AN: Thank you to all who read this story, I hope you all enjoy this next chapter.

Chapter 16: Enter Dabi

"Professor, we're here what's going?!" Scott demand as they all rushed into the main control room. The doors swooshed closed behind Hawks as he was the last one to enter.

"Is it Sabertooth?" Logan asked as Professor, Hank and Storm turned around to face Hawks and the X-Men.

Hawks could tell something was wrong without having to search into it much. The tone his father used seconds ago told him all he needs to know. There was trouble.

"I don't think so. The gates are busted in and parts are melted away like some with a fire mutation caused it. We are searching the area for the culprit right now." Professor X informed them.

Hawks' gaze had flashed from his father and others to the monitors in front of his eyes widen No. How did he get here? he saw trees flickering in a blue flames, as an uneasy feeling washed over him. This is bad.

"Cerebro hasn't picked anything up?" Jean asked, glancing at the headset Professor X was wearing. "Nothing I'm afraid, I've been searching and haven't located anyone." Professor X said ,taking off Cerebro.

The X-Men looked at each other worriedly. Cerebro could pick anyone with a mutation. This first time that not even the machine could locate the foe.

"Who's causing all this-"

-"Dabi." Hawks interpreted Evan, staring at the screen with his serious expression on his face.

Everyone in the room looked over at Hawks. The pro hero was staring at the screen, eyes narrowed like he saw something the others didn't.

"Who's Dabi?" Kurt asked him.

Hawks look from the screen to the X-Men with the seriousness not leaving his face as he addressed them.

"Dabi, he's a member of League of Villain back in Japan. He is wanted on at least 30 accounts of murder, theft, arson and many more crimes. But other than his rap sheet, there is no other record of him making him a huge threat to everyone, which means he's dangerous and deadly. He won't hesitate to attack or kill whoever is in his way."

The room went deadly quiet. Hawks could see the younger X-Men exchanging worried and fearful glances with each other.

"You want us to believe that this 'Dabi person' is here with us right now?" Scott asked, stepping forward to face Hawks, giving him a sharp pointed look. Hawks meet his gaze with a serious one.

"Yes. His quirk is Cremation well that's what it labeled under currently. He has hot blue flames and if you look at your screens, the forest around here is burning blue." Hawks pointed out moving to let the others see the monitors clearly.

A gasped escaped most of everyone's mouths as they saw the burning trees. "He's going to burn everything down." Jean said, her eyes wide with shock.

"Is there a way we can stop him?" Kurt asked, looking back over at Hawks.

"If I can apprehend him, then we can get the fire under control." Hawks said as he turned to leave.

"Hold on there, Feathers, where are you going?" Logan asked. Hawks stopped by the door. The pro hero looked back over at the others. "To find and capture, Dabi, what else would I be doing?"

"Not alone, we're coming to help." Logan said walking up to him with the others following.

Hawks frowns as he turned to face them, a plastered a smile on his face. "I can handle this, you all have done enough, think of this as me paying you guys back." I don't want to risk their safety, he can't find out who they are.

"Hawks, you this isn't about paying us back, we helped you because we wanted to besides you're injured." Jean said stepping up next to Logan, her gaze fix on his sling.

"I can handle it." He said crossing his arm over his sling .

"Can you?"

"Yes!" he snapped, his wings flared out behind him, "I can fight and don't need your pit-"

"-Stop right there!" Logan snaps, cutting Hawks off before the young man could finish his statement.

Hawks of course stare back at them, eyes narrowed slits as his feathers puffed out with irritation.

"Why should I? I've handled myself countless of times in fights, I don't need anyone slowing me down, nor their sympathy either. I am professional hero after all, and I don't any help, from you or the others, this my fight!"

"Enough! That right there will get you in trouble!" Jean snaps her eyes harden as locks her gaze with him. "That cooky attitude, of yours."

"I'm not cocky!"

"Really now, you need to grow up and accept help!"

