Icarus
Rumbling, crashes, the shattering of glass – collective screams and deafening commotion resonated through the area surrounding Jun. There was no escape. Everywhere she turned revealed destructed buildings receding into the earth, frantic people digging through rubble, and cries for help. Each sensory in her body was strained to its absolute minimum as her mind flooded on what to do next.
A nearby woman's plea and distraught hand wave caught Jun's attention – likely drawn to the official hospital special unit logo on her top. Jun's legs trembled as she rushed to her aid, knees threatening to buckle under the weight of the situation.
"Please," she said, struggling to lift a concrete slab beside her. Under the rock, an arm stuck out, palm facing up. "It's my husband. Help me get him out, please!"
"R-right…!"
With great effort, Jun and the woman exerted all their strength in lifting the rubble off the man. Upon shifting it out of the way, a metal rod jutting from the side struck Jun's face, and she felt a sharp, aching pain near her forehead. Blood dripped from her eyebrow and onto the ground.
"Ow…" she muttered, rubbing her eyebrow and unwittingly smearing the blood over part of her face.
"He's hurt!" The woman cradled her husband's motionless body to her chest, staring straight ahead with sunken eyes, and Jun could hear the weeps welling up in her chest.
Jun's eyes were locked in a widened state watching the city crumble around her. In the midst of screaming, buildings crumbling, sirens, all the blood and chaos, the utter shock in her face suddenly morphed into that of a serious one, as if a switch were flipped.
"Get him on his back, quick," she instructed the woman, guiding her to release her hold. Jun knelt on both knees, first bringing two fingers up to his wrist.
No pulse. This is my chance.
Sounds of the woman sobbing into her hands was all Jun could hear as she brought both bloodied hands to the man's equally bloodied chest. Breaths passed by her agonizingly quick, doing everything in her power to remain calm and focused.
After a moment of no results, then another, and another, Jun's heart skipped even faster. It was next to impossible to maintain her focus. Distant sounds of rage-filled roaring echoed through the remnants of the city, as if something even more malicious were approaching.
After another few moments of straining, a sharp pain shot through Jun's palms, causing her to grunt and shut her eyes at the sensation, only to open them a second later to find that familiar green aura emanating around them once more, catching the sobbing woman's attention and ceasing her cries to look on in wonder.
There was no time for celebration. As your hands made contact with the man, his body was quick to accept the aura. As his eyes snapped open, he began to shout in panic. Jun had zero training in counseling extremely stressed person; she didn't know what to say or how to comfort him. Before she could react, out-of-city emergency personnel arrived on the scene, crowding around the man and assessing his injuries. By all accounts, he should have been dead, they pondered – but had no time to speculate as they carried him away. As the woman followed, she had a second to look back at Jun, her face elevated in gratitude before being escorted away.
A small, warm smile graced Jun's face for a moment, ignoring her own blood dripping off her damaged fingers. Another scream drew Jun's attention, and she immediately went headfirst back into the chaos.
Minutes felt like hours as Jun revived people left and right, ignoring the sheer amount of pain radiating from her hands. It seemed like for every one person who she rescued, another five were taking their last breath. The sight and sound of pure devastation was harrowing. Debris and loose wreckage flew in the air, battering Jun's body until it was difficult to stand back up. Scratches and cuts riddled her body, but they were mere distractions as she focused on her job.
As Jun's hands went to work on another body, a chunk of debris flew past, striking her in the nose, taking her head aback for a split second only for her to snap back in place in pure focus. With one eye squeezed shut from the pain and effort, the green light in Jun's hands continued to falter as a thick trail of blood seeped out her nostril and into her clenched teeth.
Come on, work! You've been working this whole time – turn on, damn it!
The aura in her hands slowly faded into nothing. She inspected your dirty, quivering palms, pained breaths of frustration clouding her hearing as blood oozed off her chin, taking refuge by landing onto her open palms.
Beads of tears welled in the corners of Jun's eyes; her attention cemented into the man's bloodied yet almost peaceful face. With the chaos rising after each second, she couldn't fend off the tears as they drippled off her nose and past her chin. This time was different, she knew.
This is it.
My Quirk… is broken.
Beads of sweat and tears poured off Jun in waves while scanning the destroyed landscape. Immediately the body she was helping was taken away like all the rest. There was nothing more she could do for anyone, Jun whimpered dryly at the thought until her body didn't have the fluids to waste on more tears.
