"I sent out the date and time of the attack via code. And if I make it sound easy, believe me, it wasn't." Hawks stepped forward as feathers drifted in the air around him, pointed at someone he once called a friend.
"The real threat here was the sheer numbers on your side, so... I had to keep an eye out, especially for you and your double. Certainly couldn't leave you to your own devices."
Twice gazed up at who he once believed was a teammate. A friend. Betrayal isn't unfamiliar to him, but this? Again?
"But... hold on." He said, shakily. He recalled the past, when he was careless, when he brought trouble to an already troubled group. "It's always... like this."
Twice held his head, stinging tears in his eyes as the one he once called friend was now simply the silhouette of a monster. "Not again!! I had to- I had to trust you because I felt bad for you!"
"What's a guy with nothing left supposed to do?
"Find someone who will trust you."
"Who?"
"Friends."
"How sad is it if nobody trusts you?!"
Hawks stared down at the quivering figure on the ground at the mercy of his feathers. "Well, thanks. You've just been unlucky. I'll help you start over. Because... you're a good person."
Starting over is easy words to say, like most things.
A fresh start seems so obtainable until you actually try to get it.
But Twice? He wouldn't fall for such words, who are so pedestrian to him at this point, because what kind of villain has never been told that they could have a 'fresh start?'
"Shut up... You call yourself a hero? 'Fresh start?' That's a load of crap."
"Stop that."
"Come on!"
"Bubaigawara!"
"As for what happens to me... I stopped giving a damn way back!" Twice rose, his mask ripping at his head and revealing the true emotion behind his eyes. Well, one could say true, but there was much more than one on his face.
Hurt is certainly dominant, though.
"I don't want to fight you, Bubaigawara!" Hawks insisted.
"Well good for freaking you!"
His clones began emerging around him, mimicking the same tearful expression through their bodysuits. "I'd trade my soul for the league's happiness!"
Hawks' feathers served as his weapons, piercing through each clone, some proving to be weaker than others as Twice kept replicating.
"After coming this far, I could never allow mere sentiment to trip me up." Hawks said, reaching into his jacket. "There's still a way forward if you come quietly now. Because I like you."
Twice didn't need a moment to think about it. "These're my only friends in the world and you ain't welcome to the club!"
He created clones of the league, only for them to be quickly beaten by Hawks' feathers.
"It's useless, you scum! You total dirtbag!!"
"Why do you think I prioritize speed when taking down villains?" Hawks frowned. "Because it's the ones who don't give up who heroes need to fear the most. Experienced villains with wills of steel refuse to get knocked out."
Hawks sped forward with a feather in hand and sliced Twice's chest, spun around, and ended up on top of him, the weapon to Twice's face. "When neither side will give up, somebody has to die."
"You people... ain't heroes. Never are, never were."
"Y/N, d'you ever get tired of the heroes that surround ya?"
"All the time." You placed the cup of tea in front of Twice. "Not all of them, but some of them think they're better than others... Leaving the rest of us to the trash."
"You throw us downtrodden folks to the wolves! You don't know or care, but Little Toga, she wrapped me up in her hankie, all gentle-like. I bet you didn't know this either, but this is the second time I managed to screw everyone over!"
Twice shook under Hawks, but never ceased to think about the league. Or, more like, his friends.
"Toga... she prolly won't do me that kindness again. But that's okay. I still gotta protect their happiness!" A clone he attempted to make was destroyed by Hawks.
"I'll be sure to tell the league that."
Blue flames burst through the entrance in a merciless cloud. "There's no need! I heard him loud and clear." The owner of the flames placed his foot on Hawks' face. "Didn't notice me there, didja? Looks like sentiment tripped you up after all, hero!"
He was just unlucky, huh? Maybe by your screwed-up standards.
By some strange miracle, Hawks emerged from the flames with Twice in hand.
Although surprised, Dabi didn't think about it long. "Whatever. Most of your weapons are burnt anyway."
"And you nearly burnt up your friend."
"Nah... Heroes must always be ready to save a life."
"The force of that attack... It was like you knew about me already. What gave me away?"
Dabi's lips curled, his scars seeming to extend his smile all the way to his ears. "Gave you away? Nothing. I never believed anything from the start."
Twice began running as he created a clone to distract Hawks, signaling to Dabi that he was fine and that he could go all out.
"Just you alone is enough to make quick quirk of those heroes down there." Dabi stated. "So, go nuts. The others are waiting for you."
"Yeah. Okay!" Twice stumbled to the door.
Hawks appeared at the door with his feather in hand, but he couldn't properly aim, as he heard words he hasn't heard in years.
Or rather, a name.
"Keigo Takami!!"
He hesitated, staring at Dabi, trying to find a familiar face amongst the scars. Then, he found his target, and raised his weapon, dealing a blow.
•••
"Toga!" Mr. Compress called as he and Toga were brought into the clutches of one of the heroes.
"Atsuhiro Sako, Himiko Toga, you're under arrest, so I'm swallowing you up!" The hero that caught them proclaimed. "You people might have your reasons, but once you start taking it out on society, we heroes can't allow you to have your way!"
Before he could properly arrest them, one of Twice's clones cut the back of his head.
"Jin!" Toga exclaimed with a wide smile.
"Get off of them. Get off. Get off."
"Excellent!" Mr. Compress began running off with Toga. "More double at once, Twice! Meanwhile, we'll make our getaway down below, dear Toga!"
The clone began to lose its form. "Sorry, Compress. Can't make more."
"And why not?"
"It's taking all I've got just to hold this form... See, I got dropped down onto the concrete from up there. Sorry you two. It's... my fault again."
The two stopped, staring at Twice's melting double. "Hawks pulled one over on me. I was... duped again. Sorry." He gazed upon Toga's face, noticing the injuries upon it. "Ah, Toga... oh no! That cute face of yours got hurt again?"
He stepped towards her, lifting up a piece of baby pink fabric. "Lemme give you back... your hankie." He pressed it on her face.
"Twice?!" Compress stepped forward.
"Can't.. make more of me. Sorry... for everything. I mean it."
Twice began disappeared before their eyes, and Toga took his wrist, somehow hoping that he'd come together again. "Jin." He fell forward and she wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you for saving me."
•••
You sipped your tea at the kitchen counter, listening to Aster argue with you on whether Gojo or Nanami is hotter. "But Gojo's got those eyes, you know?!"
"That is his only redeeming quality." You stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "He's unnecessarily cocky and overly playful."
"Because he's the strongest."
"Says the cube."
Aster took in a dramatic gasp. "How dare you?!"
You sipped your tea with an unwavering expression, clearly not ready to take back your statement. You stared at it, recalling how much you actually like the way Twice made tea for you.
Calming tea, he called it.
The only reason it could ever be calming was the fact that he was the one least likely to poison you. This was a replica of that tea, although it didn't quite feel the same.
Maybe Twice did put something in it.
As Aster continued scolding you, it suddenly felt as if someone was pounding at your head and you placed your tea down with a scrunched up face.
"Hey, you good?" Aster questioned. "I didn't think this argument would really get to you."
"No, no." You massaged your temple with shut eyes. "I just got this odd... splitting headache."