"So, tell me about prison." Hawks set down his glass. I deeply sighed before gaping my mouth open and thinking of what to say.
"We could talk about anything, but you want to talk about my experience in prison?" "Just curious, you know? Have you heard about your mother?" he asked.
"Yes, and I would rather not talk about that, too." I wiped my eyebrows. "Right, of course. I don't do casual dinners and conversations." "I can tell." I laughed at him.
"You and Dabi. Is that still a thing?" he lifts his glass again. "No, but we're just around each other for Suze." I shrugged. "Would you want anymore after Suze?" Hawks questioned.
"I wasn't expecting Suze, so no I don't want anymore. " I awkwardly said. "I don't know how people do it. Several kids sounds like a nightmare."
He smiled and laughed to himself, clearly thinking of something. "What's on your mind?" I took a sip from my glass.
"I used to want kids. Well, just one. A tiny version of me. Treat the little thing better than I was. Give it a good life." he looked up at the ceiling and then down at me. "So why is it still "used to"?" I asked him.
"Hm? Oh, because I don't want those things anymore. Thinking of you and Asuze just reminded me of that. You have what I wanted."
"Aw... Not really. He's more like Dabi's twin." "Sure, he LOOKS more like Dabi, but he's more like you. When I saw you two together, something about you both was just so similar. That's what I wanted."
"I would say "you'll get that one day" but you don't want kids, soo..." I shrugged. Hawks also shrugged, "Who knows, things happen. If I end up having one, hopefully, it's with the right person."
"You'll find them." I took a sip. A smile slightly spread on his face then quickly disappeared after I said that. He reached his hand out to me on the table. I placed my hand in his.
Hawks focused as he rubbed my knuckles with his thumb, "I think I'm ready to leave. You?" he said now with his eyes on me.
"Yeah. Lemme find the waiter-" "Mm, no need." I looked at him and saw him already writing on a napkin. When he finished, he placed 200 dollars in the napkin.
"200? Did I eat that much?" I asked in shock. "Look, it'd be your first time in a year eating outside food. Plus the food here is really expensive." Hawks got up and held his hand out for me.
I held his hand and got up too. "Way too bland to be this expensive, honestly." I complained.
Hawks laughed, "The more expensive it is, the less flavorful it'll be." "Right?!" We walked out laughing and talking trash about the restaurant.
•••
We went to my house. It wasn't on sale and my car was there. It looked boring compared to the other houses. New colors, new neighbors, new...I don't know.
I slowly stepped inside this cold, dark home. I flipped the switch, and to my surprise, the lights came on. I turned to ask Hawks, "How is there still power?" He looked hesitant to answer but did anyways, "Your friend, Reiss, has been paying for everything since you were put away."
I don't know if she thought this would make things right between us, but I appreciate it. It is the LEAST she could do for getting troops to raid this very home and assault me in it.
All I said in response is "Hm." I continued walking throughout the house and looking at everything. "You okay being here?" Hawks asked me.
"No. It feels weird, but I just need to give it some time." I said to him as I kept walking around the house. "I can stay with you if you want." he offered.
I stopped in my tracks and turned around, walking back to Hawks, "No, you don't have to."
"What if I was told to?" he shoved his hands in his pockets. "Were you?" I asked. "Yeah. I gotta watch and check up on you often."
"Oh great, I need supervision as an adult." I sighed. "Just for today and tomorrow since you just got out of prison. I'll be out of your hair afterward." he laughed.
I shook my head and laughed too, "Well, there's a guest room upstairs." I offered him. "Thank you." a cheeky smile was put on his face. I rolled my eyes and led the way to show him the room.
"My room is right next door if you ever need anything. I'll get you something to change into." I said while he went into the room.
I walked over to mine and looked through Dabi's closet and dresser for something Hawks could wear. I grabbed a pair of scissors to take to him so I know where to cut the holes for his wings.
"So, since I don't keep shirts for people with wings around here, we'll just have to make this work." I stood at the doorway, holding up the two items.
