Coldest Winter

"So, it's official now, hm?" the masked man asked, his puzzled eyes hidden under a white, pupilless mask.

"That's what I heard," replied the mutant, brushing his claws through his purple hair before crossing him arms. "As of now, the League of Villains are now officially the Paranormal Liberation Front. That'll take some getting used to."

Sitting down with his legs crossed, Twice tapped a finger at his chin. "You're right about that. You'd think they'd choose a catchier name or something. Atsuhiro man, what do you think about it?"

Leaning against a beam nearby, Mr. Compress tipped up his top hat slightly in thought, taking a moment before responding. "The name itself isn't so important, what we should really be worried about is how we plan on keeping this operation going with how behind schedule we are."

Kicking his feet back, Twice turned his attention away from the conversation to the nearby wall, arms crossing behind his head. "Are you talking about you-know-who? I don't get what's taking her so long to see our way of life. It's not that terrible."

"Need I remind you of the, ahem, lasting impression you and Spinner had made the last time we met her?" Mr. Compress said in a knowing tone.

Twice then stood up, his first raised in front of him in slight annoyance. "Hey, no need to bring that up, it was an accident, you know!"

"Couldn't we just move on without her?" Spinner added. "She can't be that crucial to our plan."

Mr. Compress sighed and shook his head. "I'm afraid she is. I shudder to think what we will have to do to that poor girl next. Either way, if we don't figure out something soon, we-"

The sound of the only door opening caught their attention as Toga pranced in, her breath clearly visible from the chilly air.

"Heya," she sang, side stepping from the doorframe to reveal another figure following her hesitantly into the room. "Guess who finally decided to turn a new leaf. About time, really."

With her backhanded comment acting as an introducer, Jun took one uneasy step forward into the dimly lit room, one hand clasping at the other nervously as she peered up at the three villains gawking at her in surprise.

"Jun, my dear girl! This is a pleasant surprise!" Mr. Compress greeted first, the warmth in his tone catching her attention.

Spinner merely scoffed and vacated the room, passing her by with a cold shoulder out the only exit, indicating that he still hadn't forgiven Jun since the last time the two had 'talked.'

Twice looked on, his eyes expressing a hint of apprehension before it looked as if a lightbulb popped above his head. "Oh, I got it! I'll let the others know that she's finally here! We, uh, we'll know what to do then, or something. Cya!" he exclaimed with a quick wave before running out of the room, as if he were afraid to speak to her.

"Eh, I did all I was told to do. Later," Toga shrugged and left as well, leaving Jun standing there, feeling as shunned as ever.

Her eyes went downcasted at the thought, her shoulders slumping as if she were lost, or tired, or both.

"Ahem," Mr. Compress beckoned softly, catching Jun's attention again. "Come and sit for a while," he offered gently, patting the empty seat beside him next to a broken coffee table. Her hardened expression lightened slightly at his amicable tone, convincing her to adhere to his simple request.

"It's a wonderful morning, isn't it?" he started, staring through the broken glass to the overcast outside.

Jun spared him a shrug. "I suppose."

The silence hung around for an uncomfortable amount of time.

"You've been taking your time in opening up to us. Quite frankly I'm surprised to see you willingly help our cause in the end. What made you change your mind, if you don't mind me asking."

Numbness. That was the answer.

"I… had some time to think about it. When things are so low, there's nowhere to go but up."

At that, Mr. Compress scrutinized Jun closely, his expression hidden behind his mask. "Now, I am by no means a licensed professional on the matter, but it's safe to assume that you aren't here for the same reason as everyone else."

"The hell's that supposed to mean?" she said impulsively. "I actively chose to join you losers. I take full responsibility for it."

"Oh, you're afraid," he said in a mellow tone, unconvinced. "I understand your need to try to distance yourself from us through the use of insults, I really do," the gentle villain offered, and to Jun's surprise, he was right.

"At the very least," he continued. "You are not here to carry on the League's will."

