Broken Pieces

'Hawks. In order to save everyone…'

'…you must eliminate her.'

Four words. The simple, incomprehensible words, suddenly radiated through Hawks' mind, ravaging his heart like a battlefield. The Raid, the war on heroes versus villains was imminent. There was no room to process, to think, or to regret.

Reviving people on behalf of the League was one thing, but using Jun's power to revive Nomu, making it so they can come back and regenerate from the dead, making them even more powerful in the process – only to learn that she had the potential to unleash them under her command… Hawks couldn't stand idle anymore.

As his fists trembled, devastation overrode all feeling and emotion. After everything that had happened, after all Hawks had put Jun through, he again had to desecrate his one, final promise.

To keep Jun safe.

There was no choice, he battled with himself. You knew this was part of the job. In order to save the rest of society… Jun… she has to be stopped.

It has to be me.

Hawks' heart pounded against his temples. Biting his lip, he passed one solemn nod, and accepted it.

Jun… babybird…

…I'm sorry.

The door to the back room of the hideout creaked open, revealing a long-forgotten area that Jun made into her own quiet space. A nearby wooden table was stained with anti-flammable liquid as she placed her feather daggers and sword onto it and sat quietly. She then unraveled the bloody bandages coating her hands, getting them some air before practicing one of her new favorite pastimes: brushing her feather weapons, renewing their sheen with the liquid, reinforcing and keeping them in pristine condition.

As Jun rubbed the hardened feathers, her mind began to wander to a short time ago, a hand instinctually traveling to and stroking the matted feather around her neck.

That night… the night I took control of the Nomu. I was able to force my Quirk to work again, and in a much stronger capacity than ever before.

Tired eyes then traveled to her scabbed, open palm in wonder.

When he rushed in to save me, only for him to get hurt. My emotions were running so high then. My mind was screaming at me – I couldn't stand seeing him injured. My Quirk reacted right then. Was that… because of Hawks?

Jun scoffed at the thought, yet a part of her still insisted that was the case. She purged the thought from her mind as she tended to the task. The activity was a double-edged sword, as keeping the feather weapons alive filled her with a strange sense of happiness and fulfillment, yet each weapon served as a painful reminder of what she once had. Sometimes she had to set them down and step away for a moment; the bittersweet emotions becoming too overwhelming to bear.

This time, however, Jun remained firmly in place, clasping a dagger tightly, her body instinctively on edge. She wasn't sure why, but the atmosphere in that very moment… it felt like the tension of the hairs on her neck had stiffened.

Jun had sensed something wrong. The atmosphere of the hideout was always tense, but now, there was this foreboding feeling, as if something was about to go horribly, horribly wrong.

A deep thud of a door closing in the distance pulled Jun from her thoughts as her head raised slowly at the noise. A deep sigh escaped her, head hung low at the steady footsteps approaching the only door behind her.

It was as if she already knew what was coming next.

The steps ceased just outside the door, a foreboding silence suffocating the room. For a brief moment, the world was still. An odd cold passed through Jun as she heard the smooth, familiar sound of a feathery weapon sliding and unsheathing from behind the door.

Her thumb stroked wistfully at the tattered feather around her neck, tucking it back under her shirt as the door grinded open behind her.

And the figure stepped in. Yet they remained still.

That aura. The cold yet familiar presence. Jun didn't need to turn around to decipher who it was.

As their form slowly approached her, a feather darted toward the exit. The mechanisms of the door locked behind Jun, persuading her to sigh again in dread before standing up, her body turning to face him.

A sullen shadow encased his entire form. His earphones were left behind, only his visors remaining. His right hand carried a longsword, not reacting to Jun slowly stepping into his line of sight. He looked up, revealing eyes that suddenly seemed to fill with sadness as she stared back. His nose twitched as he tried to contain his emotions. He simply kept them in check. Eyes were locked in a stalemate as Jun awaited him to strike, while the blade remained ready in his hand.

A side of her wanted to be appalled that he would stoop so low, but a stronger part of Jun knew - she had given him no choice.

"So, we're on speaking terms again," she said dryly.

