga, the rest of you," Dabi's uncaring voice rang through the room as he put all his weight on one arm in the doorway. "Let's go. Veteran's meeting, in the other room. Leave our newest members to get formally acquainted with each other." He turned to leave but paused to peer back with a passive side-eye. "Though I'm sure you two already have."
"Leave me out of it," Spinner growled, his exasperated tone demanded.
"Huh. Didn't think it was like you to sit back from a meeting. Suit yourself," Dabi shrugged and left.
While the others vacated the room, Jun met with Hawks halfway, all while Spinner glared at her from afar, teeth clenched in resentment and eyes hazy with disgust.
"Hawks, you – you're a-"
"Hiya, Tani! Good to see ya again," Hawks announced with overwhelming enthusiasm as he leaned on one foot as the other scratched at his ankle casually. "Glad you finally decided to take up the League's offer. Took a while, but I knew you'd come around!"
With Spinner in the room, he had to play the fool.
Puzzled, Jun blinked in silence at his false and frankly off-putting pleasantries. What was he doing referring to her by her last name? Something clearly wasn't right.
With the effort of keeping up the charade, Hawks maintained energy to focus on a tiny and hidden stray feather he had wedged in the other room, planted there only a few minutes before, where the other members were now occupying. It was difficult for the hero's half-formed feather to pick up the vibrations of their words, but he sensed enough to decipher that the four of them were just… standing there.
Wait, Twice was asking since when did they start having meetings, and more importantly, why the hell should they listen to Dabi, with the latter answering spitefully to shut the hell up and wait. That crispy bastard had planned this encounter the whole time. His plan? Eavesdropping. He was testing Hawks.
Heh, thought you almost had me there, didn't you? Hawks scoffed internally. Keeping up this act was like child's play. There was just one minor problem to worry about – Jun was too dense to put two-and-two together.
"What the hell is this? Why are you here? Were you the one who told them I have a Quirk?!" Jun demanded at who she thought was her friend, her disgruntled demeanor continuing to rise in franticity. A sore pang struck his heart upon picking up the flicker of betrayal in her eyes that she was trying so desperately to hide behind anger. "And you… you're with the-"
"Hah-hey, chill out, Tani. We've talked about this," Hawks cut her off and raised his hands up, his palms facing Jun in a defensive gesture, but the daggers in his pupils told an entirely different story. 'Read the damn room, Jun!' his eyes screamed at her. "I told you to head over when you were ready to join, so I-"
"You didn't do anything," spat the seething villain through his groans while angrily pointing to his head. "I had to drag her here, and look where that landed me."
Spinner's constant groans and complaining, coupled with the stress and confusion of this entire ordeal, fanned Jun's flames even hotter – to a degree that could no longer be extinguished.
"And you," Jun's body whipped in Spinner's direction. "Stop whining already, will you? It's driving me nuts!"
"What?!" Spinner approached her with surprising speed and aggression while groaning from his headache. "This was all your fault! And you have the gall to order me to shut up? Me?!"
"Hold it, man," Hawks raised a confident hand in front of Spinner, discouraging him from coming any closer to her. "She didn't mean it. I mean, heh-who could really blame her after getting the invitation of a lifetime, right? Takes time to process, but I know everything'll work out once tonight is over," he offered cordially, gifting Jun one last chance to get it through her thick skull and play along.
"How can you be on board with this?! Did they kidnap you and smash your head against the wall, too?" Jun turned to Hawks, her stance and arms spread out wide before pointing to the villain beside her in annoyance. "'Cause you're acting dumber than he is!"
"Ugh, you're done," growled Spinner as he crept closer angrily.
"Hey, seriously, you two? Lay off," Hawks cautioned with hints of irritation riddling his now darker tone. His sharp look warned the villain to back off immediately.
Spinner scoffed. "If you're defending this embarrassment, then you're no better than her."
"I-I'm the embarrassment?" Tears pricked at Jun's eyes in a frustrating amalgamation of hurt and anger. "Take a look at yourself. You're just a cosplayer. A poser. A Stain wannabe!"
"Tani!" Hawks finally ordered, the sheer command in his tone made her flinch.
Spinner's vexed eyes cut like daggers; his clenched teeth looked as if they were about to shatter. "I'm about to lay your guts on the floor, right now!"
"L-look, I'm done." An annoyed hand pointed impatiently toward the doorway. "That's the way out, right? - H-hey. Stop it! That – that hurts!" That same arm was then gripped roughly by the scaled villain. Jun's whine pierced deeply into Hawks' heart.