"I don't need your help and don't need you!"

"Yes, you do!"

"No, I don't!"

"Why are you acting this way?!"

"Because I don't want to see you all get hurt!"

Silence filled the room, as Hawks saw everyone looking at him in pure utter shock. The tension in the air shattered the moment the words let his mouth.

"Keigo,"' Professor X approached him and the others. His tone yet calm held a sternness of a father scolding his son.

Hawks sighs, lowering his ruffle wings, and rolling his shoulders, with a hand running his hair. "I dont want you guys getting hurt, you all been kind and I don't want you risking your safety because me."

"We don't want see you get hurt either, even the best of us know when we need help." Storm said calmly.

Hawks gave a long sigh as he looked at them. "You guys are right, I guess I can let myself slow down enough to admit I could use your help, so we can get this situation under control."

"Glad to have you on board with us, Feathers." Logan said. Hawks cracks a smile looking at the X-Men before him, his eyes slow landed on-

"Jean." Hawks walks over to her rubbing the back of his neck as he sighs. "What I said to you, I'm sorry. You put me, helped me and more, you did all that without having to, and then go and tell you I don't need it."

Jean smiles softly at him. "Hawks, you care about us, you have right want be worried and want to keep us safe. But, what you did it hurt, words are just as sharp as a sword."

Hawks' wings sagged, "heh, your right words can be, sharp as a blade. I- I am sorry I hurt you." he said shoving his hand into a pocket of his dark gray pants as he looks down his eyes gave a 'kicked puppy' like look.

Hawks's body tensed as arms wrapped around him a gentle hug. "Hawks, look at me," Jean said, pulling back from the hug. Hawks glances and up at her, seeing softness in her eyes.

"I forgive you, after all, we all snap at some point, even me. I'm sorry I snapped at you, I hurt you as well."

A genuine smile spread cross his face, as he snaps out of the funk he was in. His heart and wings both fluter knowing she was forgiving him, she wasn't going to scold or snap at him again, but wanting to make things right. "I guess we both said things that should be left unsaid."

"What's the plan then?" Evan asked, drawing attention back to the matter at hand, as well as drawing Hawks out of his thoughts as he turns to look at the others.

"Plan, is for me, and Feathers to search for Dabi, while the rest of you put out the fire before it spreads and causes more damage." Logan said.

"I can set up a telepathic link with everyone," Jean offered, "that way we talk and keep in contact without being overheard."

The X-Men nodded their heads in agreement with her.

Hawks looked over at her. "Are you're strong enough to do that?" He asked her with concern.

Jean faces him giving a reissuing smile, "of course, I am a lot stronger than you might think, I can handle it." She said with confidence.

Hawks sighed, then looked at the X-Men. I just want everyone to be safe. "Right then lets go." Hawks said turning back to door taking the lead as they hurried out of the main control room.

. ***** ***** *****.

Hawks soared overhead after breaking away from the others. He and Logan each took one side of estate. "Where are you hiding?"

Through the smoke from the fire making it harder for his keen eyes to see, his feathers were still there helping to act as his eyes and ears.

He left a feather with each one of them, not just for their safety but to help put his mind at ease knowing he could feel them and keep track.

The smoke seem to get thicker, making him fly higher now, blinking a few times to clear his sight from singing of the smoke. A smirk crossed lips as a new flame came to life.

"There you are." Hawks shot towards the blue blaze seeing the black-haired stapled covered man just a head of him.

Firing a dozen or so feathers at Dabi. The villain hand shot up quickly and fires at them with a blue flame, incinerating them within seconds as he glanced over in the direction of the attack.

Hawks landed, his wings flared out as he touched down, before folding them back slightly as he fixed an narrowed glare at the league member.

"Dabi of the league of villains not sure how you got here, but leave now!" Hawks said shifting the single sword feather in his hand as he faced down Dabi.

Hawks with one of his feathered swords in his good hand and Dabi with his stapled pale hands flickering to life with blue sparks.

