Ebony

by EbonyAnimalSpirit

It started with a single crimson feather. One single feather, fallen among a sea of black... Lost to the fluttering, ebony waves, cold and drowning... Alone. We should have guessed we were bad for one another... but we didn't... Idiot {My Hero Academia} {HawksXOC} {Spoilers for Anime/Manga}

19. Chapter 19- Call

Chapter 19

Call

.:+:.

......or... Let myself...

.:+:.

It went deadly quiet in an instant

Dark Shadow's rage and ire, it's emotions screaming in his head- were all gone in an instant

The word was so simple, but her voice... It reached down deep into Dark Shadow's very core and it wrenched at it. Holding it tight and forcing it to freeze, destroying the anger, erasing the rush and the adrenaline, all of it. In an instant it was... Perfect, utter obedience.

And her eyes- they were burning, blazing against the black backdrop of the sky and her fur. A light and a fire that seemed to steal its way inside Dark Shadow and Tsukuyomi both, burning away all the emotions and the fear for a few seconds that felt like they lasted so much longer than they did. He didn't understand it, he couldn't fathom how or why, but it didn't matter. That few seconds was enough, and he dug down deep and pulled against Dark Shadow with every inch of his strength, forcing the creature to back down and to listen.

Spirit felt Dark Shadow move underneath her, the creature's body shrinking down quickly (if a bit unwillingly still) and she let it go. She stepped to the side, distancing herself by a few, staggering feet and her figure near instantly engulfed in black-red, fractured reality. The persistent push against her body and her Quirk to stay in that form disappeared, the strain going with it, and leaving her extremely breathless and quite lightheaded... Though of course the agony running up from her side didn't help anything, she could hardly breathe at all because doing so hurt- like hell.

Shit... Shit... Shit...

She grit her teeth, intent to walk it off but her legs said no. She sank down onto her knees, bent over and her fingers digging into the dirt and grass, not breathing, not daring to move, eyes shut tight.

... T... That really... Really... Really... Fucking...

She hissed, the sound struggling out through her teeth and hunching over a tad bit more, her hair a mess and falling out of her ponytail in sweaty, dirty tendrils and sections around her face. Her hands and legs were no cleaner, her body ached on a whole but that fucking stab wound-

Her lungs were begging for air and she had no choice but to give in, and immediately regretted doing so. The minute she tried, the pain got worse and the throbbing, persistent sparks of agony running rampant through her body doubled in intensity. The breath she tried to take in choked, sharp and barely muffling a wince in the back of her throat.

... T...ch... Twice... In... Two nights... Fuck...

She wanted it to stop, for the pain to fade and the throbbing to dull down too- she needed it to stop, she couldn't just sit there not being able to breathe. She needed air, her body needed to wind down from all the fighting and the moving and the forcing it to stay in that Chimera form.

... F..fuck... You gotta breathe or you're gonna pass out...

She tried again and it hurt just as much as the first time around, but she was ready this time and forced herself to keep going. She managed to force the breathing, but she couldn't force the pain to stop and she couldn't keep herself from hunching further, her head bowing and between her shoulders as she dug her fingers deeper into the earth, holding on for dear life.

... This sucks... This sucks... Please stop... Come on...

She swallowed hard and kept panting, staying absolutely still besides the way her breathing made her body sway up and down, and her fingers digging in further every second. She poured every ounce of her focus into trying to settle down again, wait for the throbbing to fade, to regain some composure and hoping against every single rational (realistic) thought in her head that-

... Tch... Please don't tell me the stitches ripped... Please don't let me be bleeding...... And... If I am... Please don't let it be a lot...

Tsukuyomi and Dark Shadow separated from one another, the young boy pulling out from the mass of shadow and no longer drowning in it. Tsukuyomi gasped, panting and shaking like a leaf as he sank to sitting on his heels, bent over and his arms propping him up in a similar manner to how Spirit was sitting. He stared at the ground, Dark Shadow it's normal (much smaller and manageable) size now and floating above the boy's shoulder, uncertain and casting nervous glances between it's Host and the panting Pro to their left.

Tsukuyomi gulped, trembling and eyes flooded in terror and guilt and confusion as his mind fought to make sense of what had gone on, and he looked quickly around at the sheer destruction.

What had he done? They done? Dark Shadow on a rampage and he powerless to stop it...?

How much damage had been done...? Hawks had been thrown around, hit and pummeled- he remembered seeing the blood, and the bruises on the Winged Hero. The sickening thud of his body against tree and ground and under the swings of Dark Shadow's fist... His yells of pain, the wrenching and snapping of feathers left and right...

"... W... What... Have I done...?" Tsukuyomi stammered shakily, his hands trembling as he fought for proper air under the sinking, suffocating fear and guilt. Dark Shadow wilted, shaking slightly too and letting out soft whimper as it cast an ashamed look between the trembling boy and the floor... Before Dark Shadow looked slowly over in Animal Spirit's direction next, moving just a little closer and staying low to the ground, submissive almost and teary-eyed as it let out another quiet whine, earning Tsukuyomi's eyes at last. The boy jumped, his head snapping around and eyes wide when he saw the way she was bent over and how ragged her breathing was. She looked a little haphazard, her figure covered in dirt and debris from the brawling and her hair mostly a mess too. But what immediately had his heart beating on high was how pale she looked, how hard she was breathing, and how much she seemed to be doubled over, her fingers digging deep into the ground and rigid as can be.

"S..Spirit-Sensei... Are you alright...?!" Tsukuyomi asked quickly, inching closer on his knees a few paces and eyes wide, grimacing. His voice startled her slightly, her breath catching and looking up quickly to meet his eyes from the side. She swallowed, her heart twisting at the way he was shaking, the fear written all across his face and the way his eyes glittered, both he and Dark Shadow near on the verge of tears... She saw so much guilt, saw how scared he was, how much he hated what happened, the terror that he might have hurt her- and she swallowed.

... Shit...

She managed up a small, weary smile and nodded slightly, swallowing back again at the still fiery pain running through her, and willing her lungs with everything she had to steady.

... I can't...

"Yeah... I'm okay, I just..." She panted, swallowing again and shaking her head a bit. "... Sorry... Its just, staying in that form... Is super hard... Gimme a minute... To catch my breath again..." She sighed, her eyes dropping away from the boy and taking in one long (incredibly painful) breath to hold it for a second or two.

Tsukuyomi frowned, sucking in a slightly shuddering breath of air and looking not at all convinced with the answer, and even more concerned when she let out the breath she was holding and seemed to shudder. "... Are you... Sure...?" He mumbled uncertainly, Spirit nodded again, forcing another small smile and casting him one fleeting glance.

"... Yeah, I'm sure... Just need a minute..." She murmured softly, and he grimaced, his eyes falling from her entirely and stiff in his spot.

"... I'm... So sorry..." He mumbled, shutting his eyes tight and head bowing. "... I'm so sorry..." He hissed, Dark Shadow's head bored too and hunched. Spirit stiffened at the apology, her eyes narrowed and biting down hard on the inside of her cheeks. She tilted her head just enough to get a look at him from the side, the way he bowed his head and his body threatened to follow suit... How hoarse his voice was.

She forced another sigh and this time her breathing actually started to even out again... The pain didn't so much, but maybe just a smidgen. Either way though she could take it, and she'd push back at it, ignore if she had to... Because she couldn't let it show. Not right then.

"... Don't be sorry." Spirit murmured softly, forcing herself to straighten up from being bent over and shifting to sit more back on her heels. It took a lot not to cringe, or lean one way to try and balance out the discomfort and the stab of pain at even moving- but she stayed as straight as she could, and she smiled softly as she looked his way. She saw him stiffen at the sound of her voice, and for a moment he didn't even attempt to lift his head and look at her. "... You don't need to be sorry." Spirit murmured, "Honestly, things like this happen all the time, and it's not as big deal as you think... People lose control over their Quirks, it's normal, it's nothing to be ashamed of, and you don't have to be sorry."

"... But... We... I hurt that man, and Hawks-Sensei... And all this... Trouble and... And destruction... Fighting with you..." He hissed and Spirit blinked. "... I was trying... So hard and still... Even when people were getting hurt... I couldn't... Tch... I lost it... So quickly... and I couldn't..." Spirit's eyes flashed as he faded off into silence, and she looked away, frowning for a moment.

Shit... What a mess...

... And I understand he's upset... I know why I...

... How do I... Say it...?

There was a moment or two of silence between them, Tsukuyomi's breathing quiet and uneven, and barely holding it together while Spirit's eased slowly. She tilted her head back, her red eyes halfway open and looking to a dark and dimly star-dotted sky overhead. She shook her head once, her eyes dropping closed and shoulders sinking.

"... I know." She said at length, her voice quiet and wispy almost. Tsukuyomi stiffened, his breathing cutting short and eyes snapping open, confused. Spirit just shook her head again, her head still tilted back and her hands on her knees.

... How do I say it... And not say too much...?

"... I know that... No matter what I say, or what anyone else does... Or how much you rationalize it... Or you're told it's okay, and nothing bad really happened... It isn't going to change how bad you feel about it... Or how much you think about how much worse it could have been..." Spirit murmured slowly, "... I know you'll still feel terrible about it, and guilty, and you'll hate how little you could do... None of that is ever gonna go away entirely, no matter what. I wish it would, but..." She mumbled, sighing again and he blinked, staring. But Animal Spirit wasn't looking at him, her eyes were still closed, head still tilted to the sky and so... Somber all of a sudden.

"Look... You'll always be afraid that it'll happen again, and what might happen if it does... I wish I could say the fear would go away, but it won't. It'll get easier to handle it, and work against it in time, but it'll always be there... Nagging." She kept on quietly, "... It's natural, it's normal... Its just... It's reality, for someone with a Quirk like yours... People like Hawks, or Anima... They don't have to worry about their Quirks getting out of hand, or concern themselves with making sure they don't run off and tear things apart because... Their Quirks don't really have a will of their own, a being... A soul." She cut off for a few seconds, seemingly biting the inside of her cheek for a moment, before letting out a low breath.

"... You'll never not be afraid of losing it again, you'll fight with Dark Shadow a hundred times after this, but eventually you'll find a way to keep yourself from being totally overwhelmed by it... All the anger and the willpower, the emotion..." Spirit mumbled softly, "... You'll find a way... Even if the fear stays... The fear helps to work harder, steel yourself against it, and give you something to work toward... You just... Have to give it time." Spirit looked back down, her eyes opening and glancing his way with a small, soft smile toward the boy. "... Trust me." She mumbled. And Tsukuyomi blinked, somewhat stunned and not sure...?

"Hey, you two okay?"

Any intention of continuing that conversation broke off at the sound of Hawks' voice, both Tsukuyomi and Spirit glancing around to see the Winged Hero and Anima beside him. They'd made their way over as soon as it seemed the fighting was done with, and as quickly as Hawks could manage- he felt fine now, if a bit sore... everywhere- but it wasn't anything he hadn't dealt with before. Anima seemed rather unsure about his 'fine' behavior though, and the boy was hovering- not that Hawks minded all that much. As long as the kid didn't try to keep him from moving over here, he didn't care if he hovered.

The Winged Hero stopped in front of Spirit and his Intern, Anima standing beside him and now looking frantically between his classmate and his own Mentor, scanning for injuries. "... A... are you alright...?!" Anima asked breathlessly of them as well, and Spirit let out a silent sigh, nodding toward the frantic looking boy and smiling just a touch.

"Yeah." She hummed, but Tsukuyomi didn't even seem to register his classmate's question at all. His eyes had landed on Hawks and stuck there, his face falling and eyes wide as he took in the damage done unto his Mentor... Spirit even paused, chewing the inside of her cheek as she shot the Winged Hero a look from the side.