Hawks just about lost it. He had managed to keep himself in control, but on the inside, he was seething. He couldn't suppress his pupils from dilating fiercely in aggression as a lean arm snapped and snatched Spinner's with a commanding grip.
"Consider this a warning. Don't. Touch her."
"Gah! What the hell, Hawks? What's it matter to you?!" Spinner released his grip on Jun to grasp both of Hawks' arms, effectively locking them both in a stalemate.
"Alright, knock it off. No need to rock the boat, alright?" Hawks partially reverted to his default laid-back tone to defuse the situation. Despite his impressive speed and ability, he still hadn't fully grown back his feathers from when they were incinerated the day before. Aside from his elongated feather blade, the longest of his remaining feathers only measured up to about the size of a soda can. He knew that he was at a disadvantage because of that. Not to mention, he needed to remain in good graces with the League at all costs.
In an attempt to end the feud, Hawks wound back his half-formed wings and used what little feathers he had to pulse a strong gust toward Spinner, taking great effort out of him in doing so, but succeeding in blowing him back a few feet and releasing their hold on each other.
"Are you planning on babysitting her this whole time?" growled the irate villain. "'Cuz I don't know if this is gonna work out if this is how she'll act."
Hawks sighed before strolling over to Spinner. "Let's chat, you and me," he said, pulling him smoothly into a mini huddle. A gloved hand rested on the villain's shoulder, pressing his upper body slightly forward as Hawks leaned in to speak, their backs facing Jun. "Hear me out, man. I don't wanna have to say you're being more of a hindrance than a help. 'Cause you know, our group's got enough going on already, and the team needs all of us for this to work, including you. You're just as important as everyone else here. Just give this a chance. It's a win-win, Spinner." He grinned naturally, his arms dropping down comfortably at his side.
Spinner crossed his arms and sighed deeply, his silence implying compliance.
Hawks had expertly remained stoic and properly diffused the little outburst and attempts at prolonging the fight. The hero then whirled in Jun's direction, a hint of irritation and disappointment riddling his features. Jun averted her gaze to the ground out of impulse, her lips pursed stubbornly while struggling to repress tears threatening to fall and her brows from creasing in shame.
"What's all the commotion in here?" Mr. Compress popped his head in. "I heard yelling from afar and I couldn't help but check in-"
Sauntering to the doorway, Dabi pressed his palm to shove the softer villain's head aside. "Had enough quality bonding time here?" Great." He answered himself before anyone had a chance to speak up.
"Let's get a move on, already," Hawks added, his foot tapping impatiently. "I think we're through with the pleasantries." He strolled ahead of Jun, making sure to keep a sizeable distance to avoid rousing suspicions of being more than just her acquaintance. The blank slate of the hero's face gave the impression that he was neutral and standoffish, not really thinking much – when in reality he was planning on sneaking her out then causing a distraction so no one else would notice, then feign ignorance by shrugging at his mistake with a simple, 'oops.' But before he could, Hawks' miniscule feathers had managed to pick up the elevated heartrate of the irate villain he had just turned his back to.
Hawks was secretly aware and paid attention to how Jun stood in place in the name of defiance. After dragging her here against her will, to pester her about joining their terrorist organization, to essentially threaten her life. Why the hell would she even begin to entertain them?
With arms crossed, Jun sensed Spinner in her peripheral vision standing rigidly in place, his hostile posture mimicking hers. They glanced up at each other, exchanging stubborn glares before he broke away and started for the doorway, snarling at her passively in the process. Through some breach of willpower that was beyond her understanding, an overpowering heat rose inside Jun's body in response, and it boiled up unstoppably to the surface, unable to restrain herself from muttering spitefully under her breath –
"Fuckin' fanboy."
"AUGH! That's - it!" Spinner then reached for the weapon secured against his back and pulled out a sword comprised of smaller swords and daggers, the weapon amounting to be larger than Jun. The enraged villain charged at Jun blindly, the hazy look in his glare indicated that he had no set target. Her heart skipped into overdrive and the world around her froze, her body failing to catch up to her mind and grasp what she had just done.
In less than a flash, Jun sensed a determinedly protective presence surrounding her. Hawks snatched her waist and pulled her close to him before leaping out of his range in a blur. Both their bodies tumbled and rolled on the ground like a ragdoll, scraping Jun's limbs and cutting her face wherever they landed until Hawks' underdeveloped feathers dispersed and reformed into a feeble but plush wall that stopped the rolling prematurely. Before Jun's head could stop rattling, Hawks was positioned readily above her. The tips of his toes supported his weight; one hand laid flat next to Jun's head while the other reached out toward the threat, fingers splayed out like talons, ready and anticipating another strike.