After a moment, Hawks paused, catching Jun by surprise by lowering his guard slightly. "I guess we are," he finally said.

Jun tilted her head and peeked at his wings, noticing that they were less thick with a washed-out sheen to them, as if there were less of them than usual - yet she couldn't explain the loss of color. She then huffed at the remembrance of the recorders within them, pursing her lips.

"Those things are beginning to be a real pain in the ass, you know."

Immediately catching on, Hawks responded, "Currently, they think I'm on a routine patrol, though it's really a bundle of feathers taking them on a trip around the city. It doesn't take much to fool someone behind a screen for an hour." His wings then flared and stretched, revealing that the tiny metal objects no longer plagued his feathers.

Hawks' head then lowered, his voice barely above a whisper, "Besides, after what's about to go down, those things won't help anymore."

Jun remained silent, unsure on what he meant as the silence intensified the thickness in the room. Hawks then sighed, his eyes softening as his lips parted to speak.

"I know it's no good, but it didn't have to be this way."

Her eyes squinted, anger boiling up inside as she spat, walls raised up, "No, it did have to be this way. That night you left, you made me realize who I really was." It was a whole lot easier to speak after wielding her sword. "I've always known that deep down…"

Jun's voice caught in her throat, knowing that the tone in her voice, the angrier tone, was doing more to him than it was her.

"I… I'm a monster. Look at what I'm doing with my Quirk." Words began to tumble from her quivering throat. "I've always been a monster. You knew it, too. Why else would you leave?"

Hawks scrutinized Jun intently, his eyes softening slightly at her words. He caught the slightest bit of hesitance in her voice. Her words stung his heart, and he took a long, even breath. "For what it's worth, this isn't your fault. And this isn't what I want you to remember."

He looked at Jun with eyes full of sincerity, in that moment he was urged to let out his darkest secret then and there. What he had never intended to say was something he had known for a very long time. Hawks couldn't take back what he had done. He wouldn't ever admit how he truly felt for her out loud, but he knew that he had to say something.

"You are not a monster," he spoke. "It's because I…I want to help you forgive your past. To remind you that your past is not who you are. I want to erase the voice that screamed in your mind every time you thought back. Please." The sword in his right hand lowered as his left hand raised, offering to take hers.

"It's not too late."

Jun's face was full of shock at Hawks' words, her heart swooning for a brief moment at the sincerity in his eyes and tone. No smile adorned his lips, but every word that fell from them felt genuine and delivered from his heart.

The light encasing Hawks began to fade as Jun's smitten expression morphed into something darker.

Why should I believe him? Everything else he's ever told me was a lie. To butter me up into spilling secrets about myself. The moment I start to sway, he'll strike me down and he'll never think of me again.

"Forget it, Hawks," she said bitterly. "There's no going back after what I've done."

In a subtle movement, Hawks' shoulders slumped. His head lowered slightly, showing signs of disappointment. "Before what happens next, I need to know," he said, heartbreak riddling his tone. He peered back up and made eye contact. His sharp, unrelenting eyes penetrated her soul.

"Is this what you wanted? Are you finally a villain in your eyes?"

Jun inhaled sharply, the thought of her own words piercing her heart.

It was the last time he was going to hurt her.

The words died on his lips. Slowly Jun approached him, the grip on the feather sword almost drawing blood. She had already made her decision. A sliver of regret ran through Hawks' veins. He had been clear about it: Jun had no chance, not against him. Yet there she was.

She took one slow step toward Hawks, then another, until she found a pace, both hands gripping the sword. "You're the only one who refuses to see that I'm with my real family," she argued, continuing to advance toward him. "I'm happier now. I insist."

Hawks' keen, birdlike eyes caught the subtle wrinkle on the bridge of Jun's nose upon her insistence, his sight then darted to scan her trembling fingers. "Of all the things you think you are, you and I both know – you're a bad liar, Jun."

"Look, I get it," she started, the anger boiling within evident after each step. "You waited until my guard was down, then you figured, it'd be funny to swoop in and BREAK me!"

Jun made the first move, darting at him with her feather blade pulled back to strike. Hawks raised his own sword, parrying the weapon with his own in an instant. She didn't have time to blink, and upon clashing, everything appeared to be moving in slow motion.