Jun thought deeply for a moment, electing to peer in any other direction than his.

The villain interpreted the silence as permission to press further. "Then, my dear girl…"

His hand raised to remove his mask, revealing honest eyes, making full contact with hers. His genuine gaze expressed piqued interest.

"…what is it that you are after?"

When Jun really thought about it, she couldn't explain the reason why. Clouded with resentment, she felt as though her only goal was to spite the one who hurt her in some way. She wasn't there to impress them. Perhaps subconsciously she wanted to spite Hawks. To get back at him – to reflect even a fraction of the pain he had inflicted on her. Jun's mouth opened to speak, only to close upon Twice barging in.

"Hey again!" he announced hand on his forehead to give a casual salute. "I just heard word from the higher ups. They wanted me to tell you that they're ready for you to do, uh, something, I dunno. I'm just the messenger."

With Mr. Compress and Twice acting as guides, they led Jun to a room with all of the League gathered in one place. None of them paid her particularly any mind, and instead opted to look around, or scroll mindlessly on their phones.

"This is where I was told to lead you," Twice said, pointing to a nearby beam where another villain leaned against. "This is where they said Dabi will take over."

At his name, Dabi made his presence known by turning his head in Jun's general direction without directly looking at her. "About damn time."

"Seriously?" she said, annoyance ridding her tone. "All of you are making it sound like it's my fault I'm here, but you didn't exactly make a convincing argument to come, you know."

By way of a weak smile, Dabi closed his eyes and mouthed a brief, "Of course, she's still batshit crazy."

Jun had the feeling that he whispered loud enough to let her hear on purpose. "What gives you the impression that I'm crazy?"

With a brow raised, Dabi tilted his head, looking in Jun's eyes for the first time. "You're here, aren't you?"

She had no words to respond. The air flooded with a thick sense of dread, an overwhelming aura of defeat and pressure filling the room.

But there was no way she could go back. Not now.

In a pathetic attempt to lessen the tension, Jun peeked at Toga's phone for a moment. "Hey, if you guys don't pay for anything, how're you getting reception for your phone?" she pointed out, making it obvious of her intent on changing the subject as Dabi, Toga, and Spinner side-eyed her, unamused.

"Ya know, that's a good point," Twice added, a pointer finger landing on his chin.

"Isn't it?" Jun beamed back at the positive reception. "Is one of you secretly a super tech genius and can hack into satellite networks, or- "

"Shirigaki can't be serious with bringing this mousy brat on board," Dabi intentionally thought out loud. "She's more obnoxious than Twice."

Twice's booming, disapproving voice echoed from nearby, "Hey!"

From the corner of Jun's eye, she saw Spinner chuckling to himself, arms crossed as if he had a victory over her somehow. She growled in response, the heat in her body rising as she unshealthed a feather dagger, gripping it with both hands, before twisting her shoulders in Spinner's direction, glaring at him with an insultingly dumbfounded expression. "You wanna shut the hell up?"

With his brow raised, the mutant scoffed as he watched the dagger tremble in her grasp, brooding in disgust at the brazen display of weakness. "Hn. If you weren't such an asset to our cause, I would strike you down where you stand."

Before Jun could react, she heard an equally revolted voice, clearly Dabi's mutter passively, "Tch, fucking rat."

It was easy to tell by her drooping body language and defeated expression that the villain's words cut Jun deeply as she pocketed the dagger in shame. She had just found the resolve to learn how to open up and present herself favorably to others, but this group was uncaringly shutting her down, knocking Jun back into receding into herself.

Sure, the League of Villains were something like an artificial family now, but that didn't mean that it was at all healthy. They brought out the worst in her, enabled a toxic mindset; encouraged the negative behavior that caused Jun to repress herself. They were the exact opposite of the family she had before. Of him.

This was not healthy. But what choice did she have? It was no secret that Jun held a grudge against the League, but she wanted to convince herself that joining was good for her. It wasn't like they were really her friends, so she had little inhibitions on the thought of taking her unhealthy anger out on them to let off steam. That was a decent way of avoiding forming any more bonds. One was enough.

