*A/N: Will switch between Lyris POV and 3rd POV.
Lyris POV
"That's all? Haven't they been able to locate that person?"
At the temporary police headquarters, Naomasa Tsukauchi had arrived a few minutes earlier to hand me a cup of coffee.
"Detective, it'll be okay." I tried to reassure him, taking another sip. "As long as we have the detainee, they might come back for their friend. They've been moved to a more secure location. Right now, it's the only advantage we have until we learn more from the current investigation... They didn't succeed last time, even though they pretty much destroyed the former precinct... Here, take a seat." I said, gesturing to the chair across from my desk.
A memory of the attack where Deku and Bakugo did their best to stop a rampaging villain appeared across my mind. At the very last moment when the villian lunged at me, it became hard to recall much else past that point. No matter how hard I tried, it was hazy and unreliable. My own power has increasingly become much more difficult to control since that day.
"Lyris... Last time, they came after you. Did you forget already?" He said, a flash of concern on his face as he sat up straighter in his seat.
"How could I forget? You've been kind enough to check up on me often since I got out of the hospital." I said. "Don't worry. I won't let my guard down again. I promise." I tried to reassure him.
"When you went back the other day, you mentioned how the nurse wasn't happy to see you? I wonder what went through her head." He said with a short laugh.
"Probably better that I don't cross paths with her again." I shrugged with a grin.
He nodded in agreement but then broke eye contact as if he had something on his mind. He placed his coffee cup on my desk and let out a long sigh.
"Honestly, I came here for another reason. There's a case that I've been working on, and I... I can't do this alone. I need your expertise. You know that I wouldn't ask you unless it's gotten to a point where I need some outside help. It's about the villain known as *Hollow Zero."
My eyes grew serious as I listened, the concern in his voice resonating with me.
"I'll see what I can find." I said before turning to the computer, my fingers flying over the keys as I accessed the database.
The room grew quiet except for the murmur of conversations from the nearby offices and the rhythmic tapping of the keyboard. The screen flickered with life, displaying a plethora of information that I sifted through with practiced ease. He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, his gaze never leaving the screen as he waited for any shred of news about his case.
"You see this?" I handed him the folder I was looking at earlier.
"What am I looking at?" He questioned as he began to flip through its pages.
"It's a list of reported break-ins categorized by dates and locations. My partner Miyo dropped it off not too long ago before she went home for the day."
"Do you think my case is related to the one you've been working on?"
"Look here. When compared to the reported sightings of Mr. Hollow Zero on my computer alongside my own case, the pattern has moved over time. Miyo made a note on the page before of how this one group became increasingly more dangerous over time. Gaining more and more attention, too." I pointed towards a street with my finger and tapped on the paper a few times. "It's already a known hotspot for small-time villains and gangs. The guy you've been looking for was last reported nearby."
"I'm familiar with this area. Heroes have been in some pretty messy fights because of them and real complicated situations that the public rarely hears about."
"Yeah. If it's not flashy, it won't really get much public focus. They're still an issue regardless of media coverage." I let out a sigh. "Hollow Zero might even be working with them. At this rate, it's no wonder why this other neighborhood might be targeted next by more of these guys."
"Which neighborhood?" He pressed.
"It's the district north of the city's financial center. Why? Do you know something?" I looked up at him, my eyes narrowing slightly in question.
"I remember seeing something on the news about, well, something pretty flashy. It was quite the surprise for Hawks to have shown up since it's so far from his agency."
"Hawks?" Not expecting to hear about him out of the blue, Tsukauchi raised an eyebrow at my reaction.
"Yeah, it's pretty lucky that he happened to be there. If you ask me, he's a pretty reliable kind of guy. You've worked with him a few times by now, right?" He asked, taking an extra sip of his coffee.
"Actually... I'm sort of working on a separate case with him now." I answered, breaking eye contact as I admitted it out loud for the first time.
"That's impressive." He gave a nod of approval. "He's not someone known to work with just anybody, especially with those who can't keep up with him."
"Guess I'm able to keep up just enough, then." I said vaguely with a shrug of my shoulders.
His ringtone began to go off.
"Hold on." He took his phone out of his pocket and checked on the contact name before answering the caller. "Hello? Is everything okay?... Alright. I'm on my way."
"That sounded pretty serious. Is it something about your case?" I asked, noticing the way his expression changed.