Hawks looked like a hell of a mess, his jacket and pants torn, and the bulk of the feathers in his wings definitely thinned out, and sporting a large array of bruises all up his hands and arms, and a very large one on the left side of his jaw. He'd lost his visor, it was shattered and on the ground somewhere in all the mess, and his nose was bleeding along with several more small cuts littered along his body... the worst of all the damage seemed to be a gash on his right temple, which had a lot of blood dribbling down the side of his face and over his right eye- which was swollen shut. He looked like crap, but even despite all of that Hawks was standing straight and upright, with a calm, totally at ease smile on his face even as Tsukuyomi's fell upon seeing him. If the Winged Hero was in any sort of pain, he certainly didn't show it at all, and he seemed quite intent to just move passed his appearance with little a word.

"You alright, Tsukuyomi?" Hawks pressed again lightly, and the boy stiffened, swallowing slightly and averting his eyes all the way.

"... y...yes..." He stammered, Dark Shadow looking away from the Winged Hero too. "... I am truly sorry, Hawks-Sensei... for... all of it..." The boy mumbled quietly, but Hawks smirked and shook his head.

"Hehe, don't worry about it kid~" Hawks chuckled lightly, "I ain't even mad~! To be honest I'm actually kinda impressed! You are a total powerhouse, I didn't even realize how strong you were! When you become a full-fledged Pro you're gonna do great, and you'll be super popular~" The blonde told him brightly, Spirit sighed internally at the words and the attitude.

... Of course that's his take away of all of this...

She stifled a hiss when she breathed in a little too deeply and it sent a stab of pain coursing through her.

... Tch... Damn it...

Tsukuyomi didn't garner a reply, he only cast the Winged Hero an uncertain and very unconvinced look, before dropping his eyes again out of shame. Hawks noticed the reaction and his smile softened a bit, but only for a few seconds before his eyes moved over to Spirit. Anima had by now unglued himself from Hawks' side and was hovering over the Ebony Hero, sweating up a storm at the still slightly pale hue of her skin and the persistent uneven breaths... They'd slowed down by now, but she wasn't breathing evenly enough to convince Hawks she was 'fine' by any means. Anima had his doubts too, because both he and Hawks had noticed her reaction at the end there, when Dark Shadow dug its claws into her torso.

At a guess, it hurt a lot more than usual, because she was still only a week out from what had happened with the Hero Killer. Though at that moment she seemed apt not to show it if the old wounds were bothering her now... Or maybe she was fine on that end, and she was just still feeling the after effect of using that 'Chimera' move that had seemed to be wearing her down quite fast.

"... A... Are you sure you're okay, Spirit-Sensei...?" Anima asked, bent over slightly beside the Pro and Spirit blinked. "... Y.. You look a little pale, are you in pain or...?"

"... I'm okay, really." Spirit told him lightly, offering up a soft smile for the boy that was actually quite convincing this time around. "It's just that being in a Chimera form is really hard to maintain, and it wears me out really quickly... I'm tired, but I'll be okay in a little while. Don't look so worried." Anima nodded slowly, though he looked a little hesitant still.

"Speaking of, Sunshine~" Hawks intoned brightly, inserting himself into the conversation with ease and Spirit groaned internally at it. "That was a super cool Special Move ya got there! I'm surprised I've never even heard of it before now~" he commented, before smiling wryly for a minute. "Though I suppose if it is hard on you to use, I can't be that surprised~ It's a shame though, I'd love to see more of it, and I bet your fans would too..!" He paused for a moment, as if a thought suddenly occurred to him. "Oh, I guess I outtta say thanks for stepping in to help, huh? You totally rocked, and you were a lot better at diffusing the situation than I was, so thank you kindly~!" He chirped, and Spirit just nodded stiffly at the unexpected gratitude.

...hmph...

"... Anyhoo, I guess we outta start heading back to the main path then, hmm?" Hawks asked next, redirecting with ease and setting his hands in his jacket pockets. "... And round up that Shadow Villain dude too, I bet the police are looking for him." Hawks murmured with a curious glance over his shoulder, "... I whisked him away somewhere over there at the start, and I doubt he's gotten up and run off while we've been busy. He was totally KO'd."

Spirit bit the inside of her cheeks, her eyes narrowing at Hawks and grumbling internally at his quick (and completely idiotic) jump to the next subject... Did he even see himself?

She sighed once, before gritting her teeth and shifting from sitting on her heels to push herself up onto her feet. She reflexively held her breath again when the pain amplified with the movement, and it took a lot to keep herself from flinching or swaying, or making any noise at all. But she kept quiet, and apart from being a little slow and a little stiff, she got all the way up onto her feet without reacting much at all the pain in her side, or the heavy, rapid throb it was quickly turning into. Anima jumped when she started moving out of nowhere and he watched her carefully as she got up, frowning and all concerned nervousness still, but Spirit hardly noticed. Once she was up on her feet and straightened as much as she could, she grumbled and paused for a moment to settle just a bit.

"... We can head back, but first you're gonna let me look at you." Spirit grumbled lowly, her eyes closed and not sparing anyone a look- but the words were definitely aimed at Hawks, and he blinked, his head tilting.

"... Hmm?" Hawks hummed softly, and Spirit shook her head a bit.

"You're a mess." She grumbled simply, lifting her hands up and pulling back the loose strands of her hair, simultaneously pulling out her ponytail and combing the loose pieces into it. "So like it or not, we aren't going anywhere without patching you up at least a little." She mumbled, still fixing her hair and finishing the new (less messy) ponytail off.

"I'm totally fine Sunshine, you needn't worry about it." Hawks smiled,

"I wasn't asking." She muttered firmly and he wilted a bit. "... Besides, it'd be a good idea for all of us to sit still and relax for a little while... So don't complain and just do what I tell you, alright Feathers?" Spirit grumbled, her hands falling from fixing her hair and stiffening halfway through the motion though she really tried not to. And worse, she could feel Hawks' eyes on her when she did it, even if she did it only for a moment- that damn Bird-Brain noticed and she knew it, and when she cast him a look his smile had already faded.

"... I suppose I can't argue with that." Hawks murmured slowly, holding her stare evenly. "I won't complain, but while we're at it, are you sure you're okay and don't need a little check up yourself?" He asked evenly, and her eyes flashed, her agitation sparking instantly and eyes hard.

"I'm fine." She muttered firmly, and he paused for only a second more, before letting his smile return, and nodding.

"Well alrighty then, I will do as you wish Sunshine~!" He hummed brightly, "I gotta admit, you playing nurse for me doesn't sound so bad~" he added cheekily, and a vein ticked on her forehead.

"Shut up and sit down!" Spirit snapped hotly, Hawks laughed a little but did as he was told and sat down stiffly on a nearby tree trunk lying close to where they were. She huffed and looked toward Anima and Tsukuyomi for a moment, her anger dying off in an instant as she turned to the younger boys. They didn't look at all as bad as Hawks did, though both Tsukuyomi and Anima were still a little scuffed up and cut from being thrown at the start of this whole mess, and then the brawling and destruction that ensued afterwards. The cuts weren't bad, and hadn't earned any blood at all- but they were enough, and she needed to give the two boys something to occupy themselves while she dealt with Bird-Brain for a bit.

Spirit shrugged off the bag she had on as gracefully as could be managed and opened it, quickly pulling out a little first-aid kit she'd brought with her, tape, and a few rolls of bandages too. She handed the first-aid kit off to Anima, "There, you two clean yourselves up. There's band aids and some disinfectant in the kit for you to use." Spirit murmured softly, and Anima nodded in understanding.

"Y-yes Spirit-Sensei..." Anima mumbled, before turning toward Tsukuyomi and settling on the ground beside his classmate. Spirit turned back to Hawks and walked to stand in front of him, shuffling the rolls of bandages in her hand and replacing the rolls that were tied with a red rubber band back in her bag. Hawks watched her do so curiously, before smiling as she stopped in front of him and looked up.

"You came prepared~" He hummed lightly and she frowned,

"Of course I did." She muttered sharply, dropping the bag and the bandage rolls on top of the tree stump beside him, "Take your jacket off." She ordered lowly and he smirked, moving to comply and carefully shrugging it off his shoulders, pulling his wings through the openings on the back.

"You're asking me to strip already? I'm totally down Spirit, but are you sure you wanna do this in front of the Interns?" Hawks quipped as he did so, and Spirit grit her teeth.

"Shut up, you bloody perv...!" She hissed and he only laughed, "Tch, can you seriously not help yourself..?!" She muttered hotly, and he shook his head.

"Nope!"

IDIOT

Hawks dropped his jacket onto the tree on his other side, still smiling in amusement to her agitation even as getting the jacket off revealed a much better look at all the bruises and cuts littering his arms and shoulders. He tilted his head back to look up at her, his golden-brown eyes glittering in the low light and her own eyes narrowed as she scanned the injuries quickly.

None of them were bad, there was just a lot of them. He would have done well with a shower, but for now she would have to just do what she could.

Spirit stepped closer, closing the distance between them and leaning a knee against the tree as she reached for his face, catching him in her hold and Hawks blinked at how gentle her hands were when she did so. She directed him to tilt his head to the side a bit to give her a better look of the gash on his temple, biting the inside of her cheek as she tugged a few bloody pieces of his blonde hair back and grumbling as she did so. This was the one thing she actually had any concern over, and mostly because of the amount of blood the hit had produced- though head wounds did usually bleed a lot even if they weren't serious.

Her lips pulled into a thin line, her eyes narrowing to slits as she looked it over quietly for a few moments, and Hawks stayed absolutely still.

"... Watcha thinking, Sunshine?" Hawks asked lightly after awhile, and Spirit sighed.

"... That you're an idiot." She replied shortly, he smirked.

"Really? What's earned me 'idiot' status this time?"

"There is no 'this time' about it. I've been thinking you're an idiot since I first met you, Bird-Brain." Spirit grumbled,

"That's harsh~!" Hawks chuckled, though as usual he didn't sound at all offended. Spirit shook her head at him, letting his face go at last and leaning against the tree a bit more with her knee. She twirled her finger once, her expression flat, if a little disgruntled.

"Turn and let me see your back." She ordered, and he complied, smiling still.

"... You really don't need to give me a whole once-over ya know." Hawks hummed, leaning forward a bit as Spirit set in on scanning for injuries again. "I am fine, it's not like I've never gotten a little banged up before, and this isn't anything I can't handle~" He smiled, and Spirit growled a little under her breath. "... Though you being all worried over me is nice...! I never knew you cared, Spirit~!" He added lightly, and she grimaced, her jaw clenching and swinging the side of her hand down to thud against the top of his head. He flinched a little under the hit, not because it hurt so much, but rather because it surprised him, and he glanced slowly over his shoulder toward her, blinking.

"Stop talking." Spirit muttered flatly as he caught her eyes. "And you better watch what you say from here on out, or I'll actually hurt you next time." She hissed, and he paused, a little unsure as to the reaction, before smiling slightly.

"Alright Spirit, I'll quit for now~"

She drew her hand back and let her eyes fall onto his back again, biting down on both cheeks as she softly drew her finger along the tears in his shirt, looking at the cuts and scrapes and sighing internally at how badly bruised his back looked under the clothes, and how ruffled and bent out of shape the feathers in his wings looked too.

... He did get slammed into a tree... Twice... And the ground several times

She quit with the looking and focused her attention on her bag again, pulling out an extra bottle of disinfectant and a cloth. It helped to focus on him, instead of on the persistent throbbing running up from her side, and it helped a lot more not to worry about talking to his dumbass and just stay quiet... You know, so she could keep better control on her breathing, or any winces she might accidentally let slip.

