As Hawks pushed the phone up to his ear, the bird heard the loud beeping of an answering machine echo back just as quickly, causing the man to immediately frown. What the hell, he was just trying to reach the president about this whole war thing and she was sending him to voicemail?
It was something that the man had thought of after hearing Endeavor try to gather up his own group of heroes just a couple feet away, the man's gruff voice allowing him to lower his phone in defeat.
Ah, shit. The president was probably pissed at him for ghosting her these last couple weeks, that's why she wasn't answering now. But it wasn't his fault, okay? Between Hikari's villainous identity and the liberation's cameras, the man was stuck.
Although this was probably the worst time for the woman to ignore him as they were literally just minutes away from bringing an all out war to the liberation in order to protect all of hero's society. You'd think that would be something the president would want to know about? Apparently not.
Noticing his annoyed demeanor, Hikari couldn't help but turn her head before poking her brother in the side with a frown. "What's up with you? Why's your face look all ugly? I mean, it looks ugly all the time but right now it's like realllyyy ugly."
Her brother felt his eyes roll at her vague insult before shoving his phone back inside his pocket. At least she seemed to be enjoying herself. "Sorry, I was just tryin to fill the commission in on everything since it's been awhile and a lot has happened."
Yet at the mention of the commission, he watched as Hikari's back turned rigid and uncomfortable before Hawks realized that his sentence probably came out wrong. He didn't want her to think he was trying to sell her out or anything.
Doing his best to make her relax, the bird quickly put his hands up to clarify. "Not about you of course, just about the war and everything."
That seemed to do the trick, the girl's shoulders slumping with a silent relief before she seemed to actually think about what he was saying. "Why?"
Shrugging his shoulders, the bird replied back. "I don't know, I guess I thought that if they heard about this war then they'd sent reinforcements to help us out, you know?"
Hawks seemed to believe those words also.
Of course, most of his reasoning for connecting her was because he felt inclined to tell the president everything. That's just always how it was, she would give an order and he'd inform her on very last detail until the job was completed.
It's what he'd been conditioned to do since the beginning and even now the bird still felt slightly uneasy about keeping certain things from her along the way. He'd never done that before, usually he was an open book for that woman.
But these last fews months had caused Hawks to withdraw, knowing that the president was already after his sister's villain persona, something that he had helped with unknowingly when he brought Shadow to meet with her. Oops, that wasn't his brightest moment.
He just couldn't risk it, he couldn't risk the president taking his little sister away, he couldn't risk her giving him another horrible order that he'd have to obey, he couldn't risk any of it.
That's why he was only going to tell her about the easiest things to explain, the war and nothing more. As far as the president was concerned, Hikari the villain, Hikari his little sister didn't exist.
And that's how he wanted it to stay, forever.
Hikari on the other hand, only seemed disgusted by the meaning of the call, her lips twisting with cynical distaste. "Don't waste your breath. It's better if those assholes aren't involved."
This caused the man to raise an eye, taking in his sister's new emotions. She was always like this when he brought up the commission but he could never understand why. The girl hadn't told him anything about it either
No, it seemed every time she only brushed it off.
But as much as he was desperate to know what her change in attitude meant, the man withheld as he tried to speak with her logically. "Whoa, hold on there Hika-chan. More help would be a good thing, remember?"
Hikari didn't seem to feel the same though, scoffing under her breath. "Not from them."
Opening his mouth to question her strange word choice, Hawks then heard Endeavor speak to his right, the man hanging up his own phone call before turning serious. "Alright, the rest of the team should be here soon. We don't know what to expect so it is more logical to wait for them to arrive and then head to the liberation together."
Oh yeah, that's right. The war.
The bird had temporarily forgotten about the real problem at hand completely. Honestly, he was far more interested in Hikari's hate for the commission than anything else. Some hero he was, right?
Although that's when Hawks felt his face begin to pale at some sort of realization, the bird shifting around on his feet as his sister eyed him with a watchful gaze at the strange and new erratic movements.
Just then, the hero gave a small anxious laugh before lifting his wings upwards, almost like he had gotten the best idea in the entire world. "Hey, I got a great idea. How about I scout ahead so that way we don't have to go in blind? Sounds good, right?"
Sure, his words didn't seem out of the ordinary, in fact they made sense completely. Endeavor literally just said that they were going in blind for all of this and having Hawks arrive before everyone would give the group a heavy advantage.
But it was the way he said it, the way he shifted around and brought it up out of the blue that made Hikari raise a suspicious eye. She was a Takami also after all, and the one thing she could sniff out the best was when someone was trying to manipulate her.
Back when she was pretending, the girl had forced herself to ignore it but right now it was obvious to tell that Hawks' grand plan wasn't just about giving them the upperhand, there was something else there, she just knew it.