"Whoa!" Toga exclaimed with psychotic delight in her eyes.
"What on Earth?!" Mr. Compress added.
"For fuck's sake," Dabi groaned.
While cupping his hands over his covered mouth, Twice shouted, "Hey, Spinner, maybe I've been doing this wrong but I don't think that's how you're 'sposed to greet people!"
"What's gotten into this guy? I thought I talked sense into him!" Hawks huffed, not tearing his focus from the irate villain for even a second.
"Ah-uhnn… I may have, um, pushed him and fractured his skull?"
"Seriously?!"
As expected, the reptilian villain hopped in the air for a second strike only for him to, surprisingly, throw his makeshift weapon at the ground in frustration instead. There was no blocking such a blunt strike, not when Hawks' weapon was built for speed, not power. The bundle of feathers that cushioned Jun's fall then merged to form into a shield that was just barely strong enough to resist the sharp force of the smaller projectiles that had burst apart in their direction. Dozens of tiny blades and razors leaked through the sides, and Hawks did not hesitate to spring on top of Jun protectively, his arms wrapped around her shoulders while his head hovered inches above hers to endure her face.
The heavily insulated material in his jacket absorbed the sharp blows – but the exposed part of his ankle had made harsh contact with the compact blades, slicing the tendons and earning a subtle upper lip twitch in a light snarl while shutting one eye, his face wincing from the stinging sensation above her. Upon peering down at Jun's devastated face, Hawks' own expression melted into a confident, yet comforting one. One that told her, 'It's alright. I'm okay.'
"Gah! Dabi, we must do something!" cried Mr. Compress, his hand lifting hysterically to readjust his crooked mask amongst all the chaos.
"Shut your mouth already. I know just what to do," replied Dabi soberly as he reached for the handle and closed the door calmly without another word, just as a dozen tiny blades punctured it and stuck in place.
Spinner then pulled knife out of the ground and leaped toward the two of them, ready to strike. Even with his ankle shot, Hawks still had ample time to clutch Jun and roll out of the way again; leaving an indent in the ground that made contact with Spinner's force, where Jun had been rolled on her side mere seconds before.
Meanwhile, dozens of plans and calculations were bouncing through Hawks' head, already determining how this whole ordeal will play out. Sure, he could take out and subdue this low-tier villain before anyone could even blink, but Hawks needed to maintain a good impression. The best course of action was instead to let Spinner blow off some steam, allowing him to come back to his senses, and settle everything amicably as before.
Yeah, that's the plan. Just gotta keep stalling, and -
Before Hawks could finalize his thoughts, he perceived an insistent wriggling in his grip and an irate force pressing against his chest. Overcome with anger and disgust from her friend's betrayal, Jun forcedly pushed against the hero's chest mid roll, dislodging herself from his protective grasp and tumbled violently beside him.
Damn it, change in plans!
The sickening sound of metal piercing flesh saturated the room while Hawks twisted himself right-side up to skid on his feet, wasting no time to kneel on one knee in front of Jun and glare fiercely at the threat, fully prepared to defend her with his life. The villain's knife had been imbedded into the ground though sheer force, giving Hawks a precious moment to grapple her elbow and jerk Jun to her feet.
"He's not thinking straight. Get somewhere safe - quick!" His intensely grave voice ordered while snatching her wrist, hurriedly ushering her toward the exit.
The grip he had on her wrist tightened as his feathers picked up on something about her. Something deathly wrong. Jun's rushed steps lessened, her mind catching up to her body as a trickling heat soaked into the cloth of her shirt. Jun felt the reassuring warmth of his grasp leave her as Hawks released her wrist from his protective hold in shock.
As if in slow motion, Jun's body jerked back simultaneously as Hawks twisted around, his mind short circuited in disbelief over what he feared had just happened. He turned in time to process the blood splattered over his face, the once fluffy white front of his jacket was littered and matted with dark fluid. His pupils shrunk to that of pinpricks as he gawked at the oozing mess in Jun's chest, all while his expression twisted in astonishment.
In his haste to roll her out of the way, and in her stark defiance, a stray blade had found its way embedded into the right side of Jun's chest.
Silently, Jun peered at the metal intrusion on her chest with shallow breathes as a thin line of blood seeped through her dry, cracked lips before trembling eyes struggled to lift their gaze over the assailant who was the cause of the weapon.