"So, this where you been number 2, got tired of hero work already, so you came to this shit of a place?" Dabi asked.

"That's not very nice, this place way better than the place you call home. You should apologize who said I am sick of hero work, I am here for my own reasons."

A smirk crosses Dab's face as his hand shot out as fires leaps forth. Hawks shot up into the sky, then dove towards Dabi.

. **** *** ***.

"This would be easier if Storm would just create a storm already." Kurt complains aloud as dumps another bucket of water into flames in his designated location.

"Owch! What that for!" Kurt dropped his bucket and rubs his head as half glares at the auburn teen with him.

"Stop complaining." Rouge scolded, she had hit him on the head with her empty bucket.

Kurt scowls, rubbing his head as picks up the bucket he dropped. "Come on, a huge storm is all we need and solve our problem."

'We can't do anything until Hawks and Logan tells they have Dabi.' Jean's voice cut into their conversation.

'We know, it's just taking forever to put this fire out on our own.' Kurt complained, using the telepath link.

'Kurt is like right.' Kitty chimes in next.

'Logan, have you found him yet?' Jean asked.

'Nothing on my end yet Red, have you tried asking Feathers?' Logan said scouting the area, tracking him by scent.

'Not yet.' Jean replied back, her eyebrows knitted together as another voice spoke up next.

'If we get Aunty O, uses her powers, we wrap this up quickly, and we have free time to kill.' Evan added.

Soon everyone began talking at once, their voice jumbling together as they went on, not hearing each other out at all. Jean groaned from the strain.

'Everyone shut up! You're giving me a headache.' Jean's mental voice cut into their bickering. As she hovers in place rubs her temples as she tries to focus back on her task.

'Sorry, Jean.' The X-Men said in unison.

Jean sighs, as begins to hear herself think again. 'Hawks? Hawks are you there?' she asked, trying to reach out to the pro hero but getting no response.

Kurt and Rouge looked at each, then quietly slipped away.

.**** *** ***.

As flames shot out and race towards him. Hawks swerved missing the blast of fire aimed at him grabbing Dabi he sent him flying back with blinding kick.

Dabi grunted as he landed on his back. Getting up he shot a blast of flames at Hawks once more, pissed off even more now with the wing hero.

Hawks laughs as he swerved as the flames missed him by inches. "Is that the best you got, Scar Face?"

Dabi glares up at him and sent another blast at into the direction Hawks was hovering.

"There he is," Rouge pulled Kurt next her to as they peered through the tree line into open field where Hawks and Dabi were fighting.

The ground was scorched in burn marks small patches of flames licked the trees and grass.

"Hold still, you stupid bird, so I burn those fucking feathers of yours!" Dabi shouted, firing at Hawks as he dodged, soaring higher into the sky.

"Like to see you try!" he challenged back, then shot down quickly. The villain fired at Hawks once more as the flames licked at him.

"Whoa, whoa." Hawks gasps, staggering in mid-flight, flapping his trying to stay in the air, only as another blast comes at him, knocking down.

Hawks tumbles and rolls, biting back a cry as he lands on his shoulder. Over dozens of his feathers littered the ground and a few still fell, smoking from the attack.

"What was that you were saying?" Dabi laughs as snatches a burned feather, setting the remains of it ablaze.

Hawks pushes himself with a grunt. "Didn't your father tell you never play with fire?" Hawks' eyes glare daggers at Dabi.

Dabi's crazy laughter rang out, sending chills down his spine. "He taught me plenty birdbrain, I'll gladly show you."

Both Kurt and Rouge stared in shock, watching the scene unfold before them. Kurt was the first to snap out of it.

"Let's go get Logan or Jean let them know where Hawks and Dabi are and what's going on." Kurt said, while he began to run off.

"Wait, K-"

*SNAP*

Hawks' eyes widen as he caught movement in the trees. His feathers never lied to him. As the feathers he gave Rouge and Kurt returns to his wings.