Because of that, the girl felt her hand latch onto the hero's jacket in a single second before turning to the group and giving a fake lighthearted chuckle, one that caused Hawks' to immediately flinch. "Excuse me, I need to talk to my boss for a second."
Laughing nervously at the reappearance of her fake personality, the bird nodded back once before looking down at her hand in order to pull it off of him. "O-Oh yeah, sure this fellow sidekick of mine, let me just.."
Hikari didn't have time for his bullshit though, immediately removing five feathers from her wings before forcing the objects to push him backwards and stumble into a nearby bush. "Whaaa!"
Groaning as the man hit the ground, the feathers floated away before the hero found his sister standing above him, authority in her stance. And she looked pissed, like really really pissed.
She allowed her brother to stumble to his feet before immediately letting her voice come out, dark and serious. "Just what are you trying to play, Kei? There's definitely an underlying method to your shady ass plan, now spill."
The bird didn't expect her to call him out so quickly though as the man went into panic mode in order to deny like he always did when someone suspected something. It was a reflex by now, lying. "What are you talking about, Hika-chan, I'm not.."
Although one glare from the villain brought him to immediately shut his mouth and gulp before her voice grew even more threatening. Oh no, she was not going to let him get away with this one. "Don't fuck with me. I'm not an idiot."
Widening his eyes at her tone, the bird threw his arms up in defense. The last thing he wanted was to be dishonest with her after everything. He didn't mean to try to lie to her just now. He just simply panicked, that's all.
Hawks then gave a heavy sigh before forcing the fear from his mind in order to soften his voice ever so slightly, shame and regret laced in every word. I-I know you're not an idiot..sorry..I'm not used to tellin people the truth."
Without a response, the bird found it safe to continue, allowing his words to tumble out honestly for once in his life. "I can't show up with the rest of you, then the league would know I was a traitor this entire time. Sure, taking down the liberation is great and all but I still have a mission, I still have to be a double agent after all this is over and I still need to get close to them."
And as much as Hawks hated it, somewhere in the back of his mind he knew his mission wasn't over. That's the whole reason he went undercover in the first place. It was to bring down the league of villains and he was still so far away from that goal.
This liberation thing was like a vacation right now but soon Hawks knew he needed to get back to business in order to help save hero society as a whole. So that way everyone would have free time on their hands, so he could sacrifice himself for their futures.
He couldn't come back a disappointment, he just couldn't. He couldn't stand in front of the commission president and tell her that he failed. That wasn't an option for him. Otherwise, he would be stripped of his title for sure, left with nothing just like his abusive father.
No, that was not going to happen, for as much as he loved his little sister it the clear that someday soon the two of them were going to have to pick their sides, they were going to have to wake up from this stupid little fantasy and fit the mold of heroes and villains again.
Hikari seemed to realize the weight of his words as well though, her eyes filling up with unknown emotion before lowering them to the ground silently. Even after all of this, you're still going to back to being a dog of the state. Why am I not surprised?
Seems like the commission still had their claws in him deep, didn't they?
When she finally decided to speak, it sounded cynical and cruel, venom dripping from every word. "Because that's what that bitch wants, right?"
The pure anger in her voice couldn't be ignored as Hawks turned his head in confusion. Of course he was doing this because of his orders but he was also doing this for the world, for everyone else. That's why he was chosen in the first place, to be a special hero..
The bird couldn't help but feel defensive at her words, frowning at the implications before forcing himself to respond. "I-It's what I want too. It's what I've always wanted.."
Even then, it was obvious to see that both Hawks and Hikari didn't believe his words for a second, the woman lowering her eyes as if she was reading his mind. "Are you sure about that?"
Widening his eyes at her cruel choice of words, the man froze. What the hell was she saying? What else could he want? There was nothing for a child of a villain other than this.
This was the only option, to obey and follow what the president desired.
That was all he had ever known.
So much so, a tiny bit of bitter intent poured from his lips, not liking that she was reading so deep into his soul. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Hikari seemed to stay silent though, the two of them taking in the thick silent tension before the girl's shoulders caved in, almost like she had given up on the current topic of conversation.
It was clear they had chosen their sides in all of this. Whatever, It's not like I'm going to be around for much longer anyways. If he wants to go back to those monsters then I can't stop him, just like how he didnt' stop me before when I went with Dabi. Guess things really come full circle, don't they? How ironic.
Lifting her head, the girl then spoke loudly, enough for the group behind them to hear, her eyes never leaving her brother's in the process. "I agree with Hawks, I think him going on ahead would be good for everyone."
Then Hikari simply turned around before rejoining the group as her brother watched in shock. Wait, did she just cover for him so that he could go through with his plan? But why? It didn't seem like she was very happy with it in the first place.
Endeavor only nodded his head though, finalizing the plan in his mind. "Very well, we will reconvene at the mansion then."