It was then that the extreme sensations finally caught up to her – searing, blistering pain seeped into and struck Jun to her very core, all while Hawks look on, his body shrouded in her blood, his face frozen in horror.
"Crap!" Spinner said through his rage as he began charging toward Jun.
It was Hawks' turn to see red. Pitch-black pupils overshadowed the golden tint of his irises as Spinner quickly approached – whether out of concern or to finish the job, he couldn't afford to hesitate and find out. Hawks' feet propelled forward in a ferociously protective leap, ignoring the snapping of his injured ankle and charging Spinner mere feet before could reach Jun. He ferociously gripped the villain's arm and shoulder from behind, and with a great heave, Hawks dragged him against the grainy earth, skidding his face and torso against the floor. The hero's fingers dug mercilessly into the back of his head, further burrowing his scratched-up face into the dirt with teeth gritting harshly. Hawk's powerful grip refused to ease up for even a second.
All the while, Jun's trembling hands hovered inches above her gaping wound, her fingers morbidly scooping the escaped blood tricking down her chest as a loose feather dangled in front of her horrified face. It settled delicately into her open, bloodied hand before her fingers coiled around it in a tight death grip, desperate to hold onto anything as the literal life began to drain out of her.
Engulfed with carnal rage, Hawks whipped his attention from his prey to glance up at Jun. Vicious, blood red feathers were splayed out haphazardly like a thick web, or rather, branches to a dead tree. The naturally fierce black markings accentuated the staggering intensity of his darkened eyes. They bore into Jun's being and pierced deeper than any knife ever could.
Animalistic. Furious. Raptorial. Petrifying.
His angry scowl demanded compliancy. It wordlessly warned - What makes you think you can flee a bird of prey?
It wracked Jun to her very core by the sheer predatory in his fierce glare. It struck a terrified chord from deep within her chest, enough for her flight-or-flight response to kick in, urging her, commanding her -
Run, now!
Jun felt her legs jump into a sprint before she could even process what was happening, the adrenaline pumping through her veins allowing her to ignore the serious injuries for the time being. The commotion attracted the attention of those in the adjacent room as the door creaked open with a bit of effort. Toga was there just smiling psychotically while watching Jun's blood ooze. The others peered in, with Dabi acting standoffish and apathetic. Jun dashed out of the doorway and up the stairs, pushing everyone else out of the way in the process, desperate to escape the endless labyrinth.
Upstairs led to the rooftops. Jun was smart enough to not immediately run to the edge and look down hopelessly, rather, her head jerked side to side to find a hiding spot. Shadows quickly rose from the stairwell after her to reveal Mr. Compress. Toga popped in soon after, followed by Dabi emerging from the stairwell with unhurried steps.
"What's your plan, now?" Dabi asked rhetorically while half-shrugging. "With him not here to boss you around, you have to think for yourself for a change."
Each step the villains took toward Jun forced her closer and closer toward the edge. Alive but still barely standing, her knees shook with the weight and effort of her own body acting against her and losing blood.
"Don't take us the wrong way," Mr. Compress stated, the erratic black and white patterned mask enveloping his face masked his true intentions. "We truly do try to all be all equals here. We don't have much to treat you here. Just come with us, and –"
"WAAAIIIITT!" An overenergized voice screamed out from the heavens. Twice then sprung from his hiding spot behind a nearby steam pipe and charged at Jun with exaggerated, and quite frankly frightening speed.
"Don't do it! Don't JUMP!" He pleaded while continuing his unrelenting pace toward her.
And when he did reach her, he did something that stupefied everyone.
Before Jun knew what was even happening, the bumbling villain then tripped over his own feet and she watched in slow motion as he fell forward toward her, both his arms outreached and made forceful contact, pushing Jun backwards… straight off the cliff.
"Huh. Saved her! …Whoops," was all Twice could muster as he laid flat on his stomach with his pointer finger to his chin as he sheepishly watched her plummet.
"Twice, you idiot!"
Dabi maintained his disinterested tone while leisurely turning to head back downstairs, his hands tucked lazily in his pockets, "Way to go, moron."
"A-ahhh…ahh! N-no!"
The winds cut at Jun's eyes, her hair whipping violently in all directions as she fell helplessly at an impossible rate. Blood seeped from her wound, leaving a morbid trail of fluid that dripped off as gravity failed to keep it within her. Clutching the feather she had gripped onto for dear life, Jun held it with both hands to her chest while in midst of the descent.
Please…
Please let this work…
I don't want to die…
…Hawks…!