"Yeah. Just didn't expect to get a call from him. He's the person who tasked me with tracking down Hollow Zero. He goes by Mr. Usuba." He explained, picking up his jacket from the chair and putting his arms inside each sleeve. "He just wants to get an update from me in person."
"I'll see what I can do from here. Leave it to me!" I said with a big grin. "Give yourself a break just for tonight, and I'll let you know if there's anything new later on."
"I won't forget this. Thank you, Lyris. I'll see you next time." He excused himself to leave.
Time passed without interruption, and the more that I looked into the person known as Hollow Zero, the more I began to realize that something else was going on.
'Does Hawks know about this? Is this the reason why he was near that neighborhood? Hollow Zero... Is he the one that I've been looking for this whole time? It can't be a coincidence that recently, that villain has been suspected of being in contact with Dabi.'
"No... I can't ask him... Not before I know more." Raising a hand to lightly rub the side of my head, I sighed as I tried to relax. "Not another headache..." I groaned.
3rd POV
Holding onto his cellphone as the person he was dialing failed to pick up once more, Hawks let out a frustrated sigh.
"Where are you?" He said out loud to nobody in particular, looking over the city from great heights on top of the tallest building that he could find. The recent weather had been reflecting what was going on in his own mind, thunderstorms, and cold air.
Taking a step forward and then another one until heading off the ledge, Hawks walked over it and began his descent towards the ground. After losing enough altitude, he snapped his wings open to slow down his fall. With a few more flaps, he landed at a dark and mostly empty area of a park. The low lighting was good enough to blend in and not catch anyone's attention.
Landing lightly on the pavement, his wings folding neatly against his back as he transformed into a sleek, shadowy figure, gliding through the alleyways. His destination was the precinct where he knew he could find some answers. Hawks pushed open the building's heavy glass door, the bell chiming a welcome that felt eerily out of place amidst the tension coiling in his chest.
The familiar scent of coffee and paperwork greeted him as he stepped into the bustling lobby. He approached the front desk, surprising the old woman who was typing away at her computer.
"H- hello! What brings you here?" She asked Hawks, standing up immediately in reaction.
"Just here to visit someone." Hawks answered her with a small welcoming grin. he flashed his hero license at the receptionist, who nodded briskly and buzzed him through to the back offices. "Thank you. Keep up the good work."
"Thank you!"
As he walked further down the long hall, the walls were lined with wanted posters of villains. He frowned at the sight of them, familiar with their crimes. Their twisted smiles taunting him as he passed by, reminding him of the grim reality that could have befallen the person he was looking for.
When he reached Lyris's office, she looked up from her desk from reading through some paperwork, a mix of surprise and concern etching her features. She knew Hawks well enough to recognize the seriousness of his unannounced visit.
Lyris POV
Reading through the files with more focus, I began to again look over through the notes Miyo had again written until someone began to call my name.
"Lyris?"
"Detective? Back so soo- Oh!" I stopped when I had looked up to see who it was. "Hawks, what brings you here?" I asked, setting aside the report I'd been studying. I stood from my chair to greet him. "Is everything okay?"
Looking directly at his wings, I noticed how they've already grown back to their normal size after his battle against Hood. He looked normal, but there was something off about him. He looked unsettled.
"No. I'm here about... Alright. It's about Lifeline." He said, getting straight to the point, his voice tight. "I haven't heard from her in weeks. I've tried reaching out through the usual channels, but it's like she's gone dark. I need your help."
"Hold on... Lifeline?!" I dropped the folder on the floor in my surprise, scattering all of its contents all over the ground.
Without missing a beat, he bent down at the same time that I did and began to gather several pages before handing them to me. Standing up before I could, I saw him reaching out a hand towards me. Taking it, I stood up and placed everything back on the keyboard, then turned back to face him.
"Yes. It's why you're the right person to ask about this. You mentioned her first back then, so I don't have to explain why it's so important to locate her." He said in a serious tone.
"What are you talking about? Do you think that something has happened to her?" I asked immediately.
"It's been too long since he had received any news about her." He said. "I know that she's capable of taking care of herself, but... I can't help but just think about what could be the actual reason."
"When was the last time you were in contact with her?"
"Every other day, we talked. Until about a week ago. But, now it's like she's vanished without a trace. No emergency calls, no updates, nothing... No news, to me, is a sign of trouble."