Quickly bouncing back, Hawks gave a man a cheerful thumbs up before lifting out his wings with a cheerful grin. He did get what he wanted after all. "Ah, sounds great, man! Looking forward to it. Guess I'll see you all soon?"
Yet before the man could take off, he heard a small voice call back to him. "Hey, idiot."
Blinking in surprise, Hawks then turned to find Hikari's eyes casted away from his, almost like she was too embarrassed to say her next words. "I'm just a call away."
And hearing the very same words Hawks had uttered to her a couple weeks ago caused the man to immediately freeze, allowing his heart to fill up with warmth and surprise. He had never seen his sister like this, so vulnerable and real.
It almost made him want to cry, mostly because he knew he didn't deserve it.
But even still, the bird just barely resisted, softening his eyes at her words and the meaning behind them. She was telling him to count on her, wasn't she? Just like he did for her. . "Thanks, Hika-chan."
And that was enough motivation the bird needed to finally ascend into the sky, the man absentmindedly reaching his hands into the pocket of his hero jacket before gripping the small photo of the young girl he always kept. This time for sure, Hikari. I won't disappoint you. I promise I'll finish all of this once and for all.
Once the hero had completely disappeared, Hikari's eyes couldn't help but fall. Soon all of this would be gone, Keigo and Hikari as well. It seemed obvious from this point of view. As soon as he crawled back to the commission everything would be over.
But it's not like she'd be around to see it anyways.
She had yet to tell him about her plan to disappear after all, but it's not like telling him actually mattered in the first place. Things needed to go back to the way they were, her and her brother needed to stay seperate, they needed to be enemies.
Because it was clearly obvious that he was going to choose the commission in the end, just like she had always expected, The mission, the job, they were still the most important things in the world to him. Without them he was nothing, and for once the girl couldn't blame him for it.
Simply because she was also the same. Without her villainous facade she was also nothing and the girl couldn't even imagine a normal life anymore. Anything else was incredibly scary, and she was sure that Keigo felt the same. They couldn't change who they were, because they saw no other option than that.
So instead she allowed him to cling to his safety, just like she had done for years. It was easier that way, safer in every sense of the world. Valkyrie and Hawks, they were never meant to be family in the first place, only enemies.
Yet seeing him go couldn't help but leave an unexplained hole her heart. And for the first time the girl felt her throat filled with unexpected worry and anxiety for her big brother now that he was out of sight. Shit, now that she realized she didn't want him to die she was getting fidgety.
Todoroki seemed to sense this from the girl though, eyeing her strange mannerisms before voicing them a moment later. "You look uneasy."
Knowing that was the understatement of the century, the bird sighed. "I can't help it, somehow I have a bad feeling about all of this, like we are missing something important.."
She hadn't noticed it at first but just like how she sensed those liberation freaks at Endeavor's agency, she couldn't help but feel her feathers twitch and sharpen automatically at something unknown to her.
Todoroki snapped her out of her own delusions a moment later, turning his head at her strange wording. He didn't sense anything weird. "Like what?"
See that was the thing, what terrified her the most was the fact that Hikari couldn't place why she was feeling so nervous, the girl looking up at the sky and remembered her brother's outline just moments before.
Was that why she was fidgety, because her brother had gone off on his own?
She didn't know but these new feelings were certainly annoying to say the least. That idiot, he's probably gonna screw everything up. What if Dabi catches him? Then he's dead for sure. I shouldn't have let him go on his own.
Muttering under her breath, the girl frowned as she felt her stomach churn in a thousand different horrible scenarios. "I don't know."
Just then, Deku seemed to join the conversation, his voice small and slightly nervous, almost like he was afraid of her reaction. "Hikari, are you really a..?"
She knew what he was trying to say immediately. Poor kid. He must have been having a hard time believing the truth of her true villainous nature. She almost pitied him. "Sorry for the disappointment, kids. Told ya I wasn't worth it."
Realizing she wasn't denying it, the green haired kid widened his eyes before Shoto couldn't help but look towards the blonde in confusion. Sure, he had heard those villains confirm it themselves but somehow he still couldn't believe it.
The kid always saw villains as evil, but this girl had treated his wounds and saved his life. So that couldn't be right. She couldn't be the very thing they were trained to fight. "That's not it at all, I'm just surprised. You don't seem like a villain."
His naive nature caused the bird to chuckle under her breath though, mentally recalling all the screams and pleads from her previous victims. Stupid kid. That's what makes me dangerous, didn't they teach you that in hero school?
Lifting her wings outwards to prove a point, the villain then allowed her voice to lower with chilling intent before staring straight into Shoto's eyes with a cruel cynical smile. "Oh Shoto, you have no idea what I'm capable of."