Hawks' facial expression remained neutral, focused. But inside, he was screaming.

In that brief instant, he caught on that Jun wasn't aiming for his neck, or chest, or any vital spot for that matter. It was as though she was just wanting to slash blindly, not intending to actually harm him.

"You showed me what it feels like to love someone again, then you showed me how it feels to be abandoned, AGAIN! You opened me back up. You made me believe I could be a hero no matter who I was!"

Devastation invaded his heart as Jun pounced for another blow, with Hawks holding her off and deflecting her blows while she screamed at him, the corners of her eyes blurring with tears.

"Well, are you happy now?"

Eventually her weapon clashed against his in a stalemate, each of them pushing against the other. Both of them resisted with immense strength, fighting to move the other one's trembling blade away, his eyes hidden under the shadow of his visor.

"ARE YOU HAPPY NOW, HAWKS?!"

At that, Hawks' face tensed, his teeth visibly clenched as if in deep pain. Jun's words urged him to lunge forward, breaking the hold on each other.

The powerful blow knocked Jun back, landing on her feet as she puffed to catch her breath, sword trembling in both hands. As she anticipated his next movement, she inhaled deeply. And then he stepped forward. With Jun's breath catching in her throat and the heat in her veins spreading, her legs spread wide, assuming a loose battle stance.

Hawks had sensed it in his feathers. The screaming in Jun's heart, the pattern in her muscles.

She was overwrought with regret.

In a hazed blur, Hawks' form dissipated and reappeared beside Jun, weapon raised to strike as her shoulders turned and blocked his blow. The technique in his attack placed her weapon at a compromised position, forcing her grip to loosen and for his sword to overpower hers as it skidded on the ground nearby.

With no weapon to defend herself, Jun's vision turned red as she punched and trashed at him aimlessly. He dodged each throw expertly, taking a step back as she urged forward with each punch.

"You hate me," Jun told him, staggering forward with every swing. "Admit it, you always hated me. Tell me you hate me!"

Even though she wasn't hitting him, Hawks' soul ached. All those years of frustration, loneliness and pent-up emotions were being channeled and unleashed in front of him. His pain increased tenfold when her commands of exasperation morphed into begs.

"Please, just say it. Just get it over with!"

Hearing Jun address him with pure anger, and with such venom behind it cut Hawks deeply. It was almost enough to distract him from a fist coming mere inches from his face.

Just as Jun was about to land a blow on Hawks, a bundle of feathers darted out beside her to absorb the impact.

It was at that moment Hawks spotted it, and a powerful sensation clouded his mind and all other senses. His eyes widened as the world around him swirled to a halt. Around Jun's neck, a familiar trinket swung on her chest – the feather necklace he'd handcrafted and gifted to her the night she finally let her walls tumble down for him. It had since lost its power to sense in the passage of time, evidenced by the faded, bleak hue of its once vibrant red color.

At that, Hawks weary eyes fell on Jun, and his sharp, penetrating gaze gave way to warmth. She was still wearing his gift. She still cared for him. No matter what Jun said or did, her heart told him…

She will always be in love with Hawks.

The feather around her neck told him everything. In a flash, a wave of sympathy rushed through Hawks' body. His mind clouded, overwhelmed with feeling how her heart was crying in anguish while fighting him. His face softened, and he instantly knew what he had to do.

"Why couldn't you have just left. Me. Alone?!" Jun screamed, seeking to punch blindly at his feathers. "That's the one thing I ever asked for!"

"Jun…" he muttered tearfully, watching how her attacks lessened after each blow. As time went on, Hawks found that he couldn't fight back.

But there she was – looking at him with such contempt. Only, it wasn't contempt for him.

But for herself.

"Just this once! Leave. Me. ALONE! Leave me here to die! I deserve this!"

A powerful fist accompanied her words. As it swung forward, it was blocked by his palm, gripping her fist in place. Jun's captured fist quivered within Hawks' grasp, a swift memory of his large hand holding hers in a gentle embrace flashed through her mind as her gasps for air filled the room. Shaking her head, Jun leaped back, landing next to the table before hesitating to grab a smaller feather dagger, looking unsure on what to do next.

