Chapter 22 Broken Link

Glaring up at the flickering light above him, Hawks desperately tries to regain movement of his wings. Though he's had his fair share of visitors—Hank and his father visited especially regularly—alone has never felt this lonely. No wings to hide behind, no fans to impress, just him and that damn light.

To his left on the side table sits a get-well bouquet of balloons and a note folded in half. Hawks reaches for the note, recognizing instantly his own handwriting on all but one word.

You're not as sneaky as you might think, 'Hawks.' Seriously, you're going to get hurt. Go home.

Staring back at the note as the flickering light danced across it, at a time he didn't think his ego could get any more wounded, Rouge hit him with the humility of all humility.

"That damn light!" he screams, grabbing the get-well bouquet of balloons next to his bed. Trying to throw the balloon weight at the light, the balloons counter-attacked, entangling themselves around Hawks' mending wings and throwing arm, balloon weight slingshotting back and hitting him in the nose.

"Do you know who I am?!" Hawks screams at the balloons. "NOBODY crosses the number 2 pro hero and gets away—"

"Balloons one, Hawks zero," A sweet voice interrupts his balloon retaliation rant. "Glad to see you like your gift."

Hoping it isn't who he thinks it is, Hawks whips his head around to meet the captivating green eyes he can't get out of his mind.

"Oh...uh... hey Jean...I-I was just—stretching, yeah, stretching my magnificent wings," he says as he tries to hide the tangled mess of balloons behind him.

"Need help getting out of that?" Jean asks, gesturing towards the balloons floating up from behind Hawks' back.

"Oh...what, this? Haha, no this is- I was just— nooo, I'm good, really. I was just taking these to put them over here..."

"Hawks, cut out the macho man act and let me help you."

The two stare at each other for what feels like hours waiting to see who would break the silence first.

"Hawks."

Hawks sighs, looking away from her. "Okay, I might need a little help."

"A little?" She crosses her arms, locking her gaze with his once more.

"Okay, fine, I could use some help," Hawks replies as Jean helps him move to the edge of his bed. "This is much harder than it looks to get out of. Really, though, I don't see what all the fuss over me is about. Everyone is blowing this way out of proportion. I'm sure I'll be better in no time-"

Hawks' monologue was interrupted by Jean's gasp as she saw his blood drenched bandaged back.

"Oh my gosh, this is way worse than I could have imagined. What kind monster did this to you?!"

Hawks' body stiffens, flashing back to the sinister laugh, the heat of the fire on his back, the smell of his burning wings.

Feeling as if he was suffocating, his hands grasp for the edge of the bed.

"Whoa, hey, hey, calm down."' Hawks steadies his breath, slowly opening his eye to see Jean kneeling in front of him.

"Look at me and breathe. You're not there anymore. You're here with me. You're safe."

"I-I was so scared. I've never felt so helpless. I don't know what would have happened if Rogue wouldn't have shown up. She could've gotten hurt, too and I couldn't have done anything about it. I'm so ashamed. All I have ever known is being the hero with amazing wings. Who am I now?"

"You're Keigo Takami. What you do isn't who you are. Quirk or no quirk, you're still you."

"Heh, not used to someone giving a shit about me. This is frustrating, not being able to move them. Why aren't they doing what I want?"

Hawks glares over at the tangled mess behind him. He didn't want to be grounded, nor have to make others fuss over him.

A light squeeze on his shoulder made Hawks glance up to see Jean untangling his Fierce Wings from the balloons. As her hands moves carefully through his still wings, his heart sinks. They aren't mov- "Ow!"

"Sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!" She pulls her hand away from his wings quickly.

"N-no, no, I'm- I'm fine," he says through clenched teeth. I could feel that, but not the other. What's wrong with my quirk?

"Good thing you don't lie much. You're terrible."

Heat rushes to his cheeks as he stares back at her, drowning in the sea of emerald green in her eyes.

"Hawks? Hey, are you here?"

"Huh, what?"

"Are you listening?"

"Uh... could you repeat that?" Hawks asks rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"What I was asking is how you control your quirk."

"Heh, guess I never told you. My quirk is telekinetic. What can I say, if you have it, flaunt- AGH!" Hawks yelps as he moves his wings.

"Hawks, you just moved them!" Jean exclaims.

"Yeah, that was a mistake."

"No, Hawks, you don't get it! How did you move your wings just now?"

"My reflex, I guess. I move- fu— What did you just say gorg-a Jean?" He glances from her to his wings and back.

"Hawks, that's a physical movement. I think you can move your wings physically! Can you do it again just to make sure we aren't seeing things?"

"You're crazy woman! It fucken hurts like hell!"

"I know it hurt, but we need make sure it wasn't a fluke. Come on number 2. Do it for me."

"Chicks are alway asking to see my wings." He says, bracing himself for the pain ahead.