The reappearance of her wings caused the boy to immediately shut his mouth though, Hikari taking his response as fear before lowering the objects to fold back behind her back with a heavy sigh. That's more like it.
Sighing to herself again, the girl then ran an absentminded hand through her hair before speaking the clear truth now that her brother wasn't listening. "It's nothing for you all to worry about though. I may be on your side for now but in the future things will just go back to how they have always been, how they should be."
The kids seemed surprised by her confession but Hikari hardly paid any mind, the girl instead focusing on her ever twitching feathers. Ugh what was wrong with her? It's like she couldn't relax right now. Stupid Keigo for making me care about you. Now you see what you've done?
And she tried, she really did try to ignore it but it seemed like the more she attempted that, the more senerios appeared in her mind, all of them displaying a burned, murdered or decapitated Keigo.
Her stupid nightmares, they were blending into reality now, weren't they?
So much so that the woman felt her hands move up to her face before immediately turning around with an annoyed and frustrated groan as Endeavor called back to her roughly. "Where are you going?"
Shaking her head at her own decision, the woman then pointed behind her in the direction of the mansion before caving under the weight of her own anxiety.
Sure, after this whole thing everything was going to go back to the way it was but that didn't mean that was going to happen right now.
Because she swore to god if Keigo died before they destroyed the liberation then she was going to kick his ass from his stupid grave. Stupid bird, see what you're making me do now? Ugh this was so much easier when I was indifferent to you dying.
Lifting her wings upwards to the sky, Hikari then stated plainly. "I don't trust this, something is off and I'm going to find out what it is. You all stay here with Endeavor, I'm gonna make sure that bird brained idiot doesn't do anything stupid after all."
Then before anyone could interject, the girl was gone, dead set on going after her brother.
And although Hikari didn't understand it, somewhere in the back of her throat, something told her that she needed to hurry.
That she needed to find him before it was too late.
----------
Knowing his way around the liberation mansion fairly easily, Hawks was able to sneak into the place unannounced, the bird opting to fly into an open window on the third floor behind the house before crawling into the complete darkness.
He didn't know who's room this was but the bird hardly cared, his feathers quickly searching the space and finding no signs of life. At least he could gather his thoughts before he tried to blend back into his fake villain lifestyle.
Looking down at his phone, the bird then tried the commission's number again, only to be met with the same plain and straightforward voicemail as Hawks began to groan. Were they avoiding him on purpose now? Did the commission find someone else to take his spot already? Because he wasn't doing a good enough job?
The fear consumed him immediately, before the hero tried again and again, each of them ending in the same feat of silence. What was going on? Usually the president demanded updates and answered every call.
Sighing to himself, the bird then turned to find a nearby mirror as he looked deep into his reflection in order to see the dark bags under his eyes and messy unkempt hair sticking to his sweaty forehead.
For as much as Hawks tried to admit he was fine, the bird knew he was slowly coming apart at the seams. All of this hiding, all of his lying and manipulation. When would it end?
He hated himself for it, for the man he was becoming each and every day. So much so that the hero didn't even recognize himself anymore.
And when Hikari told him that she loved him just a couple of hours ago, the hero couldn't help but immediately deny it in his mind. How in the hell could she ever love someone like him, how could she want someone like him in the first place?
The truth was, after these last crazy months with his sister, the last thing he wanted was to go back to how it all was before. He didn't want to go home to no one, he didn't want to have to look at Hikari as only a villain. He just wanted them to be able to live in peace.
But that's not how the world worked, that's not how this story worked. It wasn't about happy endings and childhood fantasies. It was about forcing themselves back into the roles everyone else had assigned for them.
For as much as he loved his little sister, the future couldn't be avoided. When all this was over they couldn't just continue their lives like ordinary people. No, they were not allowed that kindness.
Suddenly, the phone in his hand began to buzz as Hawks immediately looked down and found the president's name across the front. Finally, it was about time. Now he could prove to her that he wasn't useless.
Quickly putting the object to his ear, the man spoke. "Ah, there you are. Finally, I've been waiting for you. Quick, you have to listen to me.."
Yet his bubble quickly popped when the woman's cruel tone answered back, reminding him of his place immediately. "My, how informal Hawks. Is that any way to speak to me? I thought I got rid of all that rebellious attitude. Seems like you've been away from the commission a little too long."
Her words were sharp, causing the bird to flitch before verbally backtracking. It had been months since he had last talked to the woman and forgot how terrifying she could be. "Sorry prez, I'm just kinda in a hurry here and.."
The woman only seemed to mock his urgency though, throwing it back in his face with a bitter chuckle. "And you think the entire world will just bow down and listen to your every beck and call without a moment of hesitation? Oh please, Hawks. You are not that special."
The phrase was like poison, seeping into his mind as the hero held his head in shame. He wasn't trying to act special, he just wanted to tell her about what was going on.