The sound of glass shattering from a nearby window accompanied the ear-splitting winds, but Jun refused to register it. All her mind could process was her instincts screaming that she was about to die. A blurry figure swooped from around the side of the hideout and approached her at blinding speed.
"Hold tight, kid!"
The next few seconds were a whirlwind of motion as strong arms reached to place a firm grip on both Jun's sides from behind before whirling her to adjust her body around while gliding forward. Unable to brake, he pressed Jun's head and chest against him, taking extra caution to not make contact with her wound. One hand pressed Jun's head firmly against his chest while his other arm coiled around her waist in a tight death grip. The sheer tightness of his hold on Jun told just how determined Hawks was to protect her.
"I got you baby, I got you," he chanted as the gloved hand he'd placed on Jun's head pressed tighter against his chest. His tone was saturated in desperation and exhaustion as if he were trying to reassure himself of her safety more than anything else. The pounding of his heartbeat rocked against Jun's face that was pressed insistently against his skin-tight shirt, the muscles propelling him forward billowed and rippled with the effort of keeping her close. His tiny and ineffective wings thrusted harder to slow down and backpedal to the hideout but was instead forced to glide and take refuge in the forested area in the distance.
Along the way, Dabi watched the silhouette of Hawks' form dissipate from afar, a demented smile glued to his rugged face. "Heh, thought so. Miserable hero."
Bitter snow began to tumble delicately from the darken clouds and sprinkled over the barren landscape below. A dreadful windchill breezed through the air around Jun, but she didn't shiver. To Hawks' horror, she didn't even react to it.
Black spots seeped into her muddied vision as her lids quivered and battled with her mind to remain alert, not even finding the energy to bat away at the icy flakes clinging to her lids.
"Fuck. Stay awake, baby. Keep your eyes open for me."
The effort it took for his tiny feathers to keep them airborne was almost too much to bear. They flapped erratically, exerting as much effort as humanly possible to keep up with the demand. Hawks' strength was in his speed, not strength, and he was painfully reminded of that.
I don't have the feathers for this. Damn it. Damn it!
The light trickle of snow morphed into a blinding cascade of wind and ice. His hastily ungraceful glide, once in a straight line, began swaying side to side as the cold stiffened his ruffled feathers and was the source of his sluggish movements. He forced out one powerful flap to dislodge the icicles that were beginning to form on them, only to have more grow in their place. This wasn't good. He wouldn't make it home in time, he feared. As Hawks peered down at Jun in concern, his eyes widened slightly at her pale form. He could tell the extent of Jun's hyperthermia and blood loss just by looking at her.
"Shit, shit, shit, shit!"
The hero's unrestricted curses reflected his wings giving out, forcing him to clutch Jun tighter and twisting his body in anticipation to make harsh contact with the ground. His side and back skidded in the slush, and he expertly rolled and twisted his body to soften the landing as well as positioning himself to land right-side up on his feet, jumping into a sprint without a moment of respite, desperate to find shelter as she groaned weakly in his arms.
He had no free hands or feathers to wipe the cold sweat from his brow or bat away the flakes that strung his face where they landed. He was alarmingly aware of the irony taste and smell of blood permeating the air and the devastating sight of Jun's condition as heavy flakes pattered her skin, but did not melt.
By the time his feet sought steady ground, it was far too late to carry Jun back to proper shelter. If he did, Hawks feared, she would succumb to the horrifying effects of hyperthermia. He rushed, frenzied to find a secluded area in the forest to provide enough protection and warmth. Hawks watched her lids flutter back open, the crusted blood smearing between chapped lips, only mildly conscious while her eyes, sapped of life, hovered aimlessly at the cloudy, snowy night sky.
"Stay up, baby. Hey - stay with me. Kid – baby - babyb-bird," he pleaded, his urgent tone rising. His words alluded that he had everything under control, but the broken, disjointed way they strained from his throat told an entirely different story.
To Jun, Hawks and his pleas appeared simply as a blurred figure hovering over her head, shouting muffled commands she could not comprehend. Drained eyes connected with Hawks', before finally giving in, and did not open again.
A short distance away he spotted a tree with a hollowed-out trunk – just sizeable enough for to squeeze in a pair, or enough to squeeze her in, anyway. That was what was important to him in that very moment. Getting Jun warm and getting her safe.
He used what few feathers he had left to poorly shield the entrance of the tree in a vain attempt to keep out the cold, with a strong draft still blowing in and sending streaks of goosebumps under the hero's tattered clothes.
But the danger wasn't over – Jun still sustained serious injuries that needed immediate attention. Her wound wasn't in a vital spot, but the threat of blood loss was too prevalent for Hawks to get careless, for even an instant.