Dabi whirled and fired in the direction of the sound. Hawks' heartbeat quicken.

'What are two doing here?!' Hawks snapped, using the link as he kept his focus on Dabi, as he stumbled to his feet.

"Yo, Dabi, hope you're not losing your mind." Hawks shouted to the Legue member.

He didn't like knowing the teenagers were this close, to the fight even if they could fight, Dabi was too dangerous and would surly hurt if not kill them he saw them.

'We came to help.' Kurt said.

'I'm fine, go back to the others.'

'No ya not, your hurt, let us help ya.' Rouge butted in next, as Hawks tried to take to the sky once more.

'I can han-' "Agh!"

Pain coursed through his body, a choke gasp escape his lungs, sharp pain jabbed his injured shoulder/arm as it made contact with a trunk.

'Hawks!' Rouge shouted.

'What's wrong?! What happened?!' Jean's panic voice cut in next.

Hawks didn't hear them. His head spun dazed as black dots danced at the edge of his vision, cut off from the link.

He groaned as he began to eyes focus, seeing one Dabi's pale staple hand flicked to life, aimed at his throat.

'I'm- I'm okay.' Hawks responds as a faint buzz began to enter his head, his feather sword posed at Dabi's throat as the hero and villain stared each other down.

His chest heaving as he began to catch his breath, the sparks of fire licked the skin of his neck.

"Oh, a standoff!" A voice cut through, breaking the tension as Hawks' eyes flicked above him as Kurt popped up, looking down at him and Dabi.

The blue furred teen crouched his tail flicking behind as looked down from the tree.

"What are doing here?!" Hawks asked, concern pricking at him, Dabi smirks, raising his other hand at Kurt.

"Just hanging arranged it?" he laughs, dangling by his tail from the tree.

A blast of fire aimed straight for the teen, Hawks' heart stopped, along with everything slowed around him. This was what he was trying to av-

"Come on best you got Patchy, man, you're slow?" Kurt's voice cut into his world bring him back to reality, Hawks watches as he reappears behind Dabi, a smirk on his face.

Hawks' heart quicken its pace in both in reif and fear.

Dabi glares and fires again at Kurt and every time blue furred teen was staying a few tail lengths ahead, teasing him. "Hold still, you stupid blue furred monkey!"

"Hawks?"

Hawks glances behind to see Rouge crouching behind him, her eyes grey narrowed with concern.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, eyeing her over for any injury Dabi might have caused her.

"I'm fine-"

"Owch!" Kurt's yelp interrupted her.

Hawks' eyes narrowed, as Kurt's tail caught fire, acting quickly, he lunge and tracked Dabi down before he could attack again, moving swiftly as he cuffed him with power concealing cuffs he found.

Dabi glares at him, cursing as Hawks hauled him to his feet. 'Got him!' he transmitted to the others. It was a strange feeling as he sent it out, like some kind of familiarity with but the buzz his head turning to a low thundering hum now pounding his skull.

"Nice work there, Feathers," Logan said as he walked up to the group.

Hawks turns and forces a grin, "why thank you, Silver Claws. It was soothing flying on my end, didn't even break a sweat or my top speed." he said as he felt drops of rain hit him. "Just in time too, here comes the storm." He chuckles as a dark storm cloud gathered above them.

.*** *** *****.

Hawks push back his dropping wet bangs as watches Logna lead Dabi away. The villain was now cruising out the gruff man out as he was being lead away from the scene.

Something wasn't sitting right with him. Hawks held his injured arm in place as he glances over at the X-Men as they all regrouped together. Many shared concern glances with one another.

Kurt looked to be fine besides part of his fur on his tail was gone. Hawks' gaze flickered away from the blue furred teen.

This could have ended badly. Why did Dabi come here? Did the league send him? Did he come alone? Was this a test of loyalty? Hawks' gaze lands on Jean.