Never again.

Dabi's attention then drew to Jun's left hand, noting how her fist subconsciously clenched a hefty bundle of discarded red feathers. "Tch, I get it. So you're here on your own free will, right? Then get rid of that useless shit in your hand."

"What I have is none of your business."

Dabi responded with a short laugh, having apparently dismissed the attempt at intimidation. "Funny how you're pulling the whole independent card, yet you can't even find the courage to loosen your grip," he scowled. "Seriously, knock it off with the sappy shit and drop it."

Jun's irritated and humiliated stare pierced his like daggers, the mangled feathers getting squeezed tighter.

"Make me."

Mr. Compress took the eerie standoff to speak up, sensing the strong hostility in the room. "Dabi, this should be a joyous occasion. Don't you agree that we should treat our new member with respect? After all, it did take us all this effort for her to come around."

Dabi scoffed. "If she's anything like us then she'll get over it."

"Let me get this straight," Jun said dryly, stepping toward Dabi. "I am nothing like you. You think it's a good idea to just pick on a new member like this? You're lucky I even showed up! Everyone thinks this group is a joke. I saw you get your asses handed to you by a bunch of high school kids. You're making me wonder why I should take any of this seriously." Jun's hand raised to wipe at the mist collecting in her eyes before pointing at Dabi sternly. "I hate to say it, but we're enemies because of this asshole."

With his brows arched, Dabi let out a snort. He wasn't going to let that little comment slide. "Fine. Let's get this fucking straight," he ordered, while doing so his arms brushed and shoved the others carelessly out of his path to get within inches, towering over Jun. "No one's impressed by this 'brave' act you're forcing. There's a reason why you're not a hero, alright? And that's because you are choosing to fuck with us, and nobody here will be bothered to give a shit if you delude yourself otherwise."

At his shameless public outburst, Jun's head hung low, fists tensing up so tightly that the whites of her knuckles were on clear display. The dark lines under her eyes heightened the grave stare at Dabi.

Dabi huffed, unfazed by her scornful expression. "Your precious carrier pigeon isn't here to protect you this time. You're a criminal, a villain. Whether you agree with it or not, frankly, I don't care. Start acting like it, princess."

The moments to follow were silent, the overwhelming sense of rage and humiliation flooding Jun's body as the other members stared. Some with shock, others in agreement – all of them pierced her heart.

"Damn Dabi, that's harsh," mumbled Twice, peeking from behind a chair.

"Tch," Dabi cocked his head to the side in the direction of his voice, deciding he wasn't wasting any more time on her. "Sometimes dogs need to be trained before they'll obey. With bitches it's no different. Sometimes you gotta knock them around a bit."

In that same moment, Dabi sensed something charging at him. A swift movement of something swinging and cutting the air filled the room, followed by the unmistakable sound of flesh hitting flesh with a powerful, blunt force.

The room had gone silent again.

Dabi, with his head turned from Jun, was then turned away even further, forced by her fist making harsh contact and sinking into his cheek. Nobody moved. With his face unreadable, Dabi's eyes were the only part of him to move, his attention on the knuckles still embedded into his rugged flesh. The rough and abrupt motion prompted his stables to snap. Blood seeped over the forced intrusion to drip off Jun's knuckles with a sickening patter by her feet.

Without disturbing the rest of his body, Dabi's free arm darted to snatch Jun's wrist effortlessly. His thumb jammed into the base of her palm into the pressure point. A lurid blue emanated from his palm, the scorching heat forcing her fist to unfold before he yanked it down bitterly, knocking Jun off balance and searing her wrist in the process.

"Think we need you, that it?" his voice raised in a threatening, borderline psychotic manner.
"Try being even a fraction of a League member for a change - being weak and incompetent won't fucking fly here. So yeah. You got that going for you – you're nothing like us. And you never will be. Congrats, mouse. Everyone got what they want."