Hawks watched her quietly as she worked, a faint, nearly weary smile on his lips all the while. He sat still in quiet compliance to her instructions, never complaining and almost completely enraptured by every little soft touch, every slow movement to wipe away the blood, the light press of disinfect to the cuts and bruises, and delicate winding of bandages around his hands and arms... Everything about her in those few minutes was so gentle, and much more gentle than he could ever find himself associating with the usually fiery-tempered Animal Spirit.

How many times had she threatened to kill him, scratch him, anything? How many times had she snapped at him before now, and been so annoyed and angry at him? Or even how harsh she had been with him just a few days prior, in this same park? When she'd thrown him to the ground and pinned him there in her anger over his sort-of-spying?

Spirit had a rough exterior most of the time, and she was certainly a reserved person and didn't seem to like much in the way of personal contact or anything... But this was really nice. A sort of tenderness in her he hadn't quite seen before, and more surprisingly- it was tenderness aimed at him.... He sort of wondered why she didn't ever show this side often at all...?

Though even thinking that, he had to guess it probably had something to do with all those dark and twisty things she had, buried deep, deep down and festering-

Her work got cut short though, and his watching did too. Spirit glanced up quickly without warning and her eyes found someplace behind him entirely, and before he could even try and look around too, Spirit stepped away from him.

"Anima, can you finish with him?" Spirit asked quickly of the boy, motioning toward Hawks. Anima nodded quickly,

"... Of course..."

"I'll be back in a little." Spirit announced softly, her head tilting in that same direction as before. Hawks looked around finally and blinked when he saw someone step out of the trees near the edge of the clearing, dressed in Hero garb and having been the one to catch Spirit's attention. Hawks recognized the dude almost immediately as that Pro Hero Killjoy from the other night, and he looked quickly from the man to Spirit, the Ebony Hero shaking her head just once and sighing under her breath. "I'll handle it, Feathers. Just stay here." She mumbled lowly, breaking her eyes from his and walking away long before he even thought about trying to say something in return.

Spirit picked her way through the destruction as quickly as she could manage, biting down hard on her tongue to keep herself from hissing at the pain of moving, and moving more stiffly than she liked no matter how hard she tried not to let it show. She wanted to talk with Killjoy and clear things up before the police had a chance to get there and start asking their own questions, and she was a little glad that only Killjoy had managed to find them as of yet. It would be easier to deal with just him for now, and she hoped to maybe avoid much interaction with the police at all, or the media and news people that were sure to follow... She didn't want this to be a big thing, not right now, for several reasons. One of which assuredly being she didn't want more people to pester her and her to possibly let slip the amount of pain she was in right now... But that was the least pressing reason still.

She earned Killjoy's attention the minute she started to head over, and he waited quietly for her to reach him, neutral-faced even as he scanned the area and what a mess it was in... As well as the haggard appearance the Winged Hero seemed to be in, and Animal Spirit too.

"... Is everything alright?" Killjoy asked coolly once she was close enough, his green eyes glittering behind the mask he sported with his Hero Costume. "You seem to have gotten into quite the skirmish here, Animal Spirit... I was called to track down a Villain loose in the area, I would imagine that you were as well- would it be wrong to assume you ran into that Villain?" He asked, and Spirit stopped in front of him, eyes flashing and nodding slowly.

"...We did run into him, he caught us off guard on the main path, and dragged us out here." Spirit murmured, "He had us pinned down for a little, but he's unconscious for now... Over there." Spirit mumbled, gesturing slightly toward the haggard looking and very much knocked out Villain a few yards away from where they were, slumped against a tree. Killjoy followed the gesture of her hand and paused, nodding slightly when he caught sight of the downed man.

"... I see." He murmured, "... I had tracked his movements through the park for awhile, and I saw the lights had been tampered with leading in this direction. I'd been afraid he'd attacked someone else when I found this abandoned on the ground, and a sign of a struggle." The Pro murmured, digging in his pocket for a few seconds before producing a cellphone. Spirit stiffened slightly at the sight of it and Killjoy handed it her way, "I assume this belongs to one of you, and that you dropped it when the Villain first appeared?" He murmured and Spirit nodded, quickly reaching forward to take her cellphone from him... She hadn't even realized she'd dropped it until that very instant.

"... Yeah, thank you for finding it." She mumbled and he nodded once.

"Of course." He hummed placidly, his head tilting a tad. "... Is everyone alright? Are there any serious injuries? From the looks of all of this, the Villain fought rather hard." Killjoy pointed out with a nod of his head to the area. "And you seemed to have earned yourself a few scrapes. Do you need medical assistance called in?" He asked and Spirit stiffened, shaking her head quickly.

"No, nobody has any serious injuries, so that's not necessary... But thank you for the offer..." She explained, pausing for a second and biting the inside of her cheek, her eyes dropping away from the man and grumbling a bit under her breath. Killjoy blinked slowly at the hesitation, but said nothing and just stood still, patient.

... I really don't like having to ask this... but I don't have a choice-

"... Look, this is going to be sort of an odd request, but I would really appreciate it if maybe you just took the guy back to the police yourself." Spirit said at length, and Killjoy's eyes widened ever so slightly at the request, though nothing else about his expression changed. "You can take the credit for bringing him in, and I'll of course handle all the damage claims and insurance myself... But I'd rather not have to sit through all the reports and stuff with the Police right now, so if you could take him and handle it for me, I would owe you one." Spirit murmured softly, her red eyes moving back to Killjoy, "... The thing is, most of the damage wasn't from fighting with the Villain. Hawks' Intern is the one who subdued him, and because of the rush and being caught off guard and everything, he lost his hold on his Quirk for a little, and it took a lot to get it back under control again." Spirit explained softly, "... He was scared, and he didn't intend to lose control... He feels terrible, and I don't want to force him through having to tell to the Police about it... Plus since he's only an Intern, he could get in a little trouble about being the one that took the Villain down, since he doesn't have an Official License yet... So it'd be better if maybe you just tell them that Hawks and I took the guy down, but we had to leave and you offered to stay behind until they get here." Spirit mumbled, shaking her head slightly.

"... I know I'd be asking you to stretch the truth a little, and normally I wouldn't just drop this on you either... I'm not asking this lightly, but I do think it'd be better if you handled this tonight." Spirit finished quietly, dipping her head a little and bowing slightly too, though she couldn't bend very far before the throbbing in her side got worse and she had to halt. But even still she stayed sort of bowed, her hands on her knees and eyes closed, grimacing slightly to herself and hating that she was even considering asking Killjoy- a Pro she hardly even knew- to do something like this... To ask him for a favor.

It was completely out of left field, she would normally never be caught dead asking anyone for a favor of any kind- least of all another Hero- but she was willing to do it, nonetheless. If there was a chance she could leave the Shadow Villain with Killjoy and avoid forcing Tsukuyomi and everyone else through a round of questions with the police and the media, the out of the norm behavior on her part was more than worth it... Even if she did end up owing Killjoy after this.

She stayed bowed and quiet, Killjoy in front of her not saying anything nor moving even an inch for a few long moments. Spirit bit the inside of both cheeks, grumbling internally at the bout of awkward silence, though she didn't dare lift her head again until he said something.

And Killjoy just blinked a few times at the bowed Ebony Hero in front of him, quiet and neutral as before as he simply gazed at her. Of course the whole request caught him off guard, he couldn't imagine Animal Spirit often asked anything of anyone, let alone other Pro Heroes- so being asked now was certainly something to pause at. But more than the request itself, the reason for why she asked it is what caught his interest, and he hummed quietly under his breath, his neutral expression breaking just slightly in a look of surprise and even amusement... but it was gone quickly enough, and he nodded once, calm and cool as can be.

"I would be happy to handle this for you." He replied softly, and Spirit looked up again, her red eyes flashing. "I think it's probably for the best as well, there's no need to suffer the young boy through any more for tonight... So I will do as you ask, and take over with the police from here." Killjoy hummed, and Spirit let out a soft breath and nodded, straightening up again.

"Thank you." She murmured and he shook his head,

"You needn't thank me." He replied easily, "Now, forgive the change in subject so abruptly, but I assume you are aware of the trouble in Hosu at the moment? Do you intend to head there from here?" He asked, and Spirit hesitated for a moment, her eyes flashing.

"... I got the Dispatch Alert asking for us to come in, and we were headed there before all of this..." Spirit started slowly, her eyes flicking away from Killjoy and toward Hawks and the Interns. "... I'll have to talk about it with Hawks, but I don't know for right now... I'm sure they could use some extra hands, but by the time we get settled back down again it might not be worth it to go... Especially with the Interns, it's late already and..." Spirit mumbled, and Killjoy nodded once.

"... This seemed to have been excitement enough for one night." Killjoy finished lightly and Spirit grimaced a bit, nodding once. "Well, I won't keep you any longer Animal Spirit, but whatever you do decide, take care, hmm?"

"... Yeah, we'll do our best." Spirit replied quietly, "... And thank you again for doing this, I really will owe you one." She told him, and for the first time she had seen, his neutral expression seemed to crack a bit in tired amusement.

"You don't owe me anything, I am happy to help." He murmured, "But if you insist, perhaps we could call it even if you were willing to share a beer with me some night in the future?" He said lightly, and Spirit paused, chewing on the inside of her cheek at the suggestion and sighing slightly under her breath.

"... I'll buy you one if that's what you'd like, but I don't drink..." She murmured softly and he blinked, his lips twitching slightly at the corners.

"Ah, that's a surprise to hear- but I'll respect your choice nonetheless, and thank you for the drink in advance." Killjoy replied all too easily, his voice as expressionless and flat as his face had mostly been, and Spirit nodded once in reply.

She was intent to leave it at that and turn and start heading away, assuming the conversation over but Killjoy was still talking and she paused again.

"Hmm... Though I do wonder if there is some irony in that- you being a bartender that doesn't drink." Killjoy went on lightly, and Spirit froze, her muscles locking and heart skipping a beat.

What?

Her eyes snapped sideways and locked with his green gaze, the Pro completely calm under the immediately suspicious look he earned from the Ebony Hero. Spirit grit her teeth, her stomach knotting and tense, the same familiar paranoid thoughts making a reappearance as her mind quickly tried to make sense of the assertion... The very accurate assertion, and one he should not have-

She paused again, her mind stalling for half a second and eyes flashing. She looked quickly over every inch of him, the ridge of his shoulders, the lines scored into the flesh of his arms, the green hue of his eyes and his hair... The expressionless and near bored demeanor, the bordering monotone of his voice...

... Wait a... Minute...

She took in a quick breath of air, her mind a few steps behind what instinct was quickly leading her to- and then caught up right away when his scent flooded her nose.

Earthy and bitter, mixed with something light and sweet like vanilla. It was the very distinct and peculiar scent of flowers of some kind- and the one she recognized instantly, though recognizing it did not make her any less uneasy... In fact it made her quite annoyed, both at him, at the situation, and mostly at her own stupidity and obliviousness.

You have got to be fucking kidding me..!

"... You." Spirit muttered through slightly gritted teeth, her closed hand coming up to press against her chin and tense as can be. "... That was you... At the bar... With the chatting... And the... Flirting..." She grumbled even more lowly, and Killjoy smiled just faintly.

Well actually no, not Killjoy.

YOICHI MAMORU

Seriously, are you fucking kidding me?!