That was when a familiar voice called to her.
"Miss Jun!" A deep voice caught her attention. With Jun's head low, she looked to the side to reveal a giant yellow mass – the hero Fatgum. Within him was a dark spot – a student?
"T-Tokoyami…!" Jun replied with renewed light in her voice.
"What are you doing here?" Tokoyami said as Fatgum approached, clearly in a hurry. "We have to go. Come with us, we can find you a safe place to hide on the way."
"What? But I – I can't. I have to…" she trailed off, looking into her bloodied palms in denial, knowing deep down that she wasn't of use anymore.
"There's no time to argue," Tokoyami raised his voice slightly uncharacteristically. "Please come with us so we can keep you safe. I'm hoping to meet up with Hawks. I'm sure he could use reinforcements."
At that, Jun sensed a deep anger boiling from deep within her. The pressure and stress from her Quirk short circuiting, as well as the notion of Hawks – the Hawks – being injured or worse, caused Jun to snap, standing up abruptly and catching him off guard. "You should have more faith in Hawks. You and I both know that he can handle this!"
After a moment, the surprise in Tokoyami's face melted into that of empathy, catching on that she, too, was in denial over Hawks' possible condition. He stalled in telling Jun what was really going on, but there was clearly no choice anymore.
"But Miss Jun," Tokoyami breathed. "In the direction of Hawks –"
"We saw Dabi."
Jun gasped. "What?!"
A tiny, nagging voice in a deep corner of Jun's mind reminded that if she left community service now, she would go to jail – but she took another look around her. The authorities had more pressing matters. And with Jun's Quirk out of commission, she would only get in the way. Besides, there wasn't a fiber in her mind that didn't propel her forward to Hawks' aid.
Without wasting another moment, Jun secured the feather blade saddled to her waist and held her hand out to Tokoyami and Fatgum. "Take me to him, please."
Fatgum blinked, surprised. "We can't take you there, you're a civilian!"
Jun shook her head adamantly, insistence carrying through her unsmiling lips.
"I'm who he needs right now."
As Fatgum made space for Jun beside Tokoyami, he ran at blinding speed as only one thought occupied her mind.
Hang in there, Hawks. We're coming to help, just hold on…!
The clouds above the forest appeared darker and gloomier the closer they approached the hideout. After a while of dread, a crumbling mansion deep within the forest soon came into view. An overwhelming sense of apprehension then gripped Jun, but the need to find Hawks urged her forward. Before Fatgum could come to a complete stop, Jun hopped out, ignoring the calls from him as he used both arms and tugged Tokoyami back as he struggled to follow suit.
"Please, I must help Miss Jun!"
"Jun, wait – hold on! We don't know what's in there!"
His pleas went entirely unheard.
Rushing up the steps, Jun withdrew the feather sword in one hand and forced the door apart with the other. Upon charging into the main room, she noted in disgust and concern how her nostrils stung with the stench of singed feathers and hair, along with blood… and searing flesh.
"Hawks? Hawks! Where are you?!"
Out of breath, Jun's eyes darted around the room in all directions, finding nothing but a run-own mansion with rotted wood, rubble, and… blood?
Unable to comprehend what she was seeing, Jun blinked and watched numerous droplets of blood patter rhythmically from the second floor and into one large puddle on the first floor. Dread overwhelmed her body as she peered up at the source of the blood, only to find a body near the top of the stairs. Their black clothing looked familiar. Each step up the stairs felt like running on knives. As Jun reached the top, an audible gasp filled her lungs and a hand slapped over her dried lips over recognizing the mangled body.
Jun broke the silence, her voice frail as her words fell on deaf ears. "Twice…"
Jun's heart ached, mind flashing with the last memory she had of Twice – him aiding in mending her injuries, taking care of her as if he wasn't burdened at all. His actions convinced Jun that he was a true friend – one of the few people who cared about her in this world. The thought of his dead body caused a ball of stress to lodge in her stomach. Jun's strength faltered as she fought back tears, knowing that she was never going to have the opportunity to thank him for what he did.
In the past, such a great sense of loss would be an automatic activator of Jun's Quirk, but her hands remained lifeless as another line of fresh blood seeped from them. His injuries stemmed from one singular slash in his back, as if he were stabbed or swiped by something. The emotional part of Jun begged that it was Dabi's doing. But the logical part of her knew - his death didn't come from him.