The impact put pressure on the torn-up string of her precious necklace, forcing it to snap. Jun gasped and lunged for the necklace as it tumbled to the ground with a delicate patter, the audible clicking noise stopping Jun in her tracks.

Each hair on the plume splayed in different directions, the shade of red in her cheeks now a deep crimson. Seeing the one thing she had left so lifeless, so defeated…

Jun's eyes widened, brows raising in comprehension. It was then the hands clasping bitterly onto the dagger appeared foreign to her. Hawks' expression mimicked hers and he watched, taken aback, as she stared at the blade in her grasp before she flinched and dropped it as if it were hot to the touch.

The weapon fluttered to the ground as both hands raised to cup her mouth, utterly appalled. "Wh-what… what am I doing here…?" Jun uttered into her hands, glancing up at Hawks. "I didn't… hurt you, did I?"

Hawks stood, awestruck at her sudden change in demeanor. His stance eased as both arms lowered to each of his sides, sword still in his grip.

"I knew it." Jun began to laugh unfittingly. "I did it again, didn't I? I hurt people again. The whole time I've been here, even now, that's all I've done. Even after trying so hard."

Hawks remained silent, his shocked expression melting into compassion. His brows knitted as his lids lowered softly, a sigh brushing past his lips.

"That night I met you," she began, her voice growing faint. "I should've never stopped to help that woman that night. I should've just stayed where I belonged. Then I wouldn't have hurt anybody. I wouldn't have hurt the one I love."

Jun's gaze lowered to the remains of his gift, highlighting the dark circles under her eyes.

"I… I hate myself."

Hawks' feet were rooted in place, his hand reaching to remove his visors as he tossed it aside as an afterthought, giving Jun his utmost attention.

"But, why…? Why won't you hate me, too?"

Hearing her words, the ache in his chest seemed to climb into his throat, constricting him as he bit his lip – choking back his own confession.

With her head hung low, Jun began to shuffle toward Hawks, meekness evident in each step.

"You were so… proud of me. At least, I thought you were."

As Jun approached him sheepishly, her hands were balled up around her chest, indicating her surrender. For all he knew, it could have been a trick. But sensing the way her heart was beating, how it was screaming. He could distinctly feel it aching with such devastating remorse.

Slowly, cautiously, Jun narrowed the gap between the two of them, pausing only to eye the sword steadily at his side. Tired eyes scanned the tightening fist around its base, understanding the risk she was putting herself in by coming in close proximity to the silent hero.

Fighting back the pricking threat of tears, Jun advanced further, inches from his chest. After a pause of uncertainty, she inhaled deeply and dipped forward, pressing her forehead to his chest. Eyes were squeezed shut, brows trembling, anticipating and accepting any action or consequence that happened next.

Hawks' expression was hidden behind the darkness of the room, his teeth clenching harshly. As he felt the delicate pressure of Jun's forehead on his chest, the hand clutching his sword tightened and trembled. Silently, Hawks began to raise both arms, clutching his weapon tightly.

This was his moment to strike, to eliminate her, and complete his mission. All it would take was for him to direct his feather weapon to her back… and push forward.

Moments ticked by agonizingly slow, each second pricking Jun's heart as both her eyes and lips shuddered and trembled harder in anticipation, forehead still pressed against him.

Cutting the silence, the sound of something hitting the floor followed by movement met her ears.

Two strong arms wrapped around Jun's back, pulling her entire body insistently against Hawks, her cheek pressing against his chest with yearning force. Her eyes widened, utter shock preventing her from moving at the sheer demand of Hawks' unfaltering hold. His head hung low, the darkened room hiding his face as shallow streaks of sunlight flowed through the cracked window, illuminating the both of them with soft rays in the otherwise bleak and dreary room.

Hawks' heart was beating strongly against Jun's cheek, the familiar warmth and closeness of him forcing the corners of her eyes to cloud, giving everything in her power to restrain the tears threatening to fall.

"Please." The solace of his low tone broke the harrowing silence, his lips and gentle words touched lightly to her ear.

"Break into me."