But then again, the president always did know what hurt him the most. That was her speciality. "I-I know I'm not special."
Humming in agreement, she replied shortly "Obviously not. considering you have left me in the dark for months."
And there it was, the topic he was dreading from the very beginning. It was no secret that he hid things from the woman recently but none of them were his fault. Hawks just had his hands full.
But even so, her disappointed tone caused the hero to shrink inside himself with newfound shame. He should've been better, he should've found a way to communicate with her, he shouldn't have done more. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I've been on surveillance for the last few weeks."
The president hardly seemed to care though, her woman getting to the point. "If that's the case then why are you bothering me now?"
Gulping at the cruel and blank question, Hawks answered honestly in order to fill her in on what was happening.
He needed to stop being such a child and just come out and say it. Endeavor and everyone was counting on him to provide backup. "Well, the heroes are planning an attack on the liberation and we could really use the extra power so I thought.."
Cutting him off immediately, the president spoke, dark and full of warning. "Are you giving me orders, Keigo?"
The man couldn't help but widen his eyes at the sound of his real name, immediately flinching before going into full panic mode. "W-What? N-No no of course not. I just thought you'd want to help.."
Although it seemed like his logic was completely wrong as the line grew deathly silent, the bird only hearing the sound of his own anxious breath as he clung onto his phone with white knuckles.
And when her voice finally returned, it was far more cruel and demeaning than he could ever imagine, almost like she was scolding a child for stepping out of line. "Let me give you some advice, little boy. I didn't send you there so that I could do all the dirty work for you. If you really were a capable hero like you claim then you wouldn't be begging others to pick up after your mess."
Her words brought alarms into his brain, Hawks immediately feeling his mind spiral with newfound fear. He didn't mean to step out of line, he just wanted to help, he wanted to be of use to his team. But instead he was acting disgraceful, biting the hand that fed him all these years.
He was acting like a child, just like he always did. No wonder why the president was furious with his question. He should've been better than this, he should have handled this already.
What was wrong with him? The president was right, he should've been doing all of this himself, not asking for help. He didn't need help. If he asked for help than he'd be weak, he'd be a coward, he'd be that same little boy that did nothing and watched as his father abused Hikari.
Feeling his voice crack in each word, the man stuttered. "I am capable..I'm.."
Yet it was obvious to tell that he was slowly breaking by the moment, just the way she wanted. And that's why she decided to drill the invisible knife in even more, as punishment for stepping out of line and thinking he could have even an inch of freedom.
No, the president knew exactly what to say in order to the man to come crawling back to her time and time again. "Are you? Because it seems to me like you are reaching your expiration date of usefulness"
Panicking immediately, the bird shook his head before words started to tumble from his mouth, each of them desperate and rushed in order to prove his worth and not be cast aside as a nobody. "What? N-No, that's not the case, I am useful. I've already successfully spied on the League of Villains. Just give me some more time and I will destroy both the Liberation and the League myself. I will not disappoint you, I will not be a disappointment. I can do this."
No, he couldn't be a nobody again,
He had to be a hero, that's all he knew.
After that the room turned silent as Hawks paused, waiting like a dog on lease to be forgiven by his master. Sure, it was pathetic but the bird couldn't even register that. The only thing he wanted to hear was her forgiveness, her approval of his accomplishments.
A moment later, he got just that, the woman giving a heavy weighted sigh before speaking directly to the bird, knowing that he was clinging on to her every word. "Then get it done, and don't ever ask me again to clean up your mess."
Physically nodding back, the president then added plainly. "And mark my words, Keigo. if you make another mistake regarding this mission, then your service in both the hero world and the commission will no longer be necessary, understand?"
She didn't wait for a response, she didn't wait for another excuse. No, after she said those words the line seemed to go completely dead, leaving Hawks alone with his own dark and dangerous thoughts.
Feeling the bird start to hyperventilate in stress, the hero quickly shoved it down before running a hand through his hair in order to pull on her messy strands. He was already on thin ice, he couldn't cave now. The commission had given him more time.
Now was not the time to freak out, right now he needed to get his head screwed on and end this liberation war quickly so that way he could finish his mission with the league. That was the best course of action.
Walking over to the door in front of him, Hawks then gave a heavy breath in order to gather his thoughts before throwing the object open in order to paste a plastic fake smile upon his face. That's it, you're fine. Just one thing at a time.
Yet his brief moment of fake peace was quickly interrupted when the bird found someone on the other side of that very door, someone that was very familiar to him.
Twice.
He stood silent in the entryway, causing the bird to widen his eyes before immediately turning around to look at the dark room he was once standing in. Ah shit, this was Twice's room? He was too frazzled with the president to even notice.