Hastily he peeled off his jacket, all the while lifting an arm to use the tips of his teeth to tear his gloves off impatiently – any way he could remove the restraining confines of his clothing faster to put over her, he did it. Jun was instantaneously swaddled into the warmth of his jacket. In any other context, Hawks would have found it funny, if not insanely adorable how comically big his gloves fit over her tiny hands. But he didn't laugh.
His phone was next to immediately garner his attention. His fingers pressed eagerly at the numbers for medical intervention, only to curse and mutter obscenities while waving his phone around, gesturing like he was smacking it against the air.
No signal.
Hiding his desperation, he guided Jun back down as a half-formed quill hovered in front of his face and, in one swift motion, ordered it to slice her top open, directly down the middle, before ripping it apart – exposing the bloodied mass occupying her bare chest. Dislodging his one lengthy feather, Hawks glided it over to Jun and positioned the stocky end horizontally across Jun mouth, encouraging her to bite down on it, hard. One ungloved hand pressed cautiously over her heart to steady himself while the other curled around the metal intrusion piercing her frigid flesh. A few rapid inhales, in and out, passed through the hero impossibly quickly, bracing himself over what he had to do.
Jun… I'm sorry.
In one fluid motion, the jagged weapon slid out with an audible, frightening squelch. Harrowing cries from Jun followed his action soon after, prompting the hero's face to contort painfully with his teeth barred. A restless hand dug hastily into his back pocket, pulling back with him a metal canister about the size of his finger. His thumb popped the cap apart and swiftly gushed its clear, gooey contents directly into the puncture wound before pressing four feathers against it to suppress the bleeding and allow the medicine to take effect, eliciting a heartrending whimper from Jun and for him to hush and comfort her sweetly in response, "I-I know, baby. I know. Fuck," he ended on a quivering whisper.
He had to resort to using the powerful medical treatment meant only for himself, but Hawks didn't waste a drop on his ankle injury. Every iota of that container was poured and rubbed directly and earnestly into her gaping wound.
"Shh, Jun, it's okay," he cooed to soothe her whines and cries. "That's it, breathe."
Muffling.
"You're doing amazing, baby."
The indistinguishable sound of a body shifting troubledly over her was in the back of Jun's mind, overshadowed by the unbearable sensations of the searing mess occupying her chest as told by her trifling breaths.
Hawks drew his feathers in a calm, fluid motion as he gently caressed the wound that still stung with his feather tips, yet gently rubbed in the healing oil, all while an excruciatingly focused scowl permeated his features.
Jun's feeble whimpers morphed into a violent cough in short and quick intervals, hacking and sputtering up blood. The thick liquid dribbled out the corners of her mouth and down her chin, sending Hawks deep into panic mode. He managed to repress it this long, the overwhelming urge to cry out, the tightening of his throat slowly suffocating him, the erratic pounding in his chest screaming at him - he wasn't fast enough.
His training kept him together well, but even he had no control over the quivering of his once steady hands, still stubbornly tending to their task, and the beads of sweat rolling down and matting clumps of hair messily to his forehead. The trembling of his eyes and teeth slowed after the mangled flow of blood lessened and lessened, before offering the quivering hero a brief moment of respite once the bleeding, finally, ceased.
Steady feathers scooped up and cleaned around the wound the best he could, all the while his fingertips brushed and caressed her arm, offering comfort as her quick, shallow breathes slowly regained consistency. Any remaining feather he had surrounded her, vibrating gently to generate a negligible but crucial amount of heat to her body as he buttoned up his jacket to cover her exposed chest.
"Fffuuuck…" he cried out, after finally finding a safe spot to physically catch his breath. His body slouched backward, releasing a breath he had been holding onto for dear life and finally taking the time to wipe the cold sweat from his upturned brow. The next few minutes ticked by painfully slow as Hawks watched over Jun, his feathers still hard at work over her skin. It allowed time for his emotions to finally catch up with the rest of his overbearing sensations.
He was utterly livid for the blatant disregard for her own safety, but he was more so furious at himself for it being his fault that she was caught up in this mess, and that she was critically injured because of it. Hawks lamented himself in that moment. Even though he didn't unleash even a hair of his full potential on Spinner, there was still no excuse for a pro like him to make such a rookie mistake and underestimate Jun resisting his protective hold like that.
At the thought, his eyes softened while watching her chest rise and fall, closed eyes sapped of energy.
