Chapter Text
BEEP.
“Hey there bird brain. Told you I'd be in contact. I have a new task and you're gonna come with me. That is, if you want to prove yourself. You might even be able to get in good with us if you play your cards right on this. Meet me at the abandoned subway station downtown at midnight. And look sharp, we're going into a business meeting.”
Hawks had no idea that Dabi would contact him again so soon after the incident with Endeavor and the Nomu. He had enough on his plate to worry about in the wake of that shitstorm. The agents from the justice department had been down his throat questioning him left and right about what happened, what info he got so far. But Hawks was supposed to have had his first real mission already, and that jackass Dabi screwed it all up. How was he supposed to earn their trust if that patchwork freak wouldn't even give him the opportunity?
Maybe this time will be different though, he thought against his better judgement. Maybe this time Dabi will actually take him seriously. Maybe this time he will actually have control of the situation. Fingers crossed.
He came in street clothes, newly grown feathers all stuffed in a backpack that hid his stubs of wings from the public eye, a beanie hiding his wild hair. Plenty of boho beatniks that walked the city at this time of night, no one would recognize him like this. He pulled the breezy jacket closer to him, missing the warmth of his parka and wings, as the late December air bit his nose and colored his breath. Rubbing his gloved hands together, he braced himself as he saw his contact lounging behind a lamppost, waving to him lazily.
Without so much as a hello, the scarred man and the winged hero embarked together into the dark cavern of the abandoned subway. Dabi lit the way with blue fire at his fist. Hawks was at least a bit grateful for that; He could feel the heat of Dabi’s fire six feet away, and it was a very welcome contrast to the icy tunnel.
It was a few minutes before Hawks worked up the nerve to ask him where they were going. “Supposedly this person was a contact of Chisaki Kai's. They call themselves Darling, an inventor who specializes in support tech that can really bolster weapons, quirks, armor, other existing technologies. They’re a first class engineer who auctions off their inventions to the highest bidder. A lot of the big bads you’ve seen that haven’t been affiliated with the league in the last year use their tech. And we want it for ourselves.”
“Darling?” Hawks asked incredulously, a feathery brow raising as he stared at Dabi. “That’s a freaking bizarre name for an inventor and criminal. Sounds more cute and cuddly than anything, if you ask me. I’ve never even heard of this person.”
“They’re apparently a very private person, preferring to operate even in the shadows of the underworld,” Dabi said, stopping suddenly and making a right, causing Hawks to bee line and power walk back to his side. “Chisaki said that this person was instrumental in furthering his research project, and it was thanks to them that it was a success. I don’t know how involved they were but if they came that highly praised, they’re probably someone worth bringing to our side. Besides, one of their biggest investors is down for the count. They’re going to need all the money and protection they can get.”
Hawks scoffs. “What, are you telling me that you guys can provide that for them? It’s no secret that the League was involved with Chisaki’s downfall. How do you plan to convince them that joining up is beneficial?”
Dabi doesn’t respond.
Hawks tucked his hands in his pockets, eyes facing forward as he thought. If this ‘Darling’ person was as close to that yakuza creep as Dabi said, then they must have had unlimited power and resources at their disposal. A boogeyman, even to the underworld, much like it’s previous kingpin, All For One. That thought alone sent a shiver down his spine. If the League were to successfully convince this person to join their cause, the results would be disastrous for the heroes.
He would need to play his cards carefully. Do his best to manipulate the situation in his favor. He had no idea how he was going to do that yet, but he’d make it up as he went along. Improvise, good heroes knew how to do that.
“In any case,” Dabi began again, making another turn that Hawks was prepared for this time. “You're going to help me convince them. Think of it this way; it'll give me an opportunity to test your motivations, and give you the opportunity to prove your worth.” His fist, clad in flame, clenched and unclenched. Hawks side eyed it warily. “Right now, Darling is invaluable. If you want that too, you'll know what to do.”
The fire no longer feels warm and cozy, Hawks muses as his lip curls, eyeballing the blue flame with disdain.