Thinking on his feet, Hawks immediately racked his brain for a believable lie. This could've been a blessing in disguise after all. Usually Twice was pretty scatterbrain so he just had to make him believe that he invited him here. Yeah that's it, then maybe he'd forget this whole thing.
The hero then turned his lips into a fake carefree smirk before turning back to the villain with a set of finger guns. "Twice, hey man sorry I was just.."
Yet the man cut him off immediately, his eyes deathly serious as if he couldn't process something in particular, his voice small and scared. "Hawks, is that true? Are you really betraying us?"
Feeling his heart stop in his chest, the bird felt his once calm demeanor slowly dissipate before giving a small chuckle. No, he couldn't freak out yet, maybe the guy was playing a joke. He loved those. "What? Where do you get that crazy idea.."
The man only answered seriously, clearly not in the mood for jokes as his mind began to unravel on itself by the second. "I heard you, on the phone. All this time, I thought you were my friend..."
And that's when Hawks' world came crashing down around him.
Twice heard him talking to the commission.
He knew he was a spy.
No, it couldn't be, this wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening!!
Doing his best to gather his thoughts, the bird felt his mind begin to run in circles. No, this couldn't just fall apart in a single second. There had to be something he could do, something he could say that would change his mind.
Hawks then began to grasp at straws, taking a step towards the villain as he took one back, the bird's voice wavering and laced with thousands of unsaid terrors. "Listen man, things are complicated and I don't wanna hurt you. Let's just talk it out, yeah? Doesn't that sound better than doing what you're about to do.?"
The bird wasn't stupid, knowing there were only two possibilities for Twice's reaction from here. Either he'd attack the hero head on in fit of rage or he'd run away and tell everyone about his dirty little secret, contemning Hawks as a traitor and ruining everything.
And as much as he didn't like either option, the second one was clearly worse, hoping to reason with the man before he or the villain did anything drastic that was irreversible.
Because as much as he didn't want to admit it, Hawks liked Twice. He always liked him, ever since the first time they met. Sure he was a little goofy and unpredictable but the hero never saw him as a villain, but rather a man that was left without any other options.
That's why it hurt when the man started to fall apart before him, unable to process the reality before placing his hands on his masked face and shaking his head back and forth aggressively. "N-No no no no, not like this, not again. I trusted you and now look at what happened. This always happens, I'm always so foolish."
Feeling his heart twist with shame, the hero felt bad for the man, taking a step forward before reaching his hand out to the crying and hyperventilating villain before him. "Hey, buddy, Twice? Come on, let's just relax..."
Yet the bird froze when he watched as Twice took another step backwards, in order to gain some distance before Hawks balled his fists. He was going to run, he just knew it. He was going to do the worst possible reaction. No, he had to stop him.
Taking a shaking breath, the winged man felt his hands begin to shake before deciding to speak honestly to the man, hoping it would be enough for him to rethink the idea in his head. "You don't want to do it, trust me. I've seen your potential these last seven months. You were dealt a bad hand, that's all. There's still a life for you. I know there is. Because deep down you are a good person and I know you don't wanna do this.."
And then he waited, hoping that his words of kindness would change the man entirely. He prayed for that with his entire soul as the air stood still between them.
But Hawks was not an honest man on principle, Twice knew that now, which meant that every single word uttered was only white noise in his ears, causing the man to shake his head even, wanting to make everything go away. "S-Shut up, just shut up!! I'm sick of you, I'm sick of all of you!!"
Turning around, Hawks then watched as the villain took off running in the opposite direction a second later, clearly making his choice as the hero gasped in horrifying realization.
He was going to tell everyone.
And that very notion caused the hero's heart to fill with an overwhelming amount of panic, the pure weight of it crushing its lungs and making his head spin in dizzy nauseous circles. No, this couldn't help, he wasn't going to let this happen.
He had to make sure he stayed silent, one way or another. He couldn't have Twice ruin his entire mission. Then Hawks knew he'd be a failure in every possible way.
Quickly chasing after the terrified man, the hero withdrew his feathered sword in a single second before Twice jumped in fear at the implications before shouting down the empty hallways all at once. "T-Toga, Dabi, Spinner, anyone, anyone help!!"
But because most of them participated in the attack at Endeavor's agency, the place was mostly calm, the only sound being the erratic heartbeats of both the villain and the hero that was chasing him.
Realizing this in a single second, the villain then turned around before creating massive amounts of body doubles from his body, the entire space filling with the monstrous multitudes of himself as Hawks readied his sword with narrowed eyes.
And in this moment, the man could only think of one thing, of one single solitary goal, the very idea surrounding him and suffocating him until he could barely breathe.
You needed to silence Twice, you need to protect the mission.
He had already fucked up so much already that was obvious, so much so that the hero his teeth gritt so hard that it drew blood, the metallic substance on his tongue driving him even more mad by the moment.