'I had no idea he was that close with Lifeline... This is...'
"Uh, has she ever gone dark like this before?" I asked, knowing that I needed to put all of my focus into this.
"No. That's why it's so important for me to know." He ran a gloved hand through his hair before continuing, the concern on his face easy to read. "It's unlike her to do something like this without warning."
Taking a moment to consider the next step, I knew that I had to work fast and leave everything else on pause right now.
"I'll do what I can." I said. "I'm going to need some more information. Do you have a license plate or anything else that I can start with?"
"Uh..." He stopped himself.
For a moment, he seemed to hesitate to answer me.
"Hawks?" I spoke up, taking him out of his train of thought.
"I promised to keep her identity a secret. Yet, in a situation like this?" He shook his head and reached over to pick up a notepad and pen before scribbling down something quickly. He handed it over to me, and I read it over, realizing that he wrote down her address. "Her new place is there. I recently asked someone she, uh, works with. He told me not to worry and he'll talk to a detective so I can focus on my hero work, but this address is all he had to give me. "
"What? This neighborhood is..." I gasped slightly as I glanced back at my computer screen where I was looking over information from Tsukauchi's case. "Don't mind me. Have you been to this area lately? I'm wondering because I've been recently asked to take a look around there."
"You have?" Hawks's eyes lit up with a mix of hope and urgency. "No, I haven't been there, but nearby, I was working with an upcoming Hero for the first time. If this is a place you know about, then we need to check it out." He was already on his feet, the chair scraping against the floor as he stood. "Can you meet me there?"
"I'll clear it with my supervisor." I said, reaching for the phone. "But be careful, Hawks. We have to be from now on. That area isn't exactly a walk in the park."
My words seemed to barely register with him as he nodded curtly. While I spoke with my supervisor, he paced the small office, his wings twitching with anticipation. He couldn't just sit and wait. I understood that he needed to be out there, searching for her.
Watching him, I saw the weight of responsibility pressing down on his shoulders. Finally, I hung up the phone.
"Lyris?" He questioned me as I approached my desk to put everything away in my bag, turning off my desk lamp before walking up to him and slinging the bag over one shoulder.
"Alright, we're good to go." I said, grabbing my jacket and car keys. "Let's not waste any more time."
We headed out of the building, Hawks walking behind me. The night air was cool and made me shiver slightly. The city's neon lights cast a stark contrast against the deep red color of each feather of his wings.
"Knowing that you don't have to struggle with traffic the way that I have to pretty soon, don't get too bored while you wait for me to catch up." I said jokingly, to lighten the mood the best that I could. "Must be nice." I added in sarcastically.
"It is." He let out a chuckle. "Knowing that you're on the case puts me at ease." He admitted with a genuine smile, which I didn't expect. "There was nobody else that I could turn to without risking her identity from getting exposed. I'll wait for you there."
We both turned to go our separate ways for now. With my back turned, I knew he took to the skies after a strong gust of wind pushed past me. I stopped to look up and catch a glimpse of him.
"Hawks, thank you for trusting in me." I said as I watched him get smaller and smaller in the night sky. "Unfortunately, I'm sure that you're going to be questioning how much trust you can have in me after I... No, this isn't the time for that kind of stuff." I walked over to where my patrol car was parked and got in, sirens on to cut time on travel.
3rd POV
After we arrived at the neighborhood and I parked my vehicle nearby, I called Hawks to meet up with him. The sounds of distant sirens and the occasional shouts echoed through the streets. We walked over to the address he gave me earlier without speaking much. The silence between us grew heavier with each passing moment while we walked side by side. I didn't have to ask to know that his instincts were on high alert, and his senses heightened as he listened for any signs of trouble. Thunder in the distance warning us of the slow shift in the weather.
The air grew colder and the buildings more decrepit, the line between the safe and the unsafe blurring with each step we took. The shadows that grew longer and more menacing as we approached the outskirts, the city lights now in the far distance. I could almost feel the tension coiled in his muscles, ready to spring into action at the first sign of danger.
"We should split up." I spoke up first to suggest a change of plan. "That way, we can cover more of this area."
"You can't be seriously considering that." He said, shaking his head after he stopped walking.
"We don't have time to discuss this." I turned to walk back to him. "There isn't any time to waste." His wings twitched in reaction.
"Lyris, I really hope that you're joking." He frowned.