Another ten minutes of walking, they reach the end of the tunnel. It had caved in some few years back, the pathway shut down ever since. The debris had been too heavy and too long to clear out without causing the ground above to collapse, which would have resulted in taking down a few buildings. And yet, oddly enough, there appeared to be a metal door secured to the rubble. How was it even standing? Did it lead somewhere? Had Darling built their base of operations beneath the wreckage somehow without disrupting the city above?
Dabi approached the door and knocked on it with his free hand- three sharp raps. White noise crackled to life from a small speaker attached to the side of the door.
“State your name and purpose,”
a deep voice droned lifelessly from the intercom.
“Dabi, of the League of Villains. I have a meeting with Darling.”
The voice said nothing, static cutting off suddenly as the door clicked, then groaned lowly as it opened for the two men.
Dabi looked over his shoulder at Hawks, grin stretching to where the staples pulled awkwardly at his skin. “Time to get your game face on.”
“If that’s what a game face looks like, I’d rather not,” Hawks retorted with a scowl, following behind Dabi as he chuckled menacingly and put out his fist.
Past the mysterious metal sliding doors was a large, spacious office. The walls and floors were made of steel and beveled, like a cross between a fallout shelter and a mechanic’s shop. The room was dimly lit with fluorescent light, casting everything in an odd blue-grey glow. In the middle of the room was a large metal desk, covered in organized blueprints and clean tools. Several desk lamps of varying sizes were clipped to the edges of the desk, lighting up the equipment on it so that it could be worked on efficiently. For an inventor’s space, it is unnervingly clean, to the point of looking barely lived in. It was as if “Darling” was trying too hard to make everything look presentable to house hunters. But Hawks was pretty sure that underground bases weren’t very sought after on the housing market.
None were visible, but the faint hum of generators and electricity reverberated behind the metal walls, filling the large empty space with white noise. It was otherwise completely silent. The air was considerably warmer than the chilly abandoned tunnel outside but was still considerably cold. Most likely to keep the machinery that kept the place running from overheating. The smell of antiseptic and motor oil leaves an almost chemical taste on the back of his tongue. There are two very different things that confuse him. Was this a hospital, or an inventor’s workspace? There was another faint smell in the air, a perfume of some kind. Clean and pleasant but undefinable. Could this have been coming from one of the four suited men positioned around the room? Or the individual sitting in front of the desk?
“Welcome to my humble abode, gentleman,” Said individual chimed as soon as the doors shut behind them. Hawks gave this person, this ‘Darling’ a once over. Needless to say, he was surprised.
“Wait, hold up. You’re the boss here? You’re pretty young, aren’t you?”
Darling’s half-lidded, coy gaze flickered to him, mouth pulled into a pearly-white grin. “Said the pot to the kettle. Congrats on your number two title by the way, Winged Hero Hawks,” Darling licked their lips, expression absolutely predatory. Well, they got him there. They were as clean and pristine as their base of operations, hair voluminous and brushed back from their face elegantly. Clear skin, tight, well-fitting clothes that left little to the imagination. He hadn’t noticed it at first in the dim lighting of the base and the gravity of this meeting weighing on his mind but now that he was here and seeing this boogeyman face to face- damn Darling was distracting .
Dabi cleared his throat, pulling the attention of the alluring individual away from Hawks. For once, Hawks was grateful to the fire wielder. Even in the most serious of situations, he had a hard time not getting distracted by a pretty face, though he could usually hide it pretty well. But Darling- well , Darling clearly wasn’t like most pretty faces.
“I’m the one who reached out to you on behalf of the Villain Alliance. I am Dabi. I don’t think I need to introduce my friend here,” The way Dabi said ‘friend’ held a venomous edge. Hawks glared in his direction while Darling regarded him boredly, tugging their loose jacket off of their waist and pulling it on over their revealing top. Thank god, Hawks almost breathed a sigh of relief, but got a handle on himself before he made that mistake. As Dabi said previously, it was time to get his game face on. He couldn’t afford any slip ups.
“We recently worked together with one of your investors- one Chisaki Kai. Who praised you up and down for your involvement in his quirk-destroying bullet project. As I’m sure we both know, Overhaul wasn’t a man who dished out compliments like that readily,” Dabi grinned.
