Licensed Villains

Return

[A/N: For everyone that asked about where the League was at, I hope that last chapter hinted that they're laying low for the commission. Basically after Hosu they realized what they were doing was constantly getting out shined by Revite so they decided to wait till he was dealt with. At that point AFO told the commission to deal with him faster, hence why they order Hawks to kill him really suddenly. 
Y'all have no idea how many times I wanted to reply to questions about LoV but couldn't cause it would spoil the stuff with AFO and the Nomu's -- which had a LONG ASS lead up, jfc. Glad that's out of the way.]

Izuku is safe. Dabi knows this as he helps guide him back to Sutorimu and Akito's place. He knows he's safe yet he can't help but feel something is wrong. It shouldn't be, but it is, and he can see it in the way Izuku looks surprised every time he looks over at him, like he wasn't expecting his friends to be walking beside him. He sees it in how his shoulders are tighter than normal even as his head hangs; how his fingers twitch. 

Dabi doesn't know what to do. 

When he'd crashed into him on that balcony, he'd been so happy and relieved he nearly forgotten to send a message to the rest of their group saying they could fall back. When they had pulled away from each other, grins wide and chests rattling, he'd pressed three times into the feather Hawks had given him - three for we got him. 

No later was he running far away from the commission with Izuku and the two prisoners he dragged along with him. As they went, heroes sped past them also on retreat. They ran until the top of the commission building was out of sight and Dabi's staples felt ready to fall out. Hawks caught up to them and touched down beside Dabi. 

He watched as his eyes landed on Izuku and lit up, like he almost hadn't believed Dabi when he said he was safe. Izuku wasn't looking at him though. Instead, his gaze was trained on the ground, a little fold between his brows. 

Hawks frowned and leaned closer to Dabi, whispering, "Is he okay?" 

"I don't know," Dabi admitted. "Once we stopped running, he didn't say anything." 

He didn't dwell on how Hawks' steps faltered for a moment. However, Hawks is a professional at faking appearances and forced a broad smile. He jumped over to Izuku and bumped him with his wing. "Hey, Midoriya." 

Izuku's eyes snapped up to his, widening. He sputters, "H-Hawks! You're here!" 

The hero grinned even more. "'Course I am." 

Dabi observed as his eyes traveled over Hawks' new look. His wings were their usual blood red but his coat was now a black matching in colour to Dabi's own outfit. His headphones were gone and his visor had a grey tint to it instead of yellow. Even the yellow patterns on his shirt were now white. Hawks had told him he'd never had a choice in his outfit. Now, with Akito's help, he could pick something new while still sticking with the parts he liked. 

"I like the change," Izuku mentions, waving his hand towards the black coat. 

Hawks gives a twirl and dramatically bows with an extended hand. "Why thank you." 

Dabi's chest warmed but he pushed it aside as Hawks moved to walk next to him again. He faced backwards so he looked the rest of their group head on. There was a split second where his grin fell before it picked up again. 

"Hello again, Ayumu-kun," Hawks greeted, a little bit of his fake honey voice chipping away to reveal an emotion Dabi didn't want to think too hard about. He knew Ayumu and Hawks would be acquainted, had heard so from Ayumu herself, but it didn't sink in till then what that meant for both of them. They were remains of a past he figured neither of them wanted to relive.