"Quite, though please do forgive me for not making it clear who I was before now Animal Spirit, it wasn't my intention to deceive you in any way." Killjoy (Mamoru!) hummed coolly, "I recognized you the moment we met at the bar, but I assumed you wouldn't have liked me to bring up your double-life while at your second occupation, so I kept it to myself. And I only mention it now, since it seemed fairly clear you weren't likely to make the connection yourself so quickly."

No kidding, damn it!

I have literally worked with this guy on Hero stuff before now, but I didn't have a fucking clue- agh, shit, shit, shit!

I am so goddamn stupid! How can I be this clueless?!

This is literally two people in two days that now know all about both Animal Spirit and Kage!

That's too many goddamn people!

I didn't want anybody to know about it!

She wanted to pull her hair out, but she didn't let herself move. Instead she focused on trying to fight to keep her expression from twisting out of all the agitation she was feeling right then.

How in the hell could he- another Pro Hero she had only met and talked to a handful of times- have ended up at the exact same Club she worked at, at the very same time she was there, out of the hundreds of other clubs and bars in the Red Light District?!

What the fuck kind of terrible luck was that?!

Why does my life have to be so complicated?! Can I not catch a break?!

She must have sucked in a deeper breath than she meant to or even knew she had, because there came a terrible stab of pain rushing up from her side and she almost yelped at it... But she caught herself and bit down hard enough on her tongue to taste blood.

... Apparently no, I cannot catch a break.

We got jumped by a Villain, I froze, I got thrown around, Dark Shadow went crazy, it dug it's claws into this stupid stab wound from the Hero Killer, and on top of all the shit with Sasaki and the drunk guys (and getting beat to hell last night too)- here I am, right in front of the guy who has been flirting with me, who knows about the whole Kage thing, and who is also a Pro Hero... And I hadn't even the slightest clue about Mamoru-Killjoy, at all!

And she didn't want to be there, she had intended to make this quick and go back to Hawks and the Interns and hopefully maybe not have to go deal with whatever shit was going on in Hosu. She wanted to pack it in, get a few minutes alone, and maybe just not be in pain from possibly having her stitches rip.

But she was here, and in this ridiculously annoying situation and she just- you know what? I don't want to think about this right now. I am not dealing with this right now.

"... Okay, look, not to be rude or anything, but I really don't have time to be here and to... Talk about all of... that, right now." Spirit said shortly, Killjoy-Mamoru smiling pleasantly still. "... And we will talk about it, we sort of have to talk about it... I just can't tonight, and in the meantime I would greatly appreciate it if you didn't... You know, tell anybody else about... It." She grumbled, annoyance sparking further in her core at the very jolting and sort of rushed words, and more so when Killjoy-Mamoru looked amused with her sort of stuttering.

"Of course, I understand. I will not tell a soul, and you needn't ask for my silence. I appreciate the need for secrecy in our line of work after all, so it was never my intention to spread rumor." He replied lightly, "And I wouldn't wish to keep you from the rest of your compatriots, I realize you have more pressing things to see to at the moment, so I will not hold you any longer." He hummed, his hands falling into his suit pockets and dipping his head to her once. "I will look forward to our next meeting, and to whatever or however much you wish to discuss... Feel free to get in touch with me whenever is convenient, you have my phone number already, yes?" He smirked faintly, a glint in his eye for half a second, and Spirit's jaw snapped shut, heat flooding her face.

He left it on the napkin- ahh...

"... Yes..." She mumbled stiffly, and his eyes shone slightly at the confirmation, nodding one last time.

"Perfect, then I will keep you no longer." He hummed, already turning and heading to collect the downed Villain. He raised a hand and waved over his shoulder toward her, green eyes glittering as he cast her one last look from the side.

"I wish you a pleasant evening, please do take care, Animal Spirit."

She was left to stand there in silence for a few minutes after he walked off, rigid and chewing on both cheeks pensively (and in quite a bit of agitation), her mind a whirl and silently cursing how crazy and shitty her life was... But she didn't linger too long, she forced herself to turn and to cast any thought of Killjoy-Mamoru away.

I can't deal with him or anything having to do with him right now... I can't.

She turned, keeping herself from looking back over her shoulder as she started to head back to Hawks and the Interns, her eyes trained to the ground.

It's just too much at once

The Interns and Hawks perked up right away as they spotted her get closer, and she could feel their eyes following her intently the whole walk up. She forced a breath and broke her eyes from being locked to the ground, and came to a slow halt before them all.

One thing at a time Spirit, one thing at a time...

"Everything good there, Sunshine?" Hawks asked right off, his head titled, holding her in his golden gaze steadily, and lacking any amount of mirth or his usual at ease. Spirit nodded once, letting out a silent breath.

"Yeah." She replied quietly, "Killjoy's gonna meet the police for us, and handle everything." She explained and Hawks looked surprised at the information, and like he was immediately gonna ask more, but Spirit never gave him the chance. "Let's call it for tonight, and just head back to your Building, alright? It's already pretty late." She murmured, and Hawks paused, his eyes searching for a few fleeting moments, before he offered up a weary smile and nodded.

"Sounds good to me~"

.:+:.

"... Here ya are~! You two make yourselves comfortable, get changed, settle in~!" Hawks announced brightly, the Winged Hero waving Tsukuyomi and Anima into the room ahead of him, with Spirit lagging back a little. The room was filled with tatami mats, and an array of pillows, futons and blankets stacked up on the wall, and a mini-fridge on the opposite wall from that. It was a large room, with plenty of space and able to be divided down the middle by sliding paper doors- and it even had it's own little balcony overlooking Heiku outside.

Following a long (and slightly tense) car ride out of Bakanai Park and back to Hawks' Agency, the Winged Hero had lead them all inside without missing a beat and started to setting the Interns up for the night. None of them had really said all that much to one another on the way back, and even what little conversation Hawks' had tried to keep going fizzled out quite quickly- and mostly because neither Spirit nor Tsukuyomi seemed to be in the mood to chat, and Anima wasn't much on talking to start with.

Hawks tried to chock up the silence to everybody just being worn out from the night, and while that was true, the silence was more owed to Tsukuyomi doing his best to avoid eye contact with anyone at all. The poor kid clearly still felt terrible about losing control over Dark Shadow, and the guilt and hurt in his face when he saw how banged up Hawks looked never went away. Instead he seemed to be trying to do everything in his power to keep his eyes on the floor at all times, and only sparingly looked up the whole ride here, as well as moving into the Building.

And Spirit added to the silence too, though only because she was doing her utmost not to let anyone else see how much pain she was in, and how much the wound from the Hero Killer was actually bothering her. Walking was painful enough, but getting in and out of the car had been awful, and the ride itself was no better. It felt good to be off her feet sure, but every turn, every stop, every bump in the road, and the unconscious need to keep her back from pressing against the seat, or accidentally bumping into someone else- that was torture. And now on her feet again and following Hawks around, the pain was getting quickly worse, the throbbing increasing and burying deeper into her bones. It was coupled with the strain and exhaustion brought on by using her Chimera Form, and the pairing of the two was making it extremely difficult to even pay attention to where they were going, or anything Hawks was saying. All she had on her mind at that moment was to not wince, not flinch, not let any of it show... And please, let her have a chance to walk away and find a quiet corner to hide in and just not deal with anyone for the rest of the night.

"There's showers and bathrooms a little down the hall and I stocked the fridge up with snacks and stuff if you get hungry. Tsukuyomi's been staying here for the week, so he can show you were things are, but don't hesitate to come find Spirit or I if you two need somethin'...!" Hawks went on, cheery as he could be despite the tired glances he earned from the Interns and the lack of any verbal response... Seriously, there wasn't any energy or pep left to be found, and it was kind of making it hard to keep being, you know- Hawks.

"... Uhm, ah... Thank you, Mr. Hawks..." Anima said quickly to try and give the Winged Hero some sort of reply, and the Pro smiled, giving the large boy a thumbs up.

"Yep~!" Hawks chirped, "Ooh, and don't worry about gettin' up early or anything, I figure we'll just take it easy for your last day tomorrow! So go ahead and sleep in as long as you two like, you earned it after all the work ya did today~!" Tsukuyomi nodded stiffly as his only reply, his eyes still averted from the Winged Hero and Anima nodded too.

"... R... Right..." Anima mumbled, tapping his fingers together as he cast an uncertain look between Tsukuyomi and Hawks, before sighing silently. "... Uhm then I guess... Good night..." He murmured with a nervous smile to both Hawks and Animal Spirit. "... I hope you both sleep well...!" He murmured, and Hawks smirked, Spirit's eyes moving quickly off the floor and nodding slightly with a weary smile once she realized she was being addressed.

"... You too." She murmured softly, stepping back and Hawks quick to follow her lead as he waved a hand at the Interns and then closed the door. Spirit didn't wait for Hawks to finish closing the door though, she was already moving down the hallway with nothing on her mind other than to get as far away from where the Interns were as possible... And she didn't really have any gauge of where she was going, but she didn't really care either.

Just keep walking

"...hmm? Spirit...?" Hawks mumbled uncertainly, blinking several times over after turning to see the Ebony Hero already headed down the hallway and leaving him behind. She didn't seem to hear him when he said her name, and he started forward quickly, a little unsure of what she was doing...?

Keep walking

"... Spirit...? Do you know where you're going...?" Hawks tried again, and still she kept walking with not even the slightest hint she heard him at all. Hawks bit the inside of his cheek, his eyes narrowing to slits and debating on whether or not he should speed up and stop her...? She was actually heading in the direction he'd intended them to go once the Interns got set up in their room, but he was pretty sure she wasn't aware of that or even knew where she was headed- so again, was he supposed to try and catch her, get her to pause? Last time he'd done that she'd thrown him to the ground, and he wasn't really looking for a repeat at that moment- he was sore enough from tussling with Dark Shadow... But this was weird, and he felt his stomach knotting slightly as he followed Spirit's stiff march down the hall and around the bend, out of sight of the door they'd left behind and quickly headed toward the end of the corridor. "... Spirit... Maybe you can wait up a second...?" He mumbled uncertainly, and he did speed up, though only slightly. Still Spirit didn't seem to hear him, and he grimaced faintly to himself.

And she didn't hear him at all actually, he was right. She'd blocked it all out the minute she started walking, because as soon as she started walking the throbbing in her side had heightened a hundred times over, and quickly changed from throbbing to actual pain. Sharp and biting deeper and deeper with every step, and every breath, and every second trying to just push through it. Rationally she should have just stopped and given herself a minute to settle out again, and she probably could have at least slowed down in her walking, but neither of those thoughts occurred to her. She wasn't really aware of her own feet, or where she was headed, and she certainly wasn't aware of Hawks behind her or anything he said. Through the sudden surge in pain, the only thing still persistent on her mind was that one thing.

Keep walk-

She came to a dead halt, her foot raised off the floor and not even managing to touch back down again before she had to stop, her breath snatched away completely and mind wiped clean by one sudden, overwhelming and agonizing stab of pain swept through every inch of her. It was quick, and jarring, and a hundred times worse than everything she had been feeling thus far. She felt it rattle her to her very bones and she forgot how to breath, or walk, or think, or do literally anything.

Her right hand met the wall in an instant, the follow through of that incomplete step nearly making her topple over. Her whole body went rigid, her knees bending as she dropped to crouch on the balls of her feet, fingernails digging into the wall and doubling over so far her forehead pressed against her knees, her left arm curled across her stomach. She held her breath, a low groan in the back of her throat and lungs begging for air she wasn't able to take in under the agony. She felt sticky warmth slowly seeping through her suit and against the hand she had gripping her torso, and she grit her teeth hard at it.

...S...shit...