Hawks was in the middle of taking his shirt off, trying to slip it off his wings. "A little arts and crafts never hurt anyone." he said to me. I walked in and stood behind him to place the shirt against his back.
Trying to memorize the placement of his wings, I stepped away to the bed and quickly cut large holes.
He went inside the bathroom and started the shower. "Yeah...not the best of my cutting skills but it's whatever." I said.
He came out of the bathroom laughing, "I appreciate the effort. Just wanna say, my wings could've done it themselves. Wanted to see you struggle."
"Wow." I looked at him with a straight face. He said with a smile, "I need to shower now unless you wanna watch."
"Im sure you would love an audience. Night, Hawks." I started to walk out. "Goodnight." he waved.
I closed the door and went to my room to take a refreshing shower myself. Finally, some privacy.
•••
It wasn't so late but not so early when I woke up, I'd say 10 am to 11. I slowly got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to brush my teeth and shower.
After, I came downstairs, just in time to meet Hawks coming through the front door. "Good, you're up. No time to waste, let's go." He left the front door open and walked back out.
"Wait, what about breakfast?" I jogged after him, locking and closing the door behind me. "It's in the car." he stood by the car door. I went to the passenger side and took a seat inside.
Hawks handed me a breakfast bagel and a bottle of orange juice. "What's the League asking you to do?" he asked.
"Huh? Oh, to destroy a city." I deeply sighed. "So he is going easy on you. I had to kill a hero for them to let me in. So I killed Best Jeanist." he told me.
I looked at him shocked, "What the fuck Hawks?!" "Don't be so surprised, your ex is a villain who killed plenty."
"That's...different though, I wouldn't expect you, a hero, to kill someone." "I did what I had to and it worked. That's all that matters."
I stared at him in silence. "I'll give it to them, they planned this out pretty well." Hawks sounded upset, yet laughed.
"What?"
"A lot has been happening in the shadows with the league." he said. I slowly chewed while listening to him explain.
"There will be war and you've been released just in time for him to use you. I'd like to think of you as his first act or warning while he's on hiatus." he said.
"Hiatus? I just saw him yesterday, where did he go?" "Yesterday? He's gone for a while, probably preparing something big." Hawks started the car.
I sat there confused. "We are almost ready. More ready than them, no need to wait. Just wanna get this over with." he pulled out of the driveway.
I finished up my breakfast bagel, thinking. "What will I do about Asuze?" I stared at the dashboard. "I'm sure the league will protect him."
•••
Hawks dropped me off at some sketchy area and told me to contact Dabi to get me. I guess I'm spending my days with them now.
I walked around and waited for him to appear. "[Name]!" Someone called from behind me. I turned around to see Spinner. "Hey. Where's Dabi and Asuze?" I asked him.
"He's busy, so he sent me to find you. The boy is with him, too." He waved his hand in a motion telling me to follow him. We started walking to a car that was parked in an alley. "Since when did you guys get a car?" I laughed.
"Stole it from this rich lady not too long ago." he grinned. "Wait like just now?" I stood still. "Yeah. So don't just stand there we have to go." Spinner rushed into the car.
I got in too and he pulled off before I could even close the door. "What if she's tracking it?!" I asked. "If she's rich, she wouldn't need to track it. She would just buy a new one." he laughed.
I awkwardly laughed and looked out the window. We got out of the alley and got back onto the road. "So what's the deal? You're actually with us?" Spinner looked at me. "I have nowhere else to go, no one to turn to, so yeah."
"I saw a recording of that day. You were protecting Dabi. Yeah what he did would be considered..irrational, but you still tried to protect him," he said.
"And look at how quickly they dropped you, how quickly your name went from Hero to Traitor. They won't even give the little boy a chance because of who his father is."
"If that doesn't help you see why we do what we do and believe what we believe, then there's no hope for us." Spinner shrugged. I kept staring out the car window.
We arrived at a different location than yesterday. It seems like they've been here a while though, everyone is so familiar. That other place was probably just a random meet-up spot.