At that, Dabi flicked his arm and sent Jun flying, her back making harsh impact with the stone wall, sending splinters of stinging pain to shoot across her body. Mr. Compress rushed to her side, aiding in pulling Jun to her feet as Dabi used the back of his hand to smear off the blood oozing down his face and walked through the doorframe, his back facing the group. "If we're done fucking around, we have a job to do. Experiments are waiting for you to determine the capabilities of your Quirk. Let's hope it isn't pleasant," he remarked as his form faded into the darkness.

While laying on a cold metal slab, mysterious figures in lab coats analyzed Jun's vitals. They took note of the sickly green glow of her Quirk, peppering her with dozens of questions regarding them. As they poked and prodded Jun's hands, her mind wandered elsewhere. The cold reception from the League hurt, but it failed to surprise her. She was a reject when she was a 'hero' – it only made sense to be rejected as a villain, too.

It still stung, of course.

To her relief, the tests eventually ended, only for Jun's heart to stop in place as they proceeded to roll in a recently deceased body of a young woman, likely murdered by the League themselves telling by the burn marks coating her otherwise pale body.

"Now then," one of the scientists called. "We must now see your Quirk in action. Resurrect this vessel. We will document the results."

The air in Jun's lungs strained her throat, constricting her chest, though she gritted her teeth and fought the sensation. There was no mention of her having to desecrate a once thriving human being.

Catching onto her reluctance, a voice over the speaker called, "Are you ready."

"No."

"Good. Begin."

Jun brought her hands to her face, staring gravely at her palms as her heart pounded against her chest. The light green aura fazed in and out, struggling to stay active, likely out of nerves and unfamiliarity of the request.

"I'm… I'm warning you right now though," she stalled. "I have no control over them once they're revived."

"We will work on that in time. Now proceed."

It felt humiliating being used so blatantly like this, but Jun had no right to complain. It was the lesser punishment compared to the deceased she was disrespecting and violating in every sense of the word. It sent guilt-ridden shivers down her spine in the worst possible way. And there was nobody to blame but herself.

Jun then peered up at the shadowy forms behind the glass, apprehensive about using her Quirk for something so selfish. Reflecting on how they felt no remorse.

These guys… really have lost their humanity, haven't they?

She then peered down at her open palms, fingers curling in slightly.

But I am no better.

"I'm home," Hawks announced with a forced smile as he stepped into his desolate new place, room for only one. With takeout for two in hand, he used his foot to shut the door behind him with a sigh. He tried all bits of humor to lighten his mood, but it did nothing to relieve the crushing weight in his chest. He had grown so accustomed, excited even, to the greeting, anticipating every day he'd get to say it to her.

His coat fell to the table beside him, clumping into a pile messily as he took a good look around the studio-sized house. It was packed with only the essential rooms and basic furniture, lacking any real sentimentality. An empty room devoid of warmth. Of familiarity.

In any other instance, Hawks would revel in the privilege of sweet silence, but the empty void in his heart was quickly exposed to a staggering rush of emotions threatening to crash into him. He had been staying there for weeks by that point, but something about that night made him take a step back and realize for the first time just how dark and desolate his house truly felt without Jun's presence.

What's more, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, as if something were about to go deathly wrong.

His wings tingled at the notion, a spark of life returning to the dulling red feathers for a brief moment. He hadn't sensed Jun's heart in weeks, and why would he? It would take a masochist to wear the precious gift of a past lover who was no longer theirs. Despite that, Hawks' feathers shook, tingling with the tantalizing thought that something horrible was happening to Jun.

Without needing any more prompting, Hawks darted out the window to return to what was once his home. As he swooped onto the balcony, Hawks took note of the lack of lights in the windows, letting himself in with a spare key he kept readily on hand – just in case he ever needed to use it again.