Hawks nearly jumped out of his skin when she sank toward the ground and stopped with absolutely no warning, his wings fluffed up behind him and eyes wide as his heart skipped a beat. He faltered for only half a second once she bent over, before darting forward and quickly circling to stand in front of her, his hands reaching out uncertainly and hovering, flustered and unsure and maybe a little panicky too.

"S-Spirit...?!" He stammered, dropping down into a crouch in front of her and hands still hovering. She was trembling, faintly so and her body was as rigid as could be, and she wasn't breathing, either. She just sat there bent over, silent and unmoving while his nerves quickly began to run away with him, and his thoughts stalled. "H-hey, are you okay...?! What's the matter...?!" He asked quickly still, before he trailed off slightly when he realized she was holding onto her side. His face fell, his golden-eyes glittering when he remembered instantly what had happened back when she was wrestling with Dark Shadow in the park, and he felt his heart drop.

He knew it, he'd seen the way she reacted earlier, when the Dark Shadow grabbed her at the end, he knew it- ahhhh, craaaaap...!

"... Oh man, Dark Shadow got you really good earlier, didn't it...?" Hawks mumbled, grimacing at thought, and almost wincing too. "It dug in right where the Hero Killer got you... Are you alright...?" He murmured quietly, his hands moving forward to reach out for her but he drew short when she finally sucked in a breath of air, and then growled, low and animalistic.

"... Do not... Touch me..." Spirit hissed, her voice so full of pain and yet so full of venom too he flinched a little, eyes wide and hands stalling. Spirit hissed again, sucking in another few shallow and uneven breaths, and doing her best to let them out slowly... Though she failed miserably in that endeavor and ended up panting, her shoulders shaking and her whole body too, her hand pressing harder against the wall as she leaned into it a bit more. Hawks frowned, eyes glittering and hands still stalled in air, but he kept them to himself and just waited a few moments, his stomach knotting at how harsh her breathing was, and how often she winced. He let her have a few moments, watchful and intent in case she started to waver, but she never did. She just stayed sitting like she was, her raggedy breathing easing after awhile and some of the rigidness in her posture melting away too, though she didn't lift her forehead off her knees.

"... Are you okay?" Hawks asked again at length, and she growled at the stupidity of it, and how annoying it was, and how not okay she felt.

"... Tch... Just shut up..." Spirit grumbled back hotly and Hawks wilted slightly, his expression pulling in faint hints of exasperation at the very grumpy response... Not that grumpy was out of the norm for her.

"... You know, if your injuries were bothering you, you could have told me." He murmured, his head tilting at her and hands dropping to rest on his knees. "... Especially if you were hurting this bad... Why didn't you say anything earlier, or even on the ride here...?" He asked softly, and Spirit let out another annoyed growl, shaking her head and mussing her bangs up when she rubbed them against her knees.

"Tch... Because you bloody idiot... There were more important things to worry over, than me being sore..." She muttered lowly and he blinked. "...tch... Besides... He already felt bad enough for mucking up your stupid face... I wasn't about to make him feel worse thinking he hurt me too..." She grumbled quietly, her voice dropping a few decibels and Hawks paused, his eyes widening at the words.

... She was talking about... Tsukuyomi...?

Spirit stiffened, holding her breath for a few seconds more before letting it out, shaky and slow again, her shoulders hunching and still bent over. "... Especially when he didn't mean to do it... It wasn't entirely his fault either... It was already agitated... From last night... Tch... It wasn't his fault... He didn't need to think he... Hurt me too..." She muttered quietly, breaking off several times to wince sure- but what she said?

She was genuinely serious, and firm too, even despite the pain she was feeling... And it wasn't her just being stubborn, or trying to make up some excuse. She'd not kept how she was feeling to herself just out of spite or anything, and she didn't do it to be difficult... She kept quiet as a conscious choice, and one she made with his Intern in mind. She didn't want Tsukuyomi to feel any more guilty about losing control than the poor kid already did... And if Tsukuyomi had realized Spirit had gotten hurt during the whole thing, the young boy would definitely have been hit hard by it. Maybe even hit so hard he wouldn't have been able to get over it at all.

Hawks eyes softened, gleaming as he let out a soft breath and smiled faintly at the woman still bent over and trembling in front of him, and he felt his heart twist and warm all at once.

"You know... You come off as really distant and reserved, and you don't seem to really wanna make it look like you care... But you care a lot, huh?" He smiled, humming a bit under his breath while Spirit paused, stiffening and her eyes opening to lock to her knees in front of her nose, quiet. "... I think you might actually be a little too nice for your own good, Spirit." Hawks murmured softly, his eyes flashing as he leaned his cheek into his hand, and Spirit shifted, tilting her head up off her knees and casting a slightly disgruntled glare.

Too nice for her own good...?

She bit the inside of her cheek, her red eyes narrowing to slits as he kept smiling at her, and she huffed, looking away again. "... Shut up..." She grumbled, and he smiled a bit more, his shoulders sinking.

"... You are super stubborn too, huh...?" Hawks sighed, chuckling lightly and pulling his cheek out of his hand, extending it toward her. Spirit blinked at the gesture, her eyes narrowing and wary. "Come on, lemme help you up and we can head in the room... and maybe once we're there you'll let me take a look?" He hummed lightly, nodding his head toward where she was still holding to her side, "... You're clearly more than just 'sore' Spirit, and it's the least I can do after you took such good care of me back at that park~" He added lightly.

Spirit grimaced though, her lips curling slightly and glaring daggers at the offered hand, and with absolutely no intention to take it. She didn't want it, and she especially didn't want him to 'take a look' or anything of the sort. She didn't want him to do a damn thing-

"... Please...?" Hawks pressed softly, and she frowned more, grumbling and teeth gritting as she dropped her forehead back onto her knees for a few seconds, shaking her head a few times and muttering a string of incoherent curses under her breath.

Damn it... Damn it, damn it, damn it...

... I don't want his help... But...

... I don't think I can get up right now, not by myself...

... And I have no idea where I'm going...

... Oi...

She shook her head one last time, before she shifted, her right hand leaving the wall and falling into his own hand tentatively, her head lifting off her knees but pointedly not looking at him at all.

"... Just help me up Bird-Boy..." Spirit muttered quietly, and he smiled a bit, holding tighter to her hand and straightening up.

Hawks pulled her up gently, biting down on his tongue when she groaned at the movement and her knees shook immediately. He moved himself to stand on her right, threading her arm over his shoulder and his left hand over her back, wary not to bump into her side or the wound, but holding on to her tightly enough she was steady. Spirit leaned into him near immediately after settling with her arm draped over his shoulders, her face scrunched in pain and hissing after first getting pulled all the way up, before her breathing elevated, shallow and uncomfortable. Hawks grimaced, stretching his wing gently behind her and doing his best to make sure he didn't jostle her too much as they started walking forward, slow and cautious. Spirit's fingernails dug into the top of his shoulder as they started forward, and her other hand remained clutching to her side the whole way. The walk to the room wasn't all that long, given how far Spirit had managed to make it down the corridor before coming to such an abrupt halt. But even that little bit they went was enough to make her want to stop again, though she pushed through it anyway as Hawks lead them both into the room, opening and shutting the door behind him with a free-floating feather.

This room was larger than the ones the Interns were in, and was split in two like the other had been, one part where they walked in and the other off to the right. The first half had a balcony attached to it that was larger than the previous room, and had a pair of couches bordering a coffee table, a fridge pressed against the wall and a small counter and sink, with it's own table and chairs. On the wall was a tv and pressed against the edges a few bookcases. The divided portion of the room to the right was covered in tatami mats, futons and sheets and things were stacked neatly off to the side, and her bag as well as a few others were placed in the entryway of the divider. It was clean and neat for the most part, while there was evidence here and there that Hawks had been in and out of it the last few days... Though honestly Spirit was paying very little attention to the decorum.

"... Okay, here we go..." Hawks mumbled softly, leading the both of them toward the couches and the coffee table (forgoing the table with the chairs in the far corner) and slowly helping ease Spirit into sitting on top of the coffee table. She hissed, gritting her teeth and cringing as soon as she sat down all the way, pulling her arm back from him quickly and stifling the yelp she nearly let slip. Hawks paused slightly beside her, golden eyes glimmering and chewing the inside of his cheek at the clear show of pain, but hesitating to move for a few moments, pensive.

Spirit took in a deep breath, a low whine in the back of her throat when doing so was just as painful was moving. She held the breath for a few seconds before letting it out slow, and peeling her hand carefully away from pressing it against her side, her skin sticking to the suit from the crimson red that had begun to come through. Spirit bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes flashing at the sight of the muddy red staining her palm and aware of Hawks stiffening beside her, his eyes wide and face falling when he saw it too.

"Y-you're bleeding..?" He mumbled quickly, Spirit closed her hand, her eyes narrowed and on the floor as she let out a low sigh.

"... I think one of the stitches ripped..." She mumbled quietly, and Hawks cringed a little at the words- because ouch. No wonder she stopped so suddenly out in the hall, ripped stitches hurt, like a lot..!

Spirit huffed, her eyes falling closed and shaking her head once in agitation. "... Damn it..." She hissed lowly, and Hawks swallowed,

"... Alright, let's get this off." He told her quickly, rounding the table slightly and bending down, his hands already reaching forward to undo the straps on the bag on her back, and frowning more when he pulled it away and he more blood already poking through the bandages there too. He winced a little himself, setting the bag down and shaking his head once or twice. "... I think you might have ripped more than one, Spirit..." Hawks mumbled quietly, and she only grumbled in reply.

... Of fucking course...

Hawks straightened up again, a few more feathers detaching from his wings and darting about the room, and out into the hallway. The feathers started gathering up things from the cabinets in the kitchen and other things from down the hall, towels and disinfectant and other medical supplies, while Hawks shrugged his tattered jacket off and dropped it on the couch. Spirit finally looked up again and opened her eyes when the feathers started setting the supplies on the table beside her, her head tilting and mind sluggish to come to terms with what he was doing...?

Hawks stepped back around the side of the table and caught her eye, smiling. "What's the face for~?" He asked brightly, but he didn't pause for an answer, he went ahead and took a seat on the couch in front of her, so close their knees pressed together. Spirit stiffened faintly, watching as he extended his hands and motioned for her to scoot forward, smiling all the while. "Come on, we gotta replace the bandages at least since you've bled through them already, and see how bad the damage is, yeah..?" Hawks murmured softly, his smile fading a touch and Spirit halted, her red eyes flashing and lips pulling into a tight line.

"... no." She muttered quickly, and Hawks faltered a little, looking quite surprised with the answer.

"... no?" He mumbled and Spirit grimaced, leaning back away from him a fraction of an inch and hugging her arms to her body almost defensively.

"No." She grumbled again, "I didn't say I was gonna let you prod at me Bird-Boy, and I'm not. So no." She hissed and Hawks' hands fell, his elbows falling on to his knees and looking a touch exasperated now, and his smile got a little strained too.

"... I'm not gonna prod at you Spirit, I'll be really careful. " He murmured, but she shook her head again.

"I said no, Feathers." Spirit muttered.

"... I won't bite." Hawks told her, "... plus you can't really get a good look at the part that's on your back, right?" He pointed out calmly, she frowned at the words. "And you're in a good enough amount of pain that you trying to twist and bend every which way to do it yourself isn't gonna be fun either, or do you any good. You might pop a few more stitches if you try." He added, and she growled, her agitation burning brighter at how reasonable he was, and persistent too.

"No." She muttered again, her agitation making her stubbornness stronger than her sense of reason he was trying to appeal to. Hawks paused, quiet for a few seconds, before he tilted his head at her, quirking a feathery brow.