Begrudgingly, Hawks tries for the first time in his life to voluntarily move his wings without telekinesis. After a few seconds, Hawks' wings move ever so slightly. He screams in pain and hunches over shaking.

"Hawks, you did it! You just proved nothing is wrong with your physical wings. It's the link to your wings that is broken. I think we can fix it, but I'll need your dad's help. I'm not sure I can do it on my own."

Jean hesitates. "And, Hawks? Rouge did get hurt. She's healing well, but— I — I just don't want you to hear it from someone else."

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

"I came here as quickly as I could, what seems to be the matter?" Professor X asks.

Hawks glances over towards his father as he enters the infirmary.

"Hawks can move his wings!" Jean exclaims.

"Jean, we know he can't move them. He's tried before and nothing has come of it," Professor X says approaching Hawks and Jean.

"Professor, you're wrong! He can! He did it just a few minutes ago. He just can't move his wings with telekinesis. His physical wings are fine- it's the telekinetic link that is broken! Hawks, show him!"

Hawks stares back slack jawed, "seriously woman, do you hate me that much? Whatever did I do to you? Can't he just take your word for it?"

"I'll take Jean's word for it, Keigo. We don't need you extending your stay. Well done, Jean. Now we just need to figure out how Keigo's link to his wings broke."

"Keigo," Professor continues, "I don't want you to relive the event, but during the fight, do you remember feeling anything? Like, something vanishing or being cut?"

"I remember a sharp pain, but I was half-conscious at the time."

"Before or after Rouge found you?"

"Before... at first I thought it was the way I hit the floor."

Professor X frowns, his eyebrows knitted together. "May I take a look at your memory?"

Hawks shifts in place, his hands fiddling with the sheets on the bed. "It sounds like I don't really have a choice if I want my quirk back."

"At the moment, it's our only option," Professor responds as he motions Jean to sit next to Hawks on his bed.

Jean gives Hawks a comforting smile, resting her hand on his arm. "Everything is going to be okay. He can't hurt you now. This is just a memory. We'll be right here with you. Relax."

"Yeah, right, like I can just relax at the flip of a switch." He scuffs as Professor and Jean sigh.

Professor X reaches out and touches Hawks' temples.

Hawks grips the end of the bed as his body begins shaking, then flinches as his memory is triggered.

Jean grabs his hand and squeezes it as she stares into Hawks' fear-filled eye as…

~memory~

Hawks yelped as his body hit the ground with a sharp snap and cry of agony. A hand slammed his face to the cold ground. Dabi's devilish laughter rang out as Hawks is driven harder against the floor. He coughed as a foot slammed down on his back. Dabi's murderous glean pierced him.

Suddenly, Hawks felt the extreme heat. As Dabi's flames began to engulf Hawks, he screamed in agony.

~end of memory~

Hawks' body is trembling uncontrollably as he struggles to breathe. Beads of sweat run down his face.

After a couple excruciating minutes, he takes a long steady breath as his body stops trembling. He can feel his hand still resting in Jean's.

"Better?" she asks him softly.

"Yeah," he rasps, squeezing her hand. "Thanks for being here with me, though one time is enough for me."

"This might work," Professor X says. Jean and Hawks look over at Professor curiously.

"I think Jean is right- it looks like Dabi disabled the link to your wings, but I don't think it is lost forever. There may be a way we can retrain your quirk, and I think Jean might be the prime candidate. Her powers have been growing stronger and she might be ready to learn how to mend a broken link."

Both Hawks and Jean stare at him utter shock.

"B-but.. Professor, what if I lose control again," Jean asks, "and something like last month happens again?"

What does she mean, what happened last month? Hawks glances over at Jean seeing uncertainty and fear in her.

"It won't. You have gotten it back under control now." Professor X says. Jean sighs and nods her heads. I just hope I don't let them down.

"Uh.."

"What's on your mind Hawks?"

"What happened?" Hawks asks glancing at both of them.

"A power surge," Professor X says.

Hawks's eye widen. "Power surge?"

"Yes, Jean's powers suddenly spiked and overwhelmed her mind with voices."

"That's right. I thought I was able to handle it, but one day after school, I lost control. Too many voices talking at once in my head. I ended up throwing heavy weight balls and something else before blacking out. "

"Later, I found out, while unconscious, my powers were still active. Your dad wasn't able to help, but Scott and Rouge did. From what they told me, Rouge absorbed some of the power while Scott reached out to me. It worked and I stopped. Since then nothing else like that has happened."

"You have that much power? I guess I won't get on your bad side." Hawks says.

"She even destroyed the room she was in while we were trying to help her. It took a while for it to get the room repaired." Professor X teases.

Jean smiles apologetically at him. Hawks chuckles. "Sounds like I missed a lot." Especially her.