Darling’s mouth tugged at the corner, snickering as if he’d made a funny joke. “Are you sure we’re talking about the same Chisaki Kai? If he ever had anything nice to say about me, he certainly never told me himself. So you’ll excuse me if I have a hard time believing that.”
Dabi’s eyes widened a fraction, a small note of surprise. “Is that so? Interesting. Perhaps he didn’t want it to go to your ego. It certainly seems like it could use some deflating.”
Darling threw their head back in a bell-like peel of laughter. Man, even their laugh was cute. “My ego was well earned, Dabi. I haven’t worked as hard as I have and made the connections I have to come out of it all empty handed.” Their eyes narrowed and they wet their lips slowly with the tip of their tongue. Jeez , Hawks thought, can we just get this encounter done and over with?
He noticed the way Dabi’s eyes also darted to their mouth, but only for a second. Seems he wasn’t totally immune to their charms, either. Well, that made Hawks feel a little better. “So it seems. That said, you were a valuable asset to Chisaki. But Chisaki is gone now. And you’re down a high-profile investor who would have afforded you great protection. The League of Villains is rather impressed with your track record, and would like to extend an invitation for you to join us.”
Darling stood from their perch against the desk, face bored and devoid of emotion once more. They took a few steps closer to the two men, shoes clicking against the metal floor until they were only a few feet away from Dabi. “Stain. Muscular. Moonfish. Overhaul,” On Overhaul’s name, Darling’s tone dropped lower, just the slightest bit. Dabi didn’t seem to pick it up, but Hawks certainly did. “Every villain who has willingly gotten involved with you riff raff has ended up in ruin afterward. Chisaki may be gone now, but he was only one of many influential investors.” Darling’s face stretches into a grin, something tight and dark and menacing. “Why on earth would you think that losing one customer would leave my business hurting? Better yet, why on earth would you think I would want to team up with you when it’s so painfully obvious that you lot destroy everything you touch, even your own kind?”
Darling turns on their heel, walking swiftly away from Dabi and just past Hawks. He catches a whiff of that perfume and bites down on the meat of his cheek.
Dabi chuckles quietly. “Funny. That’s exactly what Chisaki said. However, bear in mind that he came to us . He tried to play with fire and got burnt ,” he said, body heat flaring so that the others occupying the room could feel it. The four men standing at the walls took a step forward, but Darling stopped them with a sharp wave of their hand. “You’re smart. You’re cautious. You’re not cocky and overconfident. That’s why you will succeed where Chisaki failed. Besides, quite frankly, he wasn’t wanted from the get go. You, on the other hand, are another story.”
“You lot wanted his research. And you got it. All you want is my tech. And you won’t be getting that unless you sweeten the deal,” Darling seethed, peering at Dabi over their shoulder with a dark look. They turned their head in Hawks’ direction, making eye contact. It was unexpected, his eyes darted wildly around the office before settling on the floor. Darling smiled slowly. “And anyway, what are you doing allying yourself with a hero?” They turned again, this time marching right up to Hawks and standing in his personal space, faces only inches apart. His breathing stopped all together. “Is Icarus here playing too close to the sun as well?”
Oh man, you don’t even know the half of it, Darling, Hawks thought, blood running cold at their words. Sweat beaded at his temples, just under his hat. The implications of the nickname left a pit of dread in his stomach. He didn’t want this. He never wanted this, never wanted to be here now paling around with a villain and a boogeyman. A very sexy boogeyman who smelled nice and- Jesus dude, get a hold of yourself.
“Believe it or not, it seems his interests align with our own. But if his presence here makes you uncomfortable, feel free to kill him,” Dabi says.