Everyone was counting on him, the world was counting on him to complete his mission. That's why he had to do whatever it took to finish it, that's why he needed to keep himself in this game and not be discarded before everyone was taken out.
And between his already unstable mind from having to pretend for months along with the president's call just moments before this, Hawks felt his sanity start to snap ever so slightly.
Slicing through Twice's body doubles with brutal force, the commission agent's thoughts started to grow more and more desperate as he felt the ticking of the clock from behind him. He was running out of time, he had to do this quickly. What if someone saw, what if everyone saw?! He couldn't let that happen.
And as his sword continued to waste away the clones, his soldier instincts began to kick into overdrive, the adrenaline in his entire body burying Keigo in a single instant as the unfeeling agent side of him took over.
Whatever it takes, Hawks. You have to do whatever it takes.
Remembering his commission training, manipulation and emotional abuse all at once, Hawks couldn't help but feel the phrase seep into his entire body until he believed it to be true, just like the president had always conditioned him to from day one.
That's right. It didn't matter the sacrifice, it didn't matter the consequences or the means of getting there, all that mattered was completing the mission. That's all that ever mattered. If he didn't complete the mission then he'd be useless, he'd be weak, he'd be just like his father.
And that was not going to happen. He was a hero, he was special and capable and strong. He could take care of everything himself, He would take care of everything himself. Because he was number two, he was Japan's hope and future. He was everything everyone needed him to be.
He was already on thin ice so there was no room for any error, any hesitation. He just needed to make sure his lies and identity were safe, that's all. That's all that mattered, everything else was just collateral damage, casualties that needed to be destroyed and tossed aside.
Slicing through the man's last clone, Twice widened his eyes in fear as the dark ominous shadow of Hawks loomed towards him in a single second, the man no longer a hero in the slightest but rather a calculating unfeeling monster that wanted blood.
He felt his hands start to shake at the sight, before shouting back to the demon that would soon be his demise. "I-Is this what a hero is?!"
The winged man didn't answer though, his own eyes lost and clouded before feeling his hands turn numb from the force of his sword as millions of self deprecating thoughts and past cruel words from the president drowned him entirely.
Nothing else matters but the mission, sacrifices are necessary, if you don't do anything then you are weak, you are useless, you are a disappointment, you are just like your father, you are disposable.
That's right, she told him he had to clean up his own mess, he had to make the world a safer place, he had to get rid of the League, just like the president ordered him to do. She was counting on him to finish this, and finish this he must.
Lifting his sword upwards, the man then leapt forward before tackling the villain in order to raise the sharp object above his head and staring down at Twice with an unfeeling cold glare.
You must silence him, he's going to ruin everything.
Don't be a disappointment, Little Keigo.
You have to protect the mission.
Hawks then felt himself shake ever so slightly, realizing there really was no other way. It was either to silence the villain in front of him or ruin everything he had worked months for, and that was not going to happen.
Blinded by his own insanity, Twice shouted in his direction, words that were quickly drowned out of the ever pounding heart beat of his own chest. It's either you or them. Pick one. Be a hero or be a disappointment like your father. Make your choice.
Then all at once, Hawks made his choice.
Growling at the darkness in his own soul, Hawks then brought his sword straight into Twice's chest before twisting the blade and silencing the man forever.
And as sweat and heavy breaths coated the space, the silence seemed to bring the bird out of his fit of insanity as the adernatle drained from his system and saw the lifeless corpse of Twice beneath his feet.
All at once, the memories flooded into him immediately before backing away and examining the blood on his hands. W-Wait, what just happened? Did you really just...No no no..you couldn't have...there was no way...it's like I couldn't think straight..
But as he stared at the reality once more, Hawks couldn't help but stand in horror.
He had just killed someone, with his own hands.
Suddenly, the door beside him slammed open only to reveal his sister standing a few feet away, freezing immediately at the scene before widening her own eyes at her brother's crimes.
He had just done something unforgivable after all, something that even Valkyrie, the most feared villain in the underworld, had never done themselves.
Feeling her mind swirl with a million questions, the girl couldn't help lower her voice, fearful and small for the scene before her. "Keigo, what did you do?"
And even still, Hawks didn't seem to know how to answer as well, his own body shaking as his eyes couldn't leave the body before him, almost like his mind was trying to give him some sort of punishment. "I...I..."
Suddenly, another voice seemed to enter the space, full of excitement and cocky pride as his deep tone echoed through the hall, causing both Takami's to freeze. "Well, would you look at that? Calling yourself a hero after murdering someone in cold blood. Now that wasn't something I had expected but I guess here we are.."
Then without a care in the world, Dabi seemingly stepped into the space, stopping to stare and Hawks' handiwork for Twice's dead body. "It really is ironic, isn't it? How you tried so hard to be different than your horrible villain father. Well I hate to break it to you Hawks, but look around you. You've turned into quite the spitting image I'd say."