But that would mean…
A sudden maniacal laughing at the other end of the hall caught Jun's attention. She turned in time to watch Dabi standing tall with his back facing her, using one foot to press his weight into a body on the floor. His target laid on the ground almost coiled up into a charred mess. Bits of scorched feathers rained down the pair as Jun's eyes widened, knowing full well what happens next.
"I don't care," Dabi growled, the cyan flames engulfing him growing larger in rage. "Whether you live or die, either!"
It was as if time moved in slow motion. A slick red blade forced its way into Dabi's view, coming mere inches from his throat as he leaped backward and away from Hawks' form. The flame-resistant solution in Jun's blade aided in dissipating the flames as she swiped them away earnestly from Hawks' collapsed body, but it didn't stop the pure intensity of the heat from searing her own limbs and body; adding to the limits her body was already pushing.
Dabi looked on at Jun's brazen display, his otherwise soulless eyes displaying hints of surprise at her sudden appearance as sounds of her labored breathing saturated the smokey, ash-laden room reeking of singed flesh. Her teeth clenched tight with every labored inhale. A thick trail of blood dribbled off one side of her mouth, almost in a protective snarl as Dabi looked on. His head cocked to the side in amusement at the slick feather blade trembling in her tight grip with both hands, her stance wide as her legs threatened to give out at any moment.
Determination was the sole reason that kept Jun standing, to protect Hawks at all costs as she stared down at what was left of Dabi's soul, challenging him in a low whisper.
"Touch him again," Jun huffed between strained, agonizing breaths. "And I'll take you back to hell where you belong."
Dabi's brow raised and his head tilted in a psychotic amusement. It was as if he were wordlessly mocking her as he wretched, "You gotta be shitting me."
"What the hell do you want with Hawks?!" she demanded. ""Why are you doing this?"
"Why am I doing this?!" Dabi cackled. "You're pointing that sword the wrong way. It was Hawks who barged in and went on a rampage, you stupid woman. He's the reason why half the city's destroyed." Dabi then flashed her a lopsided, demented smirk. "And he's the reason why Twice is dead."
"Wh…what…?" was Jun's only response, her head tilting toward Twice's remains.
"He doesn't belong here." His voice was laced with a strange mix of satisfaction and melancholy, his face devoid of emotion, a stark contrast to how he was acting mere seconds before. Dabi then spread his hands in a wide stance. "I've given you your answers, and now it's time you gave me mine."
Jun merely stared, contemplating gracing him with a response.
"I always knew you'd jump ship. Took you long enough." Dabi 's ridiculing words spurred her on. "For some reason, everyone seemed shattered over it. You should've seen the look in Twice's eyes when he learned that you abandoned us. Utter betrayal. So heartbroken. How could you ever think to do something so heartless?"
Dabi then splayed a hand over his face and laughed, a deep bellow erupting from his chest. "What kind of friend would do something like that to someone who thought the world of you? You weren't there, and now he's dead. Yet here you are – choosing this worthless spy over bringing Twice back. Or is it that you can't anymore? Look at your hands! Hah. Hahahahahaha! That must be hard for you. Now you have no Quirk. You're just an ordinary little girl! Ahahahahaha! It must sting, doesn't it, Jun?!"
His words had the desired effect, prompting the fierce grip on the feather to tighten, Jun's body trembling wildly as tears beaded the lining of her eyes.
"I – I'm not falling for it," she implored. "It'll be all the more embarrassing when I kick your ass."
But the sickening smile still stayed on Dabi's face. "You see? You haven't changed a bit. Which is why you deserve to die. Your slaughter will be nothing compared to the joy of finally being rid of you."
"You still don't get it, do you, Dabi?"
Dabi's smirk faltered at Jun seemingly being unfazed by his threats.
"I love Hawks," she declared, eyes fierce. "More than I'm afraid of you."
His unamused scowl was his only response.
"J-Jun…!"
A gentle, broken voice from behind drew Jun's attention, unaware that Hawks was still conscious. All he could do was sputter between broken words resembling her name as powerless eyes peered up at Jun helplessly, the look of sheer concern within them called to her. It appeared as if it took every ounce of energy he had left in his utterly surprised and worried expression. Her heart grew heavy seeing Hawks in such a condition. He did not look good.
Struggling to gather confidence, Jun turned her shoulders in his direction, feigning a forced, painful smile while choking back tears, "Shh, i-it's okay. As long as I'm here, I will do anything I can to protect you."
Hawks' tattered, lidded eyes raised slightly at her words. Air slipped past his dried, parted lips as he comprehended the extent she would go to protect him.
Dabi scoffed. "You have balls thinking you can afford to look away, I'll give you that," he said, raising an arm and aiming his flames at the two of them.
"Hawks, Jun, run!"
As the blast left Dabi's hand, a dark shadow darted into the room, bumping his arm and throwing him off balance. The flames erupted at an angle, allowing Jun to grab Hawks and leap away, the fire grazing her skin. She was delicate to carry him, it was less of a challenge with all the strength and life sapped from his body, and without the imposing weight of plush feathers, either. Without his wings, he seemed so tiny. So frail. So broken. One hand supported his back, its surface blackened from taking a direct blast from Dabi's Cremation.
The exit was a set of stairs away. As Jun took the first step, she couldn't stop herself from glancing at Twice's corpse. Morbidly she watched the steam rise from his wounds, made by the last of the heat leaving in his body being exposed to the winter air. Her immediate urge was to at least try to resurrect and save him, but as Jun scanned Hawks' scorched body, a hammer-like blow shattered her heart upon his wretched condition and face utterly exhausted.
Dabi's right. Twice… please, forgive me.
Jun clutched Hawks tighter as a response, contemplating the sacrifice Hawks made that he must have had to take Twice's life, before dashing out of the building. A tightened, stoic expression plastered her face as tears clouded and obscured her vision.
The tent flaps of the medical unit fluttered open as Tokoyami's Dark Shadow spread it apart, allowing the two of them to set Hawks onto his stomach. A roll of bandages and disinfectant were on a small table nearby.
"Tokoyami, grab those supplies and bring them over here."
"Y-yes, Miss Jun!"
As he came back, Hawks, now unconscious, began to cough and sputter, sending Jun's nerves into a frenzy.
"Help me lay him on his side, quick!"
"What's the purpose of this? We need to tend to his back-"
"Don't argue, just do it!"
As Tokoyami aided in the task, he glanced at Jun. Her face read that she knew what she was talking about. She wasn't alongside the medical team for very long, but she was quick to pick up a few survival tips. As Hawks' convulsions stabilized, Jun took a deep breath for what felt like the first time that day.
"It's in case he… vomits."
"I… I see."
It took several long, brutal hours to assess and tend to Hawks' extensive injuries. There wasn't much skin that didn't need at least one layer of bandages. Tension was high over Hawks' condition, the adrenaline flooding Jun's body preventing her from feeling the extent of her own injuries.
After sealing the final bandage around Hawks' face, the gauze glistened with blood. The reality of the situation registered to her – the notion that Hawks would perish plaguing her mind. With a slight frown, Jun's hand lingered over his face, longingly wishing to cup and stroke his cheek. Instead, she leaned forward, pressing a small kiss to his forehead as streams of tears dripped down her chin and onto his bandaged, undisturbed face. Jun held it there, closed her eyes, and breathed.
Only, something was wrong.
"Is – is everything alright?" she heard the muffled voice of Tokoyami ask. Only, Jun found herself unable to answer. The room began to sway, a powerful wave of weakness and nausea overwhelming her senses as the corners of her vision spread like a raging fire, and faded into nothing.
The evening was morbidly quiet as Jun roused back to consciousness, the air pouring into the tent seemingly colder and darker than before. Tokoyami was stationed nearby, the sweat beading on him told of his agony over his mentor and friend's conditions. His body perked up watching Jun stir, his returned hope replacing his sorrowful demeanor.
"Tokoyami, what-" Jun said groggily, managing to sit up halfway onto her elbows. Her sheet slid off, revealing blood-soaked gauze on her hands and stained bandages on her arms, thighs, and face.
"I'm glad to see you're alright, Miss Jun. We were so preoccupied with Hawks' condition, we failed to see the damage in your own."
"Me? Who cares about my condition? We need to find Dabi. The city's ruined, we need to-" Jun tried sitting up, only to hiss from a stinging shooting down her spine, knocking her back to her elbows.
It only took one stern look from Tokoyami for Jun to comprehend what he was communicating.
"I understand…" With a shiver, she sat back, starting to slide the sheet back over her body. Hawks laid on his stomach beside Jun, his now steady breathing filling her with a sense of respite, only for her attention to divert to the blood-soaked bandages covering where his extravagant wings once stood.
"His wings. Tokoyami… do you think…?"
"I don't know," he replied, turning his head to face her. She saw the wrinkles in his brow had deepened, his creased visage telling Jun he had the same thoughts she did. "We don't know how deeply Dabi's flames burned Hawks' tissue. His condition seems stable, but…" he trailed off, confident that she could fill in the blanks on her own.
As Tokoyami spoke, Jun stared deeply into the pained, yet almost peaceful face of Hawks. His usual swept-back hair had been grazed by the heat. It had fallen forward and hung off his forehead like a messy rag and noticeably shorter. With effort, one of Jun's hands slipped over his, the bandages holding her fingers in place stroked over his bruised knuckles. His last words over the phone played in her mind like a beautiful, sad melody.
I love you, Jun.
"I love you too, Hawks." A single tear escaped her, no longer a prisoner of her memories, and slowly dripped from the corner of her eye.
"With or without your wings."
Jun heard a sharp gasp as Tokoyami drew her attention. In his hand was a video playing off his phone – a figure she could almost recognize in his dark, widened pupils.
Is… is that…?
"Tokoyami, let me see your phone."
"Jun, forgive me. You should be resting. You shouldn't see-"
"Tokoyami!" Her raised yet raspy voice caught him off guard. "Tell me who's on that screen right now."
Jun sat up the best she could as Tokoyami gave in to her demands. Wordlessly he passed his phone, the utter stiffness and hesitance in his posture registering in the back of her mind. The person on the screen confirmed Jun's fear.
"Dabi…!"
While she was unconscious, Dabi uploaded a video to the entire country, connecting to every device imaginable to get his story out – the harrowing tale of the son of Endeavour, turned murderer and villain. It was unimaginable that a hero Jun looked up to could create a being so monstrous.
Yet it grew worse.
"That's right, folks," Dabi's message said as he sat calmly, staples and scars riddling his chest. The evidence is right here. Watch how your precious 'hero' mercilessly slaughtered Twce as he was running away and begging for mercy. This is what society deems heroic? Pathetic."
A clip of body camera footage, seemingly in Hawks' perspective, as Twice dropped to his knees, begging – only to cut abruptly to Twice crawling away before a feather pierced his spine.
"Hawks…! He-!" Jun's head snapped over to Tokoyami, ignoring the dull ache in doing so. "If Twice was pleading for his life, Hawks wouldn't just strike him down in cold blood… right…?"
Tokoyami had his arms crossed, his tone quiet and reserved. "Heroes will do what they have to for the common good. But, it does strike me as odd as well."
"And you want to hear the icing on the cake?" Dabi's amused tone caught Jun's attention once more. "Just 'cause she's been a persistent thorn in my side, so why not? Instead of doing his job as your presumed hero and savior…"
"He wouldn't…" she muttered in disbelief.
"Little 'Keigo Takami' has been fooling around with this mousy brat - Jun. Did you catch that? Tani. Jun. Journalists and reporters? Eat your grubby little hearts out. That's all the attention I'm willing to give that waste of breath. Got questions? Ask her yourself."
"No!" Jun screamed, the sheer force of her tone grazing her throat. A thousand thoughts were flashing through her mind, each one more painful than the last.
Hawks murdered Twice, even after he begged for mercy. Even though I did the same…?
And Keigo… who is Keigo?
Although deep down, Jun already knew the answer.
She couldn't comprehend how Hawks had kept his name a secret, even from her, yet Dabi appeared to have such critical intel on standby. Not to mention, he had outed her relationship with Hawks, something the two of them swore to keep hidden by any means necessary. Her body seized at the implications behind Dabi's revelation – that Hawks failed to protect the city because she was a distraction, the press was going to hunt her down and make both their lives unbearable. That was, if Hawks would come out of this unscathed.
Who knows what else will arise from this? Keigo… Dabi… Twice… I – I can't!
Tokoyami watched as Jun's brows creased in utter terror. Her lungs ceased functioning and she collapsed to the ground, completely overwhelmed. The air filled with the sounds of her rapid breathing, exhaling air quicker than she could swallow it. Panting, desperate, Jun gasped, "Not again!"
Tokoyami scrambled to her side and held her at the shoulders, trying to offer support. "I'm so sorry, Miss Jun. It was a mistake showing you that video. Please calm down!"
Tokoyami's words fell on deaf ears. The only thought occupying Jun's mind was one singular question.
Dabi…
…why?