"... Why?" He asked simply, and she stiffened at the question. "Why are you so opposed to me helping you, Spirit? I really don't want to hurt you, I just want to help... And you need it, you gotta know that." He murmured, "I let you help me back at the park without complaining about it, ya know. 'Cause I knew I you were just trying to help me, and that's all I'm trying to do now for you... Do you not trust me?" He asked, and she stiffened, her eyes flashing.

Trust you?

I don't trust anybody

But that's not even the point, that's... this... tch.

... this has nothing to do with trust, you idiot.

She bit down on her tongue and huffed, looking away from him haughtily, her holding on to her arms and muttering a string of curses under her breath that the Winged Hero couldn't quite catch.

"... Spirit...?" Hawks pressed after a moment, and she huffed again, still not looking back at him and agitation getting clearer on her face.

"... It isn't... Look, I get I can't do it by myself right now..." Spirit muttered lowly, "... I know you're making sense and being reasonable... I just..." She shook her head a little, her eyes narrowing at the floor and her voice dropping too. "... I'm just..." Spirit murmured quietly, Hawks blinked, his eyes widening slightly as the Ebony Hero's expression seemed to twist... But then she closed her eyes and something else flooded her expression, something like... Embarrassment...?

"... Damn it... If I let you try and help me... Tch... You do see what I'm wearing, don't you...?" Spirit mumbled, her face flushing slightly and looking quite disgruntled and flustered all at once.

"... I'd have to pull my suit down for you to even be able to get anything done... And I'm not wearing anything underneath it..."

...

...

...

Silence fell over the room for what seemed like forever, Hawks staring blank-faced at her and Spirit's agitation flaring higher and higher with every heartbeat that went passed and nothing was said. Her teeth grit, a vein ticking on her forehead and shaking as her anger rose, simmering and face still flushed and absolutely hating it- and hating it more when he did finally react.

"... Heh... Is that really what all the fuss was about...?" Hawks said at length, a smile slowly breaking across his face, breathless and amused. "I mean I figured you were a little shy, but you're really so modest...! It's actually kinda cute, hehe~!" He chuckled, and Spirit's jaw clenched so hard her teeth threatened to crack, her face flushing a deeper red and rounding on him.

"Shut up!" She snapped, "And don't laugh at me! You making fun of me ain't gonna make me any more inclined to letting your dumbass do anything!" She hissed furiously and Hawks smiled more, his hands raising in what was meant to be a calming gesture, but it did little good.

"I'm not making fun of you!" He chuckled quickly, "Really! I'm just surprised that that was the reason you were being so stubborn about it! And you know you really don't need to be so embarrassed, I wasn't gonna do anything unseemly with you when you're all hurt and vulnerable ya know...!" He smirked, his eyes gleaming as he shot her a small, very pointed look, "... Well, not unless you want me to do something unseemly with you anyway~" Hawks added slyly, and Spirit grit her teeth further, anger and embarrassment surging in a whole new wave, and she hissed, her hands clenching into fists and actively fighting the urge to slap him.

"Hawks!" She snapped coldly and he chuckled a few more times, before nodding and calming himself down.

"... Sorry, sorry...! I couldn't help it...!" He hummed lightly, before clearing his throat and waving a hand at her. "... Heh... Joking aside Spirit, I really won't do anything you don't want. I'm not gonna force you into anything, and I wouldn't dare try. I'll be gentle, and polite, and totally on my best behavior...! All I'm gonna be focused on is helping you out, and making sure you're okay." He told her, and Spirit swallowed at how quickly his voice went from amused to serious just then. Hawks hummed a bit and held a hand out to the side, Spirit's eyes narrowing at the gesture and completely unsure of what it meant...?

A flash of red at the corner of her eye made her stiffen, a feather darting toward them and with a towel hooked on it's end. The feather dropped the towel in Hawks' outstretched hand, and the Winged Hero smiled warmly at her. Hawks leaned forward again, draping the towel over Spirit's shoulders with ease, his golden eyes gleaming and their faces only inches apart as he did so. Spirit went rigid, her mind stalling as his hands failed to let go of either end of the towel and she found herself suddenly stuck in place by it, Hawks' smile getting softer as he held her there with the towels assistance for a few seconds.

"There." Hawks hummed softly, his breath washing up against her face and making a shiver run down her spine. "Just so you know Spirit, I was never planning to make you sit here without giving you something to cover up with. I am gentleman, all my teasing and joking notwithstanding." He explained lightly and she swallowed, her face still feeling flushed and very much hoping she wasn't noticeably blushing anymore. He hummed once more and leaned back, but not before pulling the ends of the towel a bit more over her shoulders and chest, and then letting go. Spirit's hands moved up to tug at the towel instantly, biting down on both cheeks and eyes falling into her lap, with Hawks still sitting patiently in front of her and turning his head to the side, lifting a hand to block his view from the corner of his eye... Not that he could have seen anything, since he kept them shut.

Spirit still shot him a wary glare nonetheless, before slowly lifting her arms up and reaching for the buckle on the back part of the collar that kept her suit up (the only thing that kept it up, given her suit had no back to it). She unfastened it, grumbling under her breath and tugging it down slowly, and fumbling a little with one hand to keep the ends of the towel stuck together, and with the other hand to pull the suit the rest of the way down passed her chest and stomach. She let it drop into her lap and hugged the towel close with both arms, wincing slightly as she shifted in her seat and turned left as much as she could. She came to a halt again, her right side facing Hawks more directly now and hopefully making it easier for him to do what he needed without having to get up and down constantly.

"... Get on with it, Feathers..." Spirit mumbled quietly, her eyes settling on the table and refusing to move them from there anytime soon. Hawks dropped his hand at the sound of her voice, glancing her way again and smiling faintly when she refused to look at him, and how tightly she was holding the towel against her chest (as well as the faint dusting of red still on her cheeks).

He shook his head and quickly settled his focus on what he was doing, his golden eyes immediately moving down her bare skin toward the bandages wrapped around her stomach, sticky red bleeding through quite a bit by now and he wilted at the sight of it. He started in, a small red feather plucking itself from his wings and helping him unwind the bandages from around Spirit's thin figure, slowing as they got down to the last lengths and he felt Spirit getting rigid under his hands, the ripped and inflamed flesh sticking to the bandages and pulling quite uncomfortably near the end. He heard Spirit's breath catch, holding it as he picked the last of the dirty bandages away and the full extent of the wound became clear to see, and his stomach knotted.

It was raw, and swollen, the stitches tight and tugging at the red and blue flesh, desperately trying to hold together and failing in not one, but... Three different places. The stitches had pulled through the tender flesh and ripped harshly as they went, earning the well of blood he'd seen and was probably painful as hell. And they were still bleeding, slow and sending small tracks dribbling down her pale skin, her body shuddering under every touch he made even gentle as they were. And worse still there was angry, deep black and blue bruising all up her side and not just centered on the wound... Hawks found himself thoroughly impressed she'd managed to stay standing, and as quiet for as long as she had before all of this.. and his heart ached at the same time at the face that she'd felt she had to stay silent at all.

"... Oh man..." He mumbled quietly under his breath, his brow furrowing, and swallowing back at the lump that was quickly forming in his throat the more he looked at the damage. The bruises looked new, and much too fresh to have simply been from tonight's scuffle... what had she said earlier? And about all the bruises and scrapes on her hands, and the busted lip?

"... You said this had been agitated even before tonight?" Hawks asked softly, his eyes moving from the wound and trying to catch a look at Spirit's face, but she had her head turned all the way away from him now, shoulders hunched against the pain. "... That guy you said scuffled with last night, the one with the Hardening Quirk that tore up your hands...? He hit you pretty hard here too, huh...?" He asked, his fingers brushing lightly over the bruises surrounding the wound. Spirit didn't respond and she really didn't have to, he knew the answer already and he grimaced. She couldn't have been feeling good even before Patrol started today, walking had probably been painful, breathing even. She shouldn't have been doing any of it after getting hit hard enough to cause bruises as awful as these, or to have agitated the wound she'd gotten from the Hero Killer this much... And yet the whole night she'd been running around and fighting, and acting completely fine.

"... You work too hard, Spirit." Hawks murmured quietly, his hands pulling away and reaching for what he needed next.

"... Tch... You have no room to talk..." She shot back lowly. His lips twitched up at the edges for half a second at the words, and he let out a quiet breath.

"... I suppose that's probably fair."

He didn't try and keep up a conversation for once after that, instead he poured all his focus into what he was doing and made sure he was being as careful as he could possibly be. He swallowed back at every flinch he earned from Spirit, every wince and hiss of pain as he cleaned up the wound as much as he could and disinfected it too. But outside of those small little sounds and the rigidness in her body, Spirit never complained, or argued, or anything of the sort. She kept her mouth shut and just let him do what he will, eyes closed and unmoving... All the way up until he was getting ready to put some new bandages around her torso. He was already reaching for a roll he'd collected and set off the the side at the very start, but he got stopped when Spirit caught his hand with her own. He looked up and caught her gaze for the first time in a long while, and he felt his core knot at just how much pain and exhaustion he could see swimming in those red eyes of hers.

"... You have to use these." Spirit mumbled, releasing his hand and instead digging in her own bag in front of her, pulling out a roll or bandages with a red tie around them. She handed them his way and he blinked, slowly taking them from her and quirking a brow in intrigue.

"Any specific reason why these ones are so special?" He asked lightly, and she sighed, her eyes dropping closed and looking away from him again.

"... I can't Shift if you use just normal bandages." She replied quietly, "... They don't translate... It's the same concept as my Suit... So I can Shift and not worry about losing them or anything between different Forms..."

"Ah." Hawks hummed, his eyes falling again and already undoing the tie around the bandage roll. "I get it... A lot more work goes into your Quirk than I realized, huh? It's a lot more complicated than what I have to do with mine at any rate... Heh, all I have to worry about is making sure my clothes have slits in the back~" He chuckled lightly, Spirit only let out a quiet breath.

... You have no idea... My Quirk is pretty much... Hell... And so much of it... I wouldn't even know where to start if I had to explain it...

... Not that she ever would explain all those deep dark, complicated details, mind you. Not to Hawks, not to Death Arms, not to anyone. Ever.

Her thoughts got cut off when Hawks started in on winding the new bandages around her torso, just as gently as when he'd taken the first ones off. She held her breath through most of it, though by now any real pain had turned to mostly heavy throbbing, and when he was done she forced herself to take in one deep breath, and let it out slow.

"Do you need me to take a look at your hands?" Hawks asked, she shook her head immediately, eyes still closed.

"No."

"... Well alright then, I'm done." Hawks relented to the refusal with ease, pushing himself back a bit from having been leaning forward and his feathers already moving about the room and table, putting things away and throwing them out. He smiled at her lightly, his eyes gleaming as he settled his chin in his hand, his elbows resting on his knees. "That wasn't so bad was it?" He asked, and she shot him a disgruntled look from the side, glaring slightly and still holding tight to the towel over her shoulders and chest. He didn't mind she glared though, he was already moving on. "The hospital gave you antibiotics and stuff after the Stain thing right?" He hummed, and Spirit blinked as his head tilted at her. "You've been taking them right? The wound doesn't look infected or anything and that's good, but you can't be too careful."

"Tch... Of course I've been taking them, I'm not a bloody child..!" Spirit hissed, instantly more annoyed than tired or hurting. Hawks smiled and nodded once, his golden eyes flashing.