Widening his eyes with realization, Hawks then looked down at the blood on his hands before feeling his entire body start to shake. All this time, all his life the man had tried to distance himself from his father, terrified of becoming a monster just like he was.
And yet in his efforts, it seemed like he had done the exact opposite, forcing himself to his own breaking point in order to become the thing he hated and always feared the most.
He really was just like his father, in every possible and disgusting way.
Driving the point even more, Dabi added cruelly. "Like father like son though, am I right?"
Although to Hikari, the appearance of the man was rather sudden, not knowing how to talk to him after their strange fight outside of Endeavor's agency. "Dabi..."
At her voice, the villain seemed to brighten up even more though, turning to the blonde before giving a cynical smile in her direction. "Ah and there's the Princess I've been looking for. How does it feel to see your dear old brother participating in the family business? You should've seen him, he looked exactly like you, villain in all."
Not wanting to listen to his request, the girl only shook her head before changing the topic. She couldn't' help it, just seeing Keigo covered in someone else's blood made her stomach churn in the worst way. "What the hell are you doing here? If you hadn't noticed, the liberation made their first move. Why are you just sitting around?"
Dabi didn't seem bothered by her comment though, only shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "Because Princess, I don't give a fuck what those cult freaks do. I have other things to accomplish anyways, things I've been waiting quite a long time for.."
Raising her eyes, Hikari frowned. "Like what?"
The villain then lifted his arms upward before giving a psychotic and slightly giddy laugh at her question. "I'm glad you asked. See the very first thing on my list is to finally kill this shitty bird once and for all. I told you, remember? I always get what I want."
Reveling in the moment, Dabi then outwards his hand towards the woman a couple feet away before giving her a knowing look. "Now Princess, get over here. Let's watch this together. I just know it will be a day we'll both remember for years to come.."
It was obvious that he wanted her to join him, to sit back and enjoy the show as Dabi burned her brother alive and finally got rid of him for good before celebrating on his burned and charred corpse.
And maybe a couple months ago the woman would've let him do just that, but it seems that now was quite different as just the mere implication of that caused Hikari's stomach to feel an overwhelming and unpleasant feeling all at once.
Hesitation.
She felt hesitation for his plans, in a way that made Hikari turn towards her lost and broken brother before looking back at Dabi's outstretched hand. She couldn't have it both ways after all, and it seemed like she was at a crossroads between the two people in front of her.
Because if she walked over and took Dabi's hand then that meant her signing brother's life away. It meant that his death was certain, that he would burn before her eyes in a single instant.
But then again if she turned against the villain then that meant losing the only friend and love in her entire life, being completely and utterly alone when Keigo turned back to the commission after all of this was over.
The choice should have been simple, it should've been second nature. She had been preparing herself for his moment for months, knowing that when the time came then she would completely cut her ties with the bird and be done with it.
But it seemed like now that the moment was here, the girl felt her feet grow completely numb, unable to move in either direction for the fear of losing her family and the one she loved more than anything.
Because yes, Keigo was a hero, he was the very thing she was supposed to hate but even still, her weak heart couldn't help but squeeze in fear, about the idea of him leaving her again, of him disappearing to a place where she could never reach.
But as the time slowly ticked by, Hikari knew that it was time to choose, turning her head towards both Dabi and Keigo before taking a shaky uneven breath.
This was it, Dabi or Keigo? Her childhood friend or her big brother? Who would she side with and who would she screw over and betray?
Recalling Touya's kind words in the back of her mind, Hikari remembered the very first time the boy had brought the idea to her, the very meaning being the only thing that had kept her alive for all these long years.
"Those things, you deserve the choice, you always deserve the choice.
That was where her villain name came from after all. Valkyrie, the Greek warrior who chose who lived and died in battle, the one that always decided everyone else's fate.
That's what she believed in, what she deserved after living her entire life decided by others. She promised herself that she'd never let that happen again, that for the rest of her life she would choose how her life was going to be.
Yet for the first time in her life, Hikari felt uncertain with her freedom of choice, seeing it more as a curse than a blessing, simply because she realized she didn't actually want to lose either one of them.
But even so, Hikari knew she couldn't keep both of them in her life.
So for a warrior of choice, for Valkyrie, which was it going to be?
What was her choice?
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I really like this chapter because it shows the opposites of Hikari's and Hawks' character and how they are going in different directions. Because Hawks' wants to be a hero but is straying further into villainy while his sister claims she's a villain but then saves others. It's really interesting to think about.
Next chapter is the big one! Shit's gonna hit the fan big time. What do you think is going to happen? Any theories?
Next Chapter: We figure out why the book is called "Sister Mine."