He also couldn't restrain the blaring notion, back when he was overwrought with rage and predatorial intent. Back at the hideout, he had peered back at Jun to find her expression completely unlike his at that moment – her sheepish eyes and body trembling, as if he was the threatening one to her. Hawks couldn't blame her for reacting the way she did. He was so used to putting up an approachable, nonthreatening face – it was completely against his training to allow that façade to dissolve and for the more carnal side of him to so thoroughly invade his mind and body.
Then again, he had never met anyone like Jun. Someone who had the uncanny ability to influence his true colors like that, both the positive and negative. Hawks couldn't explain it. There was no word powerful enough to describe the protectiveness that he felt for her, only for him to be at fault for why she was hurt so severely. It tore Hawks up on the inside.
It took one simple glace at her calm expression to utterly douse the blubbering rage teeming inside of him. He gazed down at Jun's slumping form with exhausted but doting eyes. No smile adorned his lips but internally, Hawks knew. There was no more denying it.
This wasn't mere sentiment anymore.
It took the world's fastest hero until now to come to terms with what he thought was a minor little infatuation with Jun. It wasn't supposed to be more than just a hiccup in the road of his mission.
Hawks admired Jun for her down-to-earth and honest nature. Her unwavering sincerity. She was always so genuine, as if she didn't have a dishonest bone in her body. Because of that, Hawks was tempted to let his closely guarded façade falter, if only slightly, to sneak in snippets of his true personality to Jun – to live up to the man she perceived him to be. He was attracted to her uncanny ability to treat him as a man first, an actual person with flaws and weaknesses. If he were truthful for a change, Hawks was scared that Jun possessed the ability to bring out the honesty in himself as well. And yet, there was something so breathtakingly freeing about it. Though her candid influence may have rubbed off on him a bit too much.
He was physically and mentally unable to remove his steady gaze from Jun for even a second, and he watched with gentle eyes as her breathing began regulating to a healthy cycle, the storm's bitter chill brushing and rocking her hair in gentle waves. He peered down with a serious but affectionate expression, finally accepting that this little infatuation with her was something much, much stronger than he could ever have anticipated.
As a hero, the gift of warmth and affection by someone, and him reciprocating it just as strongly, was always a distant threat present in the back of Hawks' mind. Hawks wasn't ignorant. He was familiar with the concept of adoration. He had always been on the receiving end of attention by his fans, sidekicks, and associates, after all. But affection to him was never described as passionate. An intense yearning in his heart – it was a brand-new feeling that bloomed so beautifully and, to his chagrin, grew in intensity after each passing day.
Hawks was so sure he knew how to spot it, and how to avoid it. He always imagined such sentiments to be a swift, seamless process that would strike instantly, like how briskly a blanket of fresh snow in the wintertime can happen in less than a night, only to melt away just as quickly and leaving nothing behind. But Hawks found that his feelings for Jun was best described as a budding flower, opening up and blooming slowly in the midst of spring. It started growing steadily over time, before blossoming strongly into a feeling he could no longer contest. Hawks chuckled morbidly to himself at the thought.
Jun truly was special.
That alone had filled the winged man with a confused dread, his mind tumbling and his body tense as the sight of his own hands sent a strong feeling of shame racing down his spine. He knew what he was doing was wrong. He had known it all along. Nurturing such intense feelings for someone when his job was so dangerous and comes with innumerable enemies, not to mention he'd fallen for a person he was tasked to spy on.
But it's fine, he insisted. He could handle yet another secret. There was no other option at this point. He had to.
Hawks was never one to act on his own desires – his duty as a hero demands sacrifice, after all. But could he really afford to be selfish, just this once? He was essentially betraying the Commission and went against everything he had been conditioned to be as a hero, but he couldn't help it. Jun brought a beautiful light to his life that he never knew he wanted. Regardless of what came next, Hawks needed her to be okay.
A surge of pain forced Hawks out of his thoughts as the nerves in his back and neck had finally caught up with the rest of his body. Swiftly he jerked his head repeatedly to crack his neck and shoulders to relief his aching muscles, the noise rousing Jun from her shallow sleep. Upon hearing her pained whimper, Hawks was eagerly by her side in an instant to cup and stroke her scratched-up cheek as a response. He was determined to do everything in his power to make her feel safe.
The budding quills shielding Jun's body had done their job at sustaining her body heat, but pressing the back of his fingers over her heart told Hawks that there was more he needed to do. He felt his own heart and body temperature rise at the thought as he laid down on his side next to Jun. An ungloved hand hovered in place, unsure of his destination. Hawks hesitated with pressing himself against her.