Hawks’ head whips in Dabi’s direction, fixing him with a very dark look, taking a sharp step back from Darling with his teeth bared. He feels hands, elegant but strong hands, grip the collar of his jacket lightly, and bring him even closer to their owner. He can’t help it now, and he doesn’t want to be rude and risk their ire or know how to get out of this situation. His face burns with embarrassment from the proximity, but Darling isn’t looking at him. They observe Dabi with a disapproving look. “See, this is exactly what I am talking about. How can I trust an organization that treats their members like cannon fodder?” They turn back to Hawks with a chuckle. “There’s no need for that. Besides, I rather like the eye candy.” One of their hands untangles itself from Hawks’ jacket to grip his chin, turning his head left and right. Their hands are cold, clammy, lacking the warmth their eyes and gestures should have, but they’re so, so close and he feels like his head might explode-
From his right he can practically hear Dabi roll his eyes as he clears his throat pointedly. His game face is effectively ruined, there’s no coming back from this, not while Darling is still so close to him. “We don’t treat everyone like cannon fodder. Just the important ones. And you most certainly would qualify as one of our most important members. Hawks here is still working his way up to meeting the boss, but we could easily arrange a meeting between the two of you at your discretion.”
“Mmm… that’s a shame. I was hoping the pretty birdie would be more up to my speed,” Darling purrs, winking at Hawks, who could do nothing more than try to avert his gaze in vain. Darling presses themselves further into him, arms snaking around his shoulders. Good lord, could they get any closer? You know what, no, he takes that back, he doesn’t want to tempt fate, and he really can’t take much more of this. He knew his face probably looked like a tomato right now and Dabi would surely never let him hear the end of it.
“You know, birdie,” Darling says, standing on the tips of their toes, gently coaxing Hawks to lean down just enough to whisper in his ear. “You could come work with me instead. These savages will end up getting you killed. I, on the other hand? Would treat you very nicely.”
How in fuck’s name is it possible to be simultaneously frightened and horny!? Hawks practically screams when they press their face into the side of his neck, and his hands fly up and all over the place, not sure what to do. Did he push them off, did he touch them at all? There was no right way to handle this clusterfuck than to just sit here and wait for it to be over.
Dabi makes a disgusted noise, but Hawks can’t turn to look at him this time, he is utterly paralyzed. “I’ve had enough of this disgusting display. I’ve said what I needed to. You can either accept our deal willingly or I can burn this place to ash. Your choice.”
Darling’s head snaps away from Hawks, a boisterous laugh erupting from them. They pull back just enough from Hawks to look Dabi directly in the eye, expression poisonous. “Jealous? Sorry, love, but I’m not into traumatic burn victims. You’ll have to do better than that.”
Hawks feels the heat before he sees it, the entire room burning bright with a flash of blue. Just as quickly, Darling snaps their fingers, and Hawks spins them both around just in time to see one of the men in the suits standing closest to their party of three jump in the path of Dabi’s fireball. Dabi, himself, looked just as shocked by this, putting out the fire in his hands to watch the suited man burn alive without so much as a peep. The smell of antiseptic and motor oil is snuffed out by the smell of burning flesh, and Hawks’ stomach lurches.
He’s about to lunge- about to make a huge fucking mistake and meagerly attempt to save the man who just sacrificed himself without thinking twice. But the hands over his back fist in his pullover and yank him away. He can’t believe he thought it, but Darling actually saved his ass.
The shock and momentum of the dying man at his feet was all the distraction Darling needed. They didn’t just pull Hawks away from the disaster- they pulled his face down right into theirs, planting one on him.
This had to be the strangest fucking situation either Hawks or Dabi ever found themselves in, as both wore equal expressions of disbelief at the events unfolding before them. Dabi throws a fireball, one of the suits jumps in the way, killing himself unflinchingly , and now the object of the League’s attention was making out with the number two hero right in front of the recruiter who just tried to kill them both.
Dabi doesn’t understand what the hell is happening, and he makes that very clear when he screams at Darling to stop screwing around. Darling pays him no mind though. Their soft lips move firmly across Hawks’, parting tantalizingly slow. They grin wickedly against his mouth before hopping down and away from Hawks, practically recoiling but still managing even that gracefully.
“Hey, Babe? Kill the scarecrow for me, ‘kay?” Darling asks, dark lilting tone gone and replaced with something else- something more relaxed and carefree, something they had not portrayed until now that set Dabi on edge.
And Hawks- why the fuck was that birdbrain suddenly acting like nothing had happened? His face was blank, his posture straight. For only a brief moment, his eyes lit up, regarding Darling with something akin to adoration.
“Sure thing, darling!” His voice was uncharacