Chapter Text
The day Hawks could leave the hospital, was also the day he sat at home in front of his mirror. He spent a good while watching the feathers of his wings fall to the ground once again as they failed to grow back strong enough to stay. He was alone, no one could even see it happening. Actually, he didn't even want anybody to see this misery.
"You brought this to yourself." He whispered to his reflection and began picking up his bright red feathers off the ground. They were frail and missing some spots in their hair, completely useless. "Guess you could take a walk, a stupid little walk to feel better..." He continued to talk to himself quietly, knowing he must look like he was drowning in self pity. During recovery he couldn't say a single word, so he took up talking to himself right after as to not feel as quiet and lonely. Did it make him feel better? Yes, a little.
While humming a calm melody, he stepped into his sneakers and changed into a dark shirt with no holes for wings since he didn't need them anymore. After giving himself an imaginary slap, he gathered his keys, phone and some money in case he needed it.
It felt good to step outside and breathe in fresh air, he barely even needed a jacket in this weather. The warm wind made him feel at ease, just like it did when he was high up in the clouds.
Ugh, I did it again. He just destroyed his mood once again. How could he not?
"Don't beat yourself up, just walk around and keep your thoughts shut. Okay?" His voice wasn't exactly quiet anymore, but there was no reason to be quiet at this time anyway. Not even a single soul was running around at four in the morning. In the back of his mind he couldn't believe how warm it was for this time, he wished he could just take a jump off a rooftop and dive thorugh the warmth again like he did last summer.
There, he did it again.
Hawks didn't even care where he was walking off to, just randomly going one corner after another. He murmured, "I wonder how many people live here." Soon the sun started to rise and the city was filled in a bright orange light. His feet stopped walking as soon as he arrived at a half torn down house. Wonder why this is still here? he asks himself and nosily takes a step inside.
Usually real estate like this would be torn down immediatly in order to build something brand new. But he wasn't complaining. He definelty needed a scary murder house adventure right now so he just went deeper inside.
The walls were slowly crumbling down and old furniture was either smashed to bits or burned. Sad, who would vandalize a good house like this? He walks up the stairs and notices even more burned furniture. There was only one thing not destroyed and it was a rather big couch inside of an empty dusty room. It smelled ashy in here and as if there was still a fire somewhere.
Fire, ugh.
He thought and decided just now it would be best to leave. The thought of fire itself made him uneasy. Slowly backing backwards out of the room until there was suddenly something that wasn't behind him earlier. His back was pressing against the chest of another person. His ears finally cought the sound of breathing right behind him. He didn't dare to turn around and just stood completely still, not moving an inch.
Something inside him knew already who it was and his body was frozen in fear.
A low voice rumbeld, making his body tense and legs go weak. A warm breath grazing his ear. "Oh, look who decided to visit an old friend?"
What did he do to deserve this? Hawks seriously believed he must have wronged the gods above to deserve this. "What's wrong babybird, cat got your tongue?" Dabi put a hand on Hawks shoulder, who was still not moving. It took some more seconds for him to retrieve control of his muscles. Back then Hawks would have had no problem turning this situation around, making him regret having invaded his personal space like this. Unfortunately in this condition, his fight or flight response was delayed. "Don't you dare touch me!" Hawks finally hissed and snapped around, pushing the black haired villain away. Voice still rough as if it was the sound of scraping against wood.
"Finally, lil' birb starts to put up a fight." Dabi laughs at him and crosses his arms unimpressed. He knew he had the advantage here, it was painfully obvious.
It took the hero everything not to quiver in fear when his eyes met the cold emotionless blue ones. "Stop with the nicknames, the names' Hawks." The blonde put up his hands in front of his body and lowered his center of balance, ready for a hit.
Again Dabi just laughs at him, he cooes even. "Still in that identity crisis Keigo?"
Hawks stopped breathing for a moment, struggling to keep a straight face. The villain saying his long forgotten name really threw him off, even if it happened for the second time already. "Aww, look at you. I love this look on your face, so full of terror." Dabi continued talking, now lifting a hand and lighting it up with blue flames.
The room lit up in a low blue color, it made Hawks skin crawl.