He walked in to find that her house was surprisingly clean. Not a single stray feather was to be found. Everything appeared to be in its place – Jun's stuffed animals hadn't moved; her silly magnets still livened the fridge – even the fancy cake that had taunted her in the bakery window until she caved in and happily took home with excited stars in her eyes remained in its display case on the kitchen counter, untouched. That wasn't a good sign.

Jun wasn't eating.

Hawks then spotted something off about the table she insisted on moving in with her – it was strangely empty. He had only seen various puzzle pieces littered over that table, but tonight it was eerily spotless. It didn't take long for Hawks to determine the motivation behind the pile of broken wooden pieces splattered against the adjacent wall and floor.

A salient object on the dining room table in front of him then caught his attention. An open book took the place of where Jun once happily ate alongside him – in its pages held article headlines and newspaper clippings assorted into a scrapbook of sorts. Morbid curiosity compelled Hawks to scan through the pages, each one showcasing a unique story about him – treasured memories that were clearly cherished and treated with tender care by Jun, as if each clipping were priceless.

In utter disbelief, Hawks had to wipe away the tears forming in his eyes. Pushing away the sharp pain in his chest to focus on her whereabouts. His feathers never lied. She was somewhere she shouldn't have been.

Trembling hands were the only thing Jun could perceive by the end of the experiment. The wails of the woman raised from the Quirk haunted every thought. Jun's heart ached, screaming at her that her actions felt so, so wrong. But it was too late to back out now.

The experiment was draining, both physically and mentally. Scratch marks riddled her arms and hands, blood seeping from some of her fingertips from overusing and overexerting her Quirk.

After Jun was escorted to her room, she tossed and turned for hours, restless from that day's events, and how she willingly took part in it. She recalled the room where the bodies were being held, the limited space forcing them to keep that woman – now alive – in with those other bodies. Jun's eyes squeezed shut, painfully aware of how harrowing of an experience that must be for her. Without any more prompting, she rose out of bed. The hushed sound of the door opening and closing filled the hallway, her bare feet pattering the old, rugged carpet.

The freezer door opened with a great deal of effort as Jun stepped inside, shivering breaths passing through her quickly. She found the woman huddled in the corner, barely conscious but alive, at least enough to take her wrist and guide her to her feet.

At the physical touch, the woman looked up at Jun as she tried to conceal her look of pity. "Don't worry, I'm getting you out of here. You just need to keep quiet, okay?"

Jun's words had the desired effect, and she allowed her to guide her to the exit of the hideout. The winter night was just as cold as the freezer. The woman stepped forward on her own, her legs wobbling with the effort as she turned and looked at Jun, confused.

"No, I can't come with you. They'll know something's up if they see both of us missing. Just head that way and you should find people who can help you soon, okay? Just keep walking… just keep walking."

Hawks had been in the sky for hours. He wasn't quite sure what he was expecting to find anymore. Where could she have gone? Jun had nowhere else to go. As the icy winds brushed his silken feathers, he pondered in deep thought at each question, purging the most harrowing notion that refused to back down.

She couldn't have…

Distinct sounds of groaning caught the hero's attention as he scoped from above. What he found was something – or someone – deathly wrong. With their body pressed haphazardly on the brick building in the alleyway, a woman called deliriously into the night. Burn marks coated her body, and the faded bruise-colored splotches on her skin appeared to be the early stages of necrosis.

"No," Hawks heard himself mutter as he swooped down to inspect her further at blinding speed. He calmed her, wrapping her in a bundle of delicate feathers to transfer her to urgent care and called for medical assistance, all while demands echoed in his head.

No. No, no, no, no. No fucking way.

As she was taken away by diligent feathers, Hawks' hand was quick to cover his mouth, pondering in deep thought at how she could have gotten that severely burned while still being capable of moving, not forgetting about the signs of death that had already settled in.

With his hand dropping to his side, eyes wide and lips parted slightly, Hawks had to face the truth.

Her injuries matched Dabi's style of assault, and it matched the aftereffect of Jun's Quirk.

"She wouldn't," he murmured in disbelief, his face turning pale after each passing moment.