Between shallow and messy breaths, Jun stood there, eyes wide in shock as tears collected at the corners. Her own arms reached up to grip blindly at his shoulders, opening the gates and allowing the repressed tears clouding her vision to spill against his chest, staining the slick material as tears flooded her eyes and heavy sobs wracked her body in harsh, unendurable waves.

For the longest time, Hawks held her. The room echoed with Jun's quaking as he comforted her, her tears soaking him, wordlessly telling him how long she'd been suffering.

Jun's head hung low, tears streaming down her cheeks and dripped off her nose to patter onto the cracked flooring below.

"You were so proud of me… so proud."

Jun hated how she looked at that moment - the weak, battered stranger, left to bleed in the cold that night. Her heart ached at the thought, lamenting how pathetic she must have looked. How Hawks deserved better. Until his soft words pulled Jun from her thoughts.

"I'll always be proud of you." Gentle arms clutched Jun tighter as she sobbed harder, Hawks feeling her legs give out and guided her to her knees, allowing Jun to let it all out as trembling arms grasped at him repeatedly and just as powerfully as his grip on her, intertwining themselves together, body and mind. A gentle hand cupped the back of Jun's head and stroked the frilled strands of knotted hair, his jawline pressing to her temple, eyes closed.

"So proud..."

"Then why…? Why did you leave?"

The utter defeat in Jun's tone caused Hawks' words to choke up in his throat, his mind wanting to speak but his body wouldn't allow it. Instead, Hawks pressed his face adamantly into her shoulder, refusing to lift up and meet her teary gaze.

That night he left her there, abandoned and alone, he didn't give her time or support to process it, he realized. Dim light reflected off the tears welling in his own eyes as he rested on Jun's shoulder, unsmiling. He needed to be here with her, now, when she shatters, finally grieving his and her broken bond… together.

His body trembled at the thought, and Jun felt a wetness gather on the shoulder housing him. A tear rolled down Hawks' cheek, then another, rolling down to his trembling, biting lip. He began to silently weep, holding Jun tight as he broke down with her, holding on to her as though life were about to end.

Wordlessly Jun pleaded him to look at her in the way the inviting touch of her hand cupped his dampened cheek. His eyes were red, the remnants of his turmoil staining his face and her shoulder, sharing with her a side of him that he should have a long time ago – the physical manifestation of his sorrow that matched Jun's in its intensity.

"Jun. I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry, baby," he repeated softly, his body trembling with softness and vulnerability as he pressed his forehead lovingly against hers and sobbed along with her, no longer concerned if she saw him cry.

His embrace tightened as Jun gasped out, her sobs lessening to a gentle weep. "Hawks. The moment you gave up on me… I gave up on myself. But I-" She paused, eyes traveling to the torn necklace on the ground, gentle hands reaching out to hold the slim curve of Hawks' waist and pull him closer.

"I never stopped believing in you."

Hawks could only nod as he felt another wave of pure emotion flutter through his entire body as he hugged her back strongly. The two of them stayed silent, holding and stroking each other for what felt like hours.

With his palm he began to draw circles on Jun's back, running his fingers down and around the small of her back, up her spine, encircling her shoulder blades, crossing his wings over Jun like a protective blanket, interlacing his fingers with hers.

Her soft weeps lessened to a drained sniffle, allowing Hawks to pull away slightly. He studied her face, seeing the remnant tears welling up before rolling off her cheeks sporadically in enormous clumps. Deep within her downcasted eyes, Hawks saw it. Guilt. Fear. Shame.

Jun met his eyes with a tear-stained face.

Hawks allowed her to get her emotions out by finally breaking down. But he never would have imagined that he would shatter alongside her. Any consequences he had to face back at the Commission, he was ready to accept it, as long as it meant bringing Jun home.

A gentle, ungloved hand raised to cup Jun's cheek, with her instinctually pulling back slightly, still weary, before leaning into his palm. The familiar touch sparked waves of relief to wash over her. Hawks traced and stroked his palm longingly over it as she closed her eyes and leaned further into his hand, savoring the familiar warmth behind his touch.

"Take my hand." The solace in his tone cooed to Jun as Hawks stood up, a gentle hand offering to help her up.