"And the pain pills too, yeah? Gotta assume they gave you some pretty good ones, given you got stabbed and all~" He asked next, and Spirit stiffened... Which of course he instantly noticed, and his smile vanished in question and surprise. "... Have you not been?" He asked slowly and she huffed, looking away altogether again, and rather stubbornly at that. Hawks' face pulled at the reaction, his chin lifting out of his hand and grimacing faintly. "... Seriously...? You've been running around doing Hero stuff pretty much right after you got hurt, and you've gotten hurt again since then... Hasn't it been painful working? Or even just moving around...?"

"Tch... Not that it's any of your damn business Feathers, but I have taken some." Spirit muttered hotly, "And you don't have any right to be lecturing me, I'm not a child, and I do not need to be chastised by you for whether or not I'm taking the damn pills..!"

"I'm not chastising, I'm just asking." He replied calmly, "And wondering too, 'cause you have to know that trying to keep working while you're in pain and not trying to help yourself about it is... Kinda a bad idea." He mumbled and she grit her teeth.

No he was definitely chastising damn it

"... Look, you got hurt last night yeah? And from the looks of those bruises and the wound, you got hurt pretty good too." He mumbled, "All I'm asking is did you take any of the pain pills before coming out for Patrol today? Because I can't imagine how you couldn't have and still..." He murmured, trailing off when she settled him with a deadly stare, his shoulders sagging. "... You didn't? Geez..." He sighed in exasperation, which only made her all the more annoyed.

He was acting like he was her damn keeper or something- this was none of his business!

He had no right to be pestering her about the pills to begin with, and to keep going?!

She was not a child that needed to be looked after and scolded and-

"... You might be a little too hardcore Spirit..." Hawks mumbled quietly, with a weary half-smile. "... Ah well... did you bring the painkillers with you? Because I think now would be a good time to take a few, you're definitely hurting quite a bit-" He hummed, she shook her head furiously.

"Stop!" She snapped, cutting him off entirely this time and he jumped a little at the harshness of her voice. "Quit acting like you know what's best for me! Quit telling me what to do and acting like I'm a damn fool because I won't take some stupid bloody pills! I am not someone you can boss around, and this is not any of your fucking business, so would you just quit and shut up already?!" She hissed furiously, her red eyes blazing. "Bloody hell Feathers, why can't you just quit poking your nose into everything?!"

Hawks didn't say anything back, not for a long while after she was done with her sudden outburst. He just looked at her, quiet and expression utterly unreadable and so infuriatingly calm. He was always so damn calm, so bright and cheery and unbothered- even when she yelled, and when she got angry and snapped his head off. He never stopped being calm... Flustered maybe at times, and nervous- but always still so in control regardless. He never got mad back, and he still didn't- even when maybe he deserved to snap something in return.

"... I wasn't trying to tell you what to do, it was a suggestion." Hawks replied evenly, and at length. "I already told you Spirit, I won't ever try and force you into anything you don't want to do, and I'm not trying to now. I understand it isn't any of my business, and I know I already promised that I wasn't gonna pry so much anymore... This isn't me trying to be nosy, or bossy, or anything of the sort, okay?" He mumbled, his expression softening a tad. "I am just trying to help you, and maybe understand a little too? Like, is there a reason that you're so opposed to taking the painkillers...? Even if they would help make you feel better...?" He asked coolly, and Spirit frowned, her eyes flinty and still simmering in her anger. He noticed the ire hadn't gone away and lifted his hands submissively, sighing once. "Like I said, you don't have to answer me if you don't want to... And if you really want to just drop the whole subject, then that's fine. I won't keep asking... And I am sorry, I didn't mean to make you mad Spirit, or be overbearing or anything."

Not that it seemed to take much for him to make her mad, or make her feel like he was being too nosy, mind you. Animal Spirit was insanely easy to tick off, and with so little too- he'd realized that from the very start, and messed up several times already too... He always had to tread so lightly around her, and be quick to deflect the anger with humor or whatever else. But right then he was tired, and Spirit was too- which made her grumpier to an extreme, and then a million times more so with how much pain she was in. He didn't really have the energy to keep making light of the anger like he usually did and just wait for her to simmer down, or dance around the subject and find some clever way of redirecting either. So instead he just decided it would probably be better to apologize, and then just move on and drop the whole thing about the pills altogether, and give Spirit the choice to finalize tossing the conversation in the trash.

It wasn't worth trying to prod any further than he already had, Spirit was in a very bad mood and he just... Really couldn't. His head hurt, his body did too, and so did his heart, just a little.

It's been a long night... And I think I've pushed Spirit's patience to the limit now...

... She did let me help her with her injury yeah?

... It took a little to work her up to the idea, sure... But she still let me in the end... Spirit doesn't strike me as the sort of person that likes having to lean on other people, or even let's herself do it all that often...

... So I feel like her letting me help her out like that, is actually a pretty big deal...... That's progress, yeah?

... So I should probably quit while I'm ahead... I don't wanna make her regret letting me help her out~

"... I hate the way they make feel, alright?"

Hawks jumped, his eyes opening wide and completely taken aback by the sound of Spirit's voice, and the fact that she actually answered...?! Her actually answering the question was the exact last thing he expected to hear next from her... Like very last thing!

He hadn't expected any explanation or answer at all, or hoped he would ever get one even sometime later in the future! So wha...?!

Spirit was biting the inside of her cheek, not looking at him and instead glowering at the table as she said it. The anger and annoyance that had been so bright in her just a few moments before was now almost nowhere to be seen- she looked uneasy, a bit begrudging too maybe... But again, wha...?!

"... Pills in general just make me feel really heavy and tired, but painkillers are the worst." Spirit grumbled quietly, her red eyes glittering. "... I can't focus when I'm awake, it's hard to stay on my feet, and it takes a lot to just do anything... But I can't just take them and sleep them off either, because..." She trailed off, her shoulders hunching a fraction of an inch and Hawks blinked slowly, his eyes narrowing.

Spirit shook her head and muttered something under her breath that Hawks didn't catch. She moved, pulling her legs up and over the coffee table, turning her whole body around (rather stiffly) and setting her feet back down on the floor on the opposite side of the table, her back turned to him now. Her hands moved as she worked to pull the top half of the suit back up and fasten it around her neck again, before she finished and pulled the towel off her shoulders, settling it and her hands in her lap, not looking back at him and quiet for a few moments more until she sighed.

"... They mess with my head, and make my dreams weird, or just altogether... unpleasant." She finished at last, her voice barely above a whisper and Hawks stared, quiet.

Unpleasant...? Unpleasant how...?

"... I don't take them unless I don't have a choice, and generally I can manage just fine." She added lowly, breaking him off from thinking any more into 'unpleasant'. "... Now just drop it Feathers, I don't wanna talk about it anymore, alright?" Spirit huffed, and he nodded slowly... Though he was still a little winded at the unexpected change in demeanor?

She'd kinda done a 180 from being all mad and annoyed to being... Okay, she was still sort of mad and a little annoyed, but she wasn't being as closed off and defiant as before. She'd actually given him an honest explanation to what he'd asked, and she even said it outright. For the most part she'd been very stubborn about everything, even the things she did relent to, and a lot of the things he'd been asking he'd just assumed the answer on his own without Spirit actually admitting it. But this was... Huh

"... Yeah, of course..." Hawks replied, it faintly occurring to him he'd nodded as an answer but she wasn't looking at him to see it.

"... I'm sorry for being so difficult, Feathers..." Spirit murmured quietly after awhile, the words shocking Hawks a second time- but this time not with an unexpected answer, but with an apology. "... I'm sorry for being such an ass too... I get that you're just trying to be helpful... I'm just... I'm not good at... Letting other people do things for me..." She mumbled, and Hawks smiled wryly at the words, though she never saw it.

... Yeah I already figured that Spirit...

"... You know, you don't have to just take me being mean to you like that all the time... You can tell me outright if I'm being a bitch, especially if I'm being unfair, Feathers..." Spirit sighed, "... You never say anything to it, but I know I yell at you a lot and you don't always deserve it..." She mumbled softly, Hawks hummed a little under his breath, his eyes glittering. There it was again, she did something (two things actually) that took him by complete and utter surprise.

She is so all over the place, I can never guess what she's gonna do next. Every time I think I know what she's gonna do, she does something totally out of left field...

And this was a surprise, and just as much as a surprise as when she done this that one time before- you know, back when she snapped at him for the whole 'what was the reason you became a hero' conversation... She'd been angry and so full of ire one moment, and then the next she was apologizing for her 'unfair' behavior. It was intriguing, both instances were, because she did snap at him a lot and call him names, and she never apologized for any of those times.

(Not that he needed her to though, he knew well enough most of the time she seemed angry and annoyed but it wasn't really real anger... Well, at least not anger backed by true distaste and hatred toward him.)

And even at times when she was kinda angry for real, like during her whole rant at him about his teaching style with Tsukuyomi the other night, she didn't stop at the end and apologize for being all worked up. Apologizing was not something she did, like ever- which meant there was something different with her between her yelling at him about his teaching style and right now, and back with the question on why she wanted to be a Hero... And for the life of him, he didn't know what.

What prompted her anger to die out so quickly and have her apologizing for it? Both times she'd apologized after getting worked up about a topic that was... Well, he supposed personal might have come close- but hadn't all the fuss about his sort-spying been personal too? And she certainly didn't seem like she would ever apologize for her throwing him to the ground or anything else that day. So then, what was the difference? What about any of this had her catching herself and being sorry for her behavior at all? Certainly it couldn't have been anything he said...

... Ah man, you really gotta stop doing this Spirit...!

Every time I am around you, you get more interesting..! You're making it so hard not to pester you for more...!

He smiled wryly, shaking his head at himself and waving a hand dismissively just out of habit. "... Ah, no worries Sunshine~! I honestly don't mind, I know you're not trying to be mean, so don't sweat it~!" He hummed brightly, before shrugging a little. "Besides, I'm actually glad you've been bein' so grumpy and stubborn and everything...! If you have the energy to be your usual grumpy self, I figure that means you aren't in bad enough shape that I should be super worried, yeah?" Spirit blinked, her head turning only slightly, glancing over her shoulder toward the Winged Hero and seeing him leaning back with his arms on the top of the couch now, eyes closed and smiling wearily. "... If you were being all quiet, and calm, and not being even a little stubborn, then I think it'd be time to really worry..." He hummed quietly, and Spirit bit the inside of her cheek, looking away again.

... Hmph...

... Of course he waved the apology off... He deflects everything... Why am I even surprised...?

Her posture wilted slightly, shaking her head and letting out a sigh. "... Feathers." She murmured after a few seconds of silence, Hawks cracked an eye open, tilting his head back down to look her way.

"Hmm?"

"... Thank you, for helping." Spirit murmured softly, Hawks let out a small breath.

"You're welcome, Sunshine~" He hummed, "Thanks to you as well, for taking care of me and for stepping in to tussle with Dark Shadow~"

"... Yeah..." Spirit mumbled, her eyes dropping closed. Hawks looked her way for a few more seconds, before dropping his eye closed again and his head back against the couch.

He sort of wanted to ask her about the fight, and the so called 'Chimera' Special Move she'd flaunted out of nowhere- it was impressive, and super cool, and she was a million times stronger than he'd already thought. He wanted a few more details, like how many animals could she meld together like that? Could she super size anything she needed? Cause no bird in existence had wings as big as the ones she'd had earlier... How long could she use that move? She'd seemed drained afterward but maybe some of it has been from getting hit? How come he'd never seen nor heard of this Special Move before tonight, and Spirit's Intern had?

Oh and of course, her eyes do actually glow! That was something he really wanted to know more about too...!