Spinner led me to a room that had Twice and Asuze. They were coloring on pages from a coloring book. Twice was good with Asuze and Asuze enjoyed his company.
He didn't even notice I was standing at the door. "Dabi should be finished by now, ill take you to him." Spinner tapped my shoulder.
We closed the door and continued walking around. "Wait, why isn't he in school?" I asked. "I told you on the way here. They wouldn't give him a chance. He got kicked out." Spinner sighed.
Oh.
We approached this room and Spinner knocked before opening the door. He let me walk in first and we were met by Dabi and this tall, thin guy with long black hair. "I'll leave you two alone." Spinner looked between us and left, shutting the door behind him.
Dabi was shirtless and holding a camera. "What was that for?" I pointed at it. "To film the downfall of the number one hero and all of hero society." he turned it off and handed it to the other guy.
"Get out." he told him. The guy murmured something angrily and left quickly. "Asuze's life is rui-" "Shhhhhh." he said, approaching me and covering my mouth with his hand.
I deeply sighed and waited for him to uncover it. His hand moved and held the side of my face. "I missed you." he told me. I groaned and removed his hand from my face.
Dabi got upset, "You still want to be difficult. I thought things would be different now." "I want to be difficult?? Dabi, I have been through so much with you. I told you, we're done."
He just stared at me, "Asuze. His life is what?" "Ruined. He got kicked out of school." "No, I took him out. With force. I just told everyone he got kicked out." he went to find his shirt and put it on.
"Okay..now explain why you would do that." I palmed my face. "It angers me how naive you are. You never had any issues growing up." he shook his head.
I looked confused. He turned to me and pointed out a window, "You truly think Asuze will be fine now that the world knows everything? Open your fucking eyes for once. He won't. And he isnt."
"While you were away, Asuze would tell me about the things the other kids would say to him. Say about you. I don't care what they say about me, because it's damn right," he laughed.
"They tell him to kill himself, they say their parents want him dead, they scream when he walks in the class, they accuse him of trying to kill them. Honestly, he should've." Dabi shrugged.
I walked over to a couch and stared into space. "Is this too much for you?" Dabi walked over and sit next to me. "God, just wait until I tell you what the teachers are doing." he said with a smirk.
"They ignore him and get the other kids to "accidentally" hurt him. Shit, they probably do it themselves. They treat him like garbage, and isolate him, when using examples of a villain, they use him. So much more that's unknown."
I sat with my hands over my mouth, "I didn't know." "Of course you wouldn't, did you really look at him when saw him yesterday? Or when you came here today? There's no reason for him to have come to me with burns and bruises, drained every single day, begging not to go back."
I noticed how my breathing changed and got heavier. I couldn't feel anything but anger, physically started to get hot, and my head hurt.
I shot up and left the room, Dabi walking right after me. "That's it. Do you feel it? That's what I feel every damn day, seeing how these shit heroes get praised. They don't care, not one bit!"
Was I even listening to him anymore? Could I even hear?? My wrist was grabbed and I was turned to Dabi. "You are one of the few people I've seen that I can call a true hero."
I yanked my arm out of his hold and walked to the room with Twice and Asuze. Asuze turned around when he saw me enter and I finally saw his face. My heart exploded. I genuinely think it did, my chest hurt and it hurt even more to breathe.
I didn't know what to feel. My baby's neck had bruises, burns on his legs, and more bruises on his arms. I haven't been able to see these because of what he was wearing yesterday.
He's been through so much, yet had enough in him to smile when he saw me. "When'd you get here?" he happily asked. I walked over and got on the ground. "I just got here." I placed my hand on his face.
"Twice. Get out." Dabi told him. "No manners? Get some!" Twice walked out. "Are you okay? You look upset." Suze asked me. "Can I check something?" I asked him.
He nodded. I rolled his shirt up and saw burns on his stomach and scratches on his back. The anger was still there. I got up and pulled Dabi to the side.
"I want that school burned down. I want every single one of them to pay. Kill them, do whatever. Don't kill the kids, go for their parents, but the adults? I don't care." I said.
With a grin, "Already done." Dabi said.