"Home's waiting for you."

Jun's mouth cracked open as her hand hovered near his, the first time he offered his hand back at her apartment flashing through her mind. Laying her hand onto his, Jun nodded with a small, thankful grin as he helped her to her feet. He couldn't help but brush his palm proudly on her cheek again as she leaned deeper into his touch; her streaks and tears of relief rolling and dripping off his fingers.

As they exited the hideout, Jun turned back one last time, the bleak, shadowy aura behind the door prompting her lids to lower solemnly.

Twice, Spinner, Compress…

…I hope you'll find your way home, too.

A gentle warmth then met Jun's hand – Hawks' hand, as he lifted her up and flew her home.

A gust of wind blew against the entrance to their once-shared home. The shimmering stars adorned the secluded area as Hawks held Jun tight, his feet landing firmly on the ground. As he set her down, she watched in awe as the moon reflected his face, enhancing his features and swelling her heart with joy. This feeling… she missed it so much.

"Hawks… after everything that happened, are you sure this is okay? That I deserve this?"

Hawks knelt beside Jun, stroking her cheek. His face softened, and she could sense his smile. He closed his eyes, resting his forehead against hers. "It's okay… everyone deserves a second chance. Especially you. You know that, right?"

Jun closed her eyes, reaching up to stroke his cheek with her hand as her face buried into his golden tufts. "Yeah," she said softly, "You're also deserving of one, I hope you know that."

She then pulled back, cheek pressed to his, scared to look each other in the eye as she whispered in his ear longingly.

"…and I hope… you can give us a second chance, too."

Hawks looked at Jun with half-lidded eyes, wanting so badly to force a smile. "I know I can't ask to be a part of your life again, but I'll do my best to make you as happy as you were... one day."

"One day?"

After a few moments, the arms encasing Jun squeezed tighter, pressing her against him. "Jun," he murmured as his lips pressed to her temple, his voice a pained whisper. "This is going to be hard to accept. But you deserve so much more. More than I can provide for you right now. But I want you to feel safe, to feel loved. I want you to have a little hope. I want you to laugh every day. With or without me."

Hawks' hands slid to the side of Jun's head, brushing her hair back behind her ears. She heard him let out a breath. "For now, live your life, and always know I'll always try to be here for you… if you ever need me."

"I know." Jun let her own breath out, before turning to look back out the forest in the distance. "What happens now?"

He didn't answer, the Raid and potential aftermath to follow flashing through his mind.

"Do – do you think all that research they did on me will amount to something? Hawks, the League's goal… they used my Quirk to make Nomu indestructible. I'm – I'm so sorry."

"I understand why." He saw Jun's eyes starting to well up. "And that goes back to what I said much earlier. All I can ask is for you to start doing the right thing. You'll be safe here. The League won't find you again. As for the Nomu, leave them to me. In the meantime, Jun,"

He reached out to Jun, pressing his head against hers before delivering a longing kiss to her forehead.

"Just keep smiling."

He then pulled away, the warmth and passion within his eyes returned. They glazed over Jun's lips for a mere moment before meeting her gaze, hesitance overtaking him. Sensing his uncertainty, she reached a hand to rest on the one holding her cheek as she leaned closer, her lips beginning to close the gap between his.

Softly, with a longing too great for words, he ran his thumb along her cheek before turning his face to the side and breaking the contact. He didn't say another word, but Jun felt his absence acutely. Perhaps one day he would be able to come home, let her know what had been going on, and once again have the family he could be so proud of.

But with what was coming in a few days' time, if anything were to happen to him, or to Jun, he couldn't bear to shatter her heart again, or his.

Slipping a gentle hand over hers, Hawks caressed her knuckles yearningly, lifting her hand to deliver a forlorn kiss to it gently in deep sorrow. His wordless response told Jun everything.

Not yet.

"I see." Jun nodded. "I understand. Things aren't over." She passed Hawks a small, loving smile. "I'll wait for you. And if you really see me as someone who is bright – someone with a promising future…"

"…then that is who I will be."

In that moment, it all became clear. This wasn't where healing ended.

This was where healing began.