"If you take to the rooftops, I'll stick to the streets." I explained. "Hawks, listen to me..." I lowered my voice and looked directly at him. "I know what kind of trouble I can find. It's an everyday kind of thing for me. It's my job. The difference this time is that I know you're here. That's the only reason I can even say such a risky plan and not fear these streets. You're literally one of the fastest alive, so that's a pretty good chance. I'll be just fine. Right?"
At my words, he relaxed a little and shook his head.
"What can I even say to that? Honestly... Fine. Let me know if you notice anything out of the ordinary. Okay?"
"Deal." I said, with a nod to agree.
Taking a few steps away from me, he extended his wings out, and with a quick motion downwards, he lifted himself towards the dark sky. From that moment on, we moved swiftly and stealthily separate from each other, our eyes peeled for any clue that could lead us to Lifeline. The air was thick with the scent of damp concrete and the faint whiff of something sweet.
'It's too quiet... Something is wrong...'
It seemed suspicious as I walked around the empty streets. The night was too peaceful. Compared to all of the reports of crime and villain activity nearby, it felt out of place.
"No! Leave me alone!"
The first sign of trouble came in the form of a muffled cry, echoing from an alleyway shrouded in darkness. Before I had time to reach for my cellphone to contact him, I had already seen a streak of red zoom past me from above. The Hero, who was too fast, moving quicker than my eyes could follow. Without a second thought, Hawks dove into the abyss.
"Hawks! Wait! Something isn't right about this!" I tried to call out to him, but he didn't seem to hear me as he rushed in.
When I tried to move and catch up with him, my vision began to change.
"Ugh! Not now!" I covered my face with both hands, my eyes held shut. My back pressed against the brick wall behind me. "No!"
'My quirk is trying to overpower me! I can't let that happen!'
While he went to face the situation on his own, I fell on my knees, gasping to catch my breath. A thick fog began to slowly roll in.
3rd POV
The alley was littered with trash and graffiti, darkened walls tall and looming. His eyes scanned the area, searching for the source of the distress. As he approached, a flash of movement caught his attention.
Landing on the concrete with a thud, Hawks looked around quickly. Two shadowy figures were huddled over a third, smaller silhouette. His heart pounded in his chest as he recognized the distinctive outline of Lifeline's costume beneath them. With a roar of rage, he descended upon the assailants, his feathers standing on end, poised to strike.
The larger of the two figures looked up into the fog.
"It's Hawks! Run!" His eyes widened in surprise before he scuttled away, leaving the smaller one to face Hawks alone.
Several feathers spread out and surrounded the runner. Before he could make it to turn the corner, red feathers lifted him up in the air, all without turning his back to the other one he began walking towards. The light from a nearby flickering streetlamp revealed a teenager, no older than sixteen, dressed in a makeshift villain's attire, clutching a handful of wires, most likely stolen.
"What have you done to her?" Hawks snarled, his wings enveloping him like a fiery halo as he approached.
The teenager stumbled backward, dropping the wires.
"N-nothing, I swear!" He squeaked.
Ignoring the protest, Hawks rushed over to Lifeline's unconscious form. She lay there, her costume torn and her breathing shallow. He gently cradled her head, feeling the warmth of her skin and the steady pulse at her neck. Relief flooded through him, but it was quickly replaced by anger and determination. He glared at the young teenagers, but his priority was clear: Lifeline.
Careful footsteps echoing in the quiet alley caught his attention, but he turned around to see it was just Lyris who approached him.
"Hawks, what are you doing?" She called out, one hand on her utility belt, ready for action, the other hand rubbing the side of her head. "What about those two guys earlier? Are they involved?"
"I found her!" He exclaimed, holding out his arms.
"What do you mean you found her?" She asked, her voice tinged with confusion and concern. "There's no one here." Her brow furrowed.
He turned to her, his eyes wide with shock. Feeling his heart sink as he looked down, he realized with a gut-wrenching jolt that his arms were empty. There was no sign of Lifeline. His feathers released the teenagers, who scrambled to get to their feet and ran away. They disappeared into the dense fog.
The knot in his stomach grew tighter with each passing second.
"Lyris... I was just holding her in my own hands! How can she just be... Gone?"*The mentioned villain known as "Hollow Zero" is an original character.
*The mentioned villain known as "Hollow Zero" is an original character.
April 17th, 2025