After what he had to do – after keeping his involvement with the League hidden from her, after he had frightened her so thoroughly – he felt as though he had no right to touch Jun, as if she was delicate, priceless china. A pained whine stirred from her lips in her sleep, disrupting Hawks from his thoughts and he, almost out of instinct, breathed heat into his frozen hands and wrapped his arm around her stomach. He then scooped Jun close to his chest while draping a leg over hers in his best effort to both warm and comfort her, all while muttering,
"Shh, I got you, baby."
"I got you..."
The sound of howling winds breezing in from outside pricked at Jun's ears - coupled with the throbbing sore on her chest forcibly roused her to consciousness. Groggily peering outside, she found heavy snowfall in deep layers coating the world beyond the makeshift safe haven of the tree. The bitterness of the winds abrading her face directly contradicted the immersive warmth of the insulated jacket preserving her upper half. Within its protective confines was a thin layer of feathers slowly squirming about, acting only half consciously.
Mm...hm – wh...what?
Turning her head, Jun spotted Hawks curled up and huddled tightly against her, his expression elated with sleep. Patches of warmth emanated from her body where he pressed against her, but his skin exposed directly to the winter air were alarmingly like an icicle to the touch. Looking past his tough exterior, Hawks couldn't hide the goosebumps riddling his skin, telling just how his lean body was extremely susceptible to the cold, just like Jun's was.
H-Hawks? He lied. He lied to me. How – how could he…?
Tears began to well up and prick at her eyes at the utter betrayal of the only person she had to trust in this world. But at the revelation of Hawks' sacrifice, Jun's confused and hurt expression melted into a softer one, deeply touched that he would sacrifice his own security to keep her warm. She watched his unwounded face, his lax expression looked almost peaceful in the throes of sleep – it was a complete 180 from the predatory, soul-piercing glare the evening before.
Still, through it all, he still chose to swaddle her in his hero jacket; it was so large on her that it almost expanded down her thighs. Past the irony odor of blood that had soaked into its fiber, it still had a thick coat of his scent on it. It was an earthy, musky yet masculine scent resembling exotic trees or a forest on a fall evening. Jun inhaled gently and took it in, a pink blush dusted her cheekbones in embarrassment at her actions. Was this really appropriate to be admiring someone's scent this much? Jun's heartrate sped up in sheepishness while a warm, blooming sensation rolled across her heart as she wrapped herself deeper into his coat, the reddened trim of his hood tickled at her ears and cheeks.
Masculine breathing and a subtle tightening of Hawks' arm around her stomach pulled Jun from her thoughts. She was upset at him for essentially lying to her, but she would be damned if she allowed anything to happen to him. Weary from lack of a healthy blood flow, Jun found enough strength to unbutton and slide off his jacket, ignoring the soreness in her chest and the sudden exposure of the air against her bare skin. Meekly, she huddled as close to his chest as possible while flattening out his jacket to act as a blanket that was just short of covering the both of them at the same time. All while frail hands rubbed earnestly at the goosebumps coating his exposed skin.
Unbeknownst to Jun, the action had roused him awake. With his eyes closed, he remained alert and sensed her rubbing fervently at the torn parts of his sleeves, the parts exposing bare flesh to the stale and bitter air. Hawks didn't need any feathers to discern the unmistakable sound of sniffling and weeping as hrr dry and worn skin sought to take care of his, almost desperately. Shamefully even. He didn't miss the icy droplets that tumbled onto his skin and rubbed in with the effort, either. The bitter air stung at the skin where they decided to cling.
As the minutes turned to hours, Jun's body instinctively inched closer to his, completely sapped of energy. Strands of matted blond hair were strewn across his face and forehead, signifying his worry and fatigue even as he slept. A force inside of Jun urged her hand forward to run her fingers delicately through the ruffles in his hair, the gentleness in her strokes rewarded her with a long inhale through his nose, then a relieved exhale, with a subtle relaxation of his now upturned eyebrows. He looked so peaceful. So beautiful.
The clashing emotions of adoration and betrayal of her friend battled with her heart and mind. On one hand, he disrespected her and insulted her intelligence by keeping this hidden from her. Jun's nose scrunched up in disgust at the thought. But peeking over at the vulnerable look in his expression, it was impossible to believe that her bond with him was a total fabrication. There had to be an inkling of him somewhere that only she was permitted to see. Sighing, Jun shook her head. Maybe she was being childish.
Besides…
This was what it was like to be sleeping so closely to him. His warmth, his strength, his presence…
…it felt nice…