"Jun… what have you done?"

That morning, the sound of bickering and mumbles echoed through the clumsily-built corridor near Jun's room. She rubbed at her eye and yawned lazily while opening the door to the main area to reveal Twice and Dabi, their tense demeanors indicating that they were in some sort of argument.

"Tell me where the hell you hid the woman, you rickety bastard."

"D-don't look at me, I didn't touch her!" Twice insisted with exaggeratedly wide, innocent eyes. "What's the big deal if one goes missing anyway? It's not like there's a million more of them or anything."

"Yeah, in storage, you moron. Where's the live body?"

At that, Twice threw his hands up in the air in a defensive gesture. "I'm tellin' ya, I don't know! You're always acting like I'm the screw-up!"

At that, Dabi bent forward slightly, like a parent scolding a child. "You're unstable, Twice. The quicker you admit it, the quicker you can stop wasting my time."

"Just think about it for a second – where would I even put some dead chick's remains?"

As if right on cue, the pair simultaneously went quiet and looked in Jun's direction. She hadn't even let go of the door handle yet in the time it took her legs to gain control and twirled her into a 180 to waltz casually yet unnaturally back out the door to escape Dabi's impending wrath. He didn't miss the guilty expression on her face, either.

The remainder of the day was spent locked away in Jun's new room, electing to do nothing but twirl the old, matted feathers between her fingers. Within hours, a polite knock emanated from the door, barely finding the resolve to stand up and answer it. The door creaked open to find Mr. Compress standing there, maskless, as he greeted her with a pleasant grin. "Good afternoon, dear Jun. I was sent to let you know of your next scheduled exam, er, experiment as they referred it as. It will be conducted shortly."

He watched as Jun's fingers twitched at the news, clearly not recovered from the previous days' tests. In her other hand, her fists squeezed at what remained of the feathers tightly. His brow raised at their condition, in a few short days becoming worn, grimy, and likely useless.

"I know it's difficult to accept advice from Dabi, but perhaps he is right about those feathers. It may be time for you to let them go, wouldn't you agree?"

At that, Jun's head went downcasted and nodded. "You're probably right."

Even after she left for the second series of experiments, his feathers laid on the table, not having the strength to destroy them.

As Jun was gestured into the barren room, the shadowy figures began prepping for the tests as she paused in front of the doorframe and stared numbly into the window's murky overcast. The thought of what he was doing in that exact moment invaded her mind as her lids lowered in sadness, and stepped into the room.

In that moment, Hawks perched on a city pole, hauntingly silent. The evening streets were empty, painted a gloomy blue in the dead of winter. The sky was cloudy and grey, the air bitter yet stiff, as if frozen in time. His body was tense, yet slack, signs of brooding and deep longing saturated his being. His once vibrant wings, less lively and dulled in color to a washed-out red, folded over him almost spitefully like a cold, damp cloth, shielding him halfheartedly from the brisk winter air.

His shoulders slumped under the weight of his internal pain, morose demeanor hidden in the depths of the quiet evening. His jacket buttoned up to the high collar to conceal his sullen lips, exposing nothing but tired, dark lines beneath lidded eyes. He was imprisoned by his own mind, alone on a barren pillar and sunless day. His eye-lines were pronounced, broken and weary, seeing only the world he longed for in his mind.

Dark clouds eclipsed Hawks, his bleak expression remained unfazed as his jaw tightened, the gritting of his teeth hidden behind tightly sealed, unopened lips as the dread and pain bubbled up within him, only to be forcibly suppressed.

In the dead silence, a lone white spec floated daintily into his view, then another, and another, until a light dusting of snow began to descend delicately though the sky. A feeling passed over Hawks, an emotion he could not describe. An inexplicable chill wracked him, and just for a moment… he faltered.

A singular tear rolled down the length of his cheek, tinged with sorrow. Dispirited by his weakness, his lids lowered shamefully, wings reaching to conceal his face, receding into himself.

So cold.