Aaaaand maybe on a less pleasant note, he also wanted to ask her about what had happened when the Villain first showed up. She'd frozen- like dead in her tracks, deer in the headlights, paralyzed. And he'd seen the fear in her face when she did, even horror... horror was not a normal reaction to being jumped like that, at least not for a Pro Hero like Spirit. That was something more than being caught off guard, in fact it was more like she'd seen something in all that oncoming darkness that shook her to the core. And maybe it reminded her of something she'd seen before...? Something all twisty and buried and 'unpleasant' as she'd put it? For which he assumed 'unpleasant' was her way of not having to say nightmarish?

But of course, he really didn't think he should ask about any of it at all, not tonight. And maybe never ask about the last bit at all... He had a feeling he'd earn the same response as he had that night she'd thought he was spying on her. So he kept his mouth shut, content to just let them both sit in silence and just chill for awhile... It felt nice to just sit and not move, and it was sorely needed too.

The sudden strum of a guitar jolted them both from the quiet though, Spirit only flinching ever so slightly while Hawks jumped quite a bit, his feathers fluffing up and looking around quickly for the source...?

"Back in black,
I hit the sack,
I've been too long I'm glad to be back,
Yes, I'm let loose,
From the noose-"

Hawks froze, his eyes widening and locking to the source of the sound- Spirit's bag still on the table, and he blinked several times at the... Song...?

"- That's kept me hanging about,
I've been looking at the sky
'Cause it's gettin' me high-"

Spirit let out a heavy sigh and quickly pulled her bag toward her, digging around in it and her hand curling around her phone. She pulled it out and paused on the Caller ID shone on the screen, her eyes narrowing at it and completely oblivious to the way Hawks' surprise was quickly replaced with breathless amusement, and he smirked.

No way...!

"Heh... Is that really your ringtone, Spirit...?" Hawks asked, barely holding back a laugh now and she cast him a dirty look from the side.

"Shut up." Spirit huffed back, turning her back on him again and tapping the answer button, cutting the song off abruptly.

"I'm not dissing it, I actually kinda love it...!" Hawks told her quickly before she had a chance to put the phone up to her ear. "... Totally cool you got a whole theme going, yeah~? You know, cause you're the Ebony Hero and all your different forms are all black-"

"-Hawks, shut up." Spirit repeated again, lowly so her voice wouldn't carry over the very active phone call.

"-oh, right..! My bad, I'll be quiet now~" Hawks grinned, though he was still clearly way too overjoyed with the ringtone- she could tell how amused he was, even if she wasn't looking at him. Spirit rolled her eyes, bringing the phone up to her ear finally and forcing a quiet breath.

Idiot

"... Animal Spirit speaking." She murmured evenly into the phone, Hawks settling his chin in his hand and watching her intently as the speaker on the other end started, though he could only hear a low drone... It might have been a little rude for him to be listening in, but hey- what was he gonna do? They were in the same room after all.

"... No sir I'm sorry I wasn't able to come assist, something came up." Spirit murmured softly after a moment or two, and Hawks' head tilted.

Oh? Something about Hosu then?

"... Not much no, just what the Dispatch Alert said. I haven't had a chance to follow up one the news reports." Spirit went on, before coming to a pause briefly, "... Ah, no. I'm not in the middle of anything right now, go ahead."

Spirit broke off entirely for a long time then, nodding every once in awhile to what long spiel the person on the other end of the call seemed to fall into. Hawks couldn't see Spirit's face in order to really gauge her reaction to what she was being told, but about halfway through she did stiffen quite visibly, and Hawks blinked, his eyes narrowing.

"... Are they alright...?" Spirit interrupted quite soon after, and another few moments of the reply on the other end came, and she relaxed a little, though not all the way. "... Who were they with?" She asked next, her head tilting back slightly as she seemed to go into thought. "... I see..." She mumbled with a small shake of her head, Hawks blinked in question though.

I definitely don't 'see'-

"... Yes sir, of course... I'm in Heiku right now, so it'll take me a bit to get there." Spirit murmured, and Hawks stiffened.

Get there?

"... Alright, I'll be there." Spirit murmured, "Thank you for calling to tell me... Yes, sir."

She pulled the phone from her ear and ended the call, dropping her hands and her phone in her lap and letting out one long, uneasy sigh. "... Shit..." Spirit muttered under her breath,

"... You planning on going somewhere, Spirit...?" Hawks asked slowly behind her, "... What's up?" He murmured and Spirit shook her head a little.

"... That was the Police Chief." Spirit murmured, "... He didn't really get into a lot of specifics, he wants to go over things with me personally... But... The gist of it was that they've contained most of the stuff going on from earlier in Hosu... Apparently those multiple Villains causing most of the trouble that Dispatch was talking about... Well, they seem to be different versions of that thing they caught after the USJ attack... The 'Nomu' thing." She mumbled lowly and Hawks went rigid, immediately alert, immediately intent and his golden eyes narrowed to slits.

"... From the League of Villains group, yeah...?" He asked slowly, his tone utterly steady now, though Spirit didn't notice it at all, she just nodded.

"... He said a news van caught footage of that Shiguraki guy on a rooftop while it was going on, along with one of the others... The Warp Villain." Spirit mumbled, Hawks' eyes narrowed further, completely intent with the information but also slightly surprised...?

Spirit sort of sounded like she knew a lot more about the whole USJ thing than most people...? Information on what happened in the news and stuff had been pretty hush-hush for the most part, and even Hawks had had to do quite a bit of digging already for what he knew about what went down- so why did she seem pretty well informed...?

He never got to think about it for long, she kept talking, and he decided listening to her was more important than wondering.

"... From what I gathered, their running theory is that they planned the whole thing... Maybe as like a test run for the Nomu... Or as a distraction." Spirit said lowly, "... The Hero Killer went after someone else while all the chaos was going on, and all the other Pros in the area were busy."

Hawks stiffened, his eyes flashing and immediately more on edge than he already had been.

The Hero Killer? She wasn't trying to say that-

"... He attacked Native... But apparently he's fine, because Stain got sidetracked by a few UA Interns that found where they were... And they all got away alive at least, though I really don't know anything other than that." Spirit mumbled and Hawks swallowed a bit, "... That was all he was willing to tell me over the phone... That, and that they have the Hero Killer in custody right now..."

"... Seriously...?" Hawks breathed in surprise, Spirit nodded though she didn't look back at him even still.

"... I don't know how they caught him though, we didn't get into it... The Chief wants to explain the rest to me in person, and follow up on the details from when fought with Stain..." She finished quietly, her head bowing slightly as she pushed her bangs back from her face. Her shoulders sank as she did so and she stayed with her hands on her head a few moments more, Hawks' eyes narrowing at how... Not okay she sounded about the fact that the Hero Killer had been caught.

"... Well they've got him now, so that's good right?" Hawks murmured, "And you said nobody got killed either... Is something wrong, Spirit? I figured you'd be a little more relieved."

"... It's not that I'm not relieved, Feathers... It's great that he's caught, and that he didn't manage to kill anybody else before he was... I'm glad he's not running around anymore, really..." Spirit told him quietly, "... But I'm... I just..."

She trailed off for a bit and it seemed to him that she stopped herself from saying what she meant to... When she started again she sounded so weary, and quite exasperated, and he just had a feeling like she changed course.

"... I'm not really looking forward to going through it all again..." She sighed, Hawks grimaced.

"... Yeah speaking of, are you gonna be okay going all the way to Hosu right now?" He asked slowly and Spirit stiffened immediately. "It being super late aside, you're not gonna feel great walking or anything, yeah...? You really shouldn't be moving much at all, you might rip more of those stitches out ya know." Spirit bit the inside of her cheek, grumbling a bit under her breath.

"... He doesn't need me right away, I can sit still for an hour or two before heading out. By then I won't be so sore anymore, I'll be perfectly fine to go." She grumbled, "Besides, it's not like I'm going there to run around or fight, I'm just gonna be talking."

"... I guess, but I still don't think it's a great idea." Hawks mumbled evenly,

"Yeah well I wasn't asking for your opinion, was I?" Spirit shot back rather curtly and he sighed silently. "I already told him I was gonna come Feathers, I can't back out, so no use trying to convince me otherwise."

"... Fair enough." He relented coolly, "Will you at least let me call you a cab, instead of having you fly out to Hosu yourself~?" He asked lightly with a small smile, and Spirit shot him a quiet stare over her shoulder, "I'd offer to fly you there myself, but one of us probably ought to be here if the Interns need something... Though I'm sure they'll probably be passed out well into the morning, hehe~" he added lightly, and Spirit frowned, before she huffed and looked away.

"...tch... Fine. Call a damn cab if that'll make you happy." She hissed stubbornly,

"It'll make me very happy~" he hummed, leaning back against the couch from having leaned forward when the conversation about Hosu started. His eyes dropped closed as he let out a deep breath, his wings draped over the back of the couch and head too.

Silence settled again after that, Spirit not moving from her seat on the coffee table for a very long while, before finally pushing herself up stiffly only to readjust and sit on the other couch instead. She adjusted so she was sitting cross-legged on top of the couch, and crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back against the cushion and her eyes dropping closed. She didn't move after that, or open her eyes, or say anything at all. She sat still where she was, nothing but the sound of her breathing to be found and expressionless. Generally she hated down-time of any kind, and she probably would have hated it too right then if she hadn't been feeling as tired as she was now, or ached so much either... And besides, the last few hours (hell the whole day, and night before) had been so full of craziness and too much to think about, and it still was now. Between the Interns, Hawks, the Shadow Villain, Tsukuyomi losing it, getting hit again, Mamoru-Killjoy (ugh...), and this whole thing here with Hawks and feeling like crap... Now she has this whole thing about Hosu and the Hero Killer dumped on her head (again), and she wasn't looking forward the conversation to be held with the Police Chief... Less so, since she had been trying to avoid it all since it happened... But the world apparently wasn't willing to let her forget it.

But for the time being she was determined to not think about any if it, if that were possible. Her mind needed an hour or two of nothing swirling around in it on a constant loop. And Hawks seemed to need a bit of quiet too, though she wasn't sure how that was possible... Of course, he was probably feeling a lot more worn out and beat to hell from earlier than he would have wanted to admit. There was no way he wasn't feeling it, not with how much he'd gotten tossed around.

Two hours passed rather quickly, and for the whole of it both Heroes never said anything, and never moved a muscle. When the mark hit though, Spirit shifted finally from her seat and on to her feet, Hawks instantly taking the hint and following her lead.

He called the cab and walked with her all the way through the dark and quiet building to the front door (even despite her telling him he didn't need to). He paused at the front of the building, all smiles still though they were less bright and cheery and more tired now, and waved her off. "Be careful, yeah~? I'll leave the balcony door open for ya when you get back, cool~?" He hummed, smirking slightly when she narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm pretty sure you plan to fly back when you're done, right? So I'll leave the one to the room open." He explained lightly, and Spirit let out a low breath.

"Fine..." Spirit sighed, and he smiled at the reply. She turned, waving a hand dismissively over her shoulder as she headed down the front steps.

"Don't wait up on me Feathers."

Hawks stayed standing at the head of the stairs, watching quietly as Spirit got into the waiting cab and it drove off down the street and out of sight. Once he couldn't see it, he waited a few more seconds, before pulling his phone out of his pants pocket with a weary sigh. He quickly dialed up a number, the ringer chiming as he held it to his ear and the other end clicked as it picked up.

"Hey, I know it's super late, so I'll be real quick~!" He hummed lightly without even waiting for the voice to sound on the other end, smiling to himself as he glanced up at the sky overhead, his golden eyes gleaming in the dim.

"I just wanna call in a little favor~"

---

Heyo~!

I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I certainly had fun writing it hehe

I might like fluff and whump and hurt and comfort too much

Thank you all for reading!

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