"What are you doing here, stop that!" He stepped away until his back hit the wall. "Just let me go okay, I can't fight anyway." - "One more reason to end this right now?" The fire made the blonde panic more than he would admit. He couldn't quite place it just yet, not when his feeling were all over the place like that. Certainly not when his eyes were scanning the room for a possible escaoe route. The windows were closed shut and the door was blocked by Dabi, now the smell of a fresh fire filled his nose and he wished he could just fall asleep and never wake up.
Then he remembered something, something he noticed while studying Dabis personality.
Fear was what he loved most in his victims, and he wouldn't give him that. Showing how scared he was would be like serving himself up on a silver platter. Se he drops his hands, forcing his body into a casual stance. This was his one and only bet and to his own suprise, the flame died in the villains hand.
Yes, I knew it!
Hawks was proud to have guessed correctly, now he just stood against the wall trying not to do anything provocative. It wasn't easy at all but he managed, his heart was still beating out of his chest.
"You're still in Japan after failing?" His mouth slipped somehow as usual and Dabi took a big step towards him. "You got nerves coming inside my hideout acting all shocked, as if you didn't think I'd be here." Dabi flicked his wrist as if it was hurt, now scanning the hero up and down. No wings on his back and he didn't even see any cut out holes for them in his shirt, surely he was defenseless and playing the bait for a raid that was coming at any moment now?
He assumed Hawks had figured out about his new hideout and tried to find some evidence to bust his ass. Boy was he wrong.
The hero quickly realized what the white haired man said and just shook his head, why the hell would he come here on his own then without any weapons?
"Are you serious? I was just taking a walk and wanted to take a look at this place, I wouldn't even have known you were hiding here if you didn't tell me!" He yelled at the villain, almost angry at how fucking stupid he was. All of this was nothing but a stupid coincidence.
Both of them just stared at each other for a moment, letting the embaressing truth sink. The first one to jump into action was Dabi, not willing to gamble on the risks of believing whatever Hawks had just stated. He grabbed his shirt collar and pushed him roughly against the wall, grinding his teeth so he wouldn't immediately burn the other to ashes.
"You don't get to yell at me you little shit, just wait until I beat the shit out of your sorry ass." Dabi now grabbed the heros throat, cutting off his air circulation completely. Hawks couldn't even defend himself anymore. He could only kick at the white haired villain until said person shoved him into the ground will all his strenght. Manhandling his body however he wanted.
Is he really going to end me now? That was the only thing Hawks was thinking, he touched his throat worriedly and just stayed on the floor. Using his free hand to try and struggle out of the grip on his throat. Shit, without my wings it's impossible to fight him off. "I'm not sure what to do with you Birdie, should I burn your back off once more? How about your face this time?" His voice was dangerously low. "Wish I could burn that chocky hero smile off ya face." Not even a second later he gave Hawks a kick, making him slide across the floor and turn his back on him. Hawks held his stomach while coughing loudly, not anticipating being pulled up onto his feet again. He whined as Dabi pushed him face first into a cracked mirror.
"Pretending to be a tough boy won't help you, try screaming for help Keigo. Maybe there's a hero on patrol somewhere near." He spat and glanced at Hawks face who was still not looking into the mirror. Dabi could see himself and Hawks in the thin glass, he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it. Hawks opened his eyes again and was met with an amused Dabi staring straight at him, an idea shot through his brain and his body just followed immediately.
The hero grabbed the mirror off the wall and smashed it onto Dabis head, making the villain groan in pain and fall to his knees. Little shards of glass splittered across him, cutting into his already damaged skin and pausing any thought he had for a good moment.
Hawks ran for his life.
I can't believe it! He rushed down the stairs and literally just a split second before he could touch the door handle, he was yanked away by his hair and a burningly hot hand closed around his neck. His whole backside was pressed roughly against Dabis body now and he could feel everything.
Everything from the burning sensation on his skin to the heavy breathing on his shoulder. It awakened a level of fear in him he never felt before. "Dabi please, just let me-" He was interuppted by a sizzling sound and his own screams. The hand wrapped around his neck had turned so hot it burned its mark into his skin. He wiggled and yelled but to no avail, the villain only let go after he was satisfied with the blondes screams. Letting him drop to the ground as if he was the burning one, giving him one last kick into the face before gathering his things and looking for a new hideout.
He didn't feel like killing him just yet, somehow there was still something he needed from the hero so he just left him on the floor unconscious. "Just wait little bird, I'm going to come and find you very soon again. We're not done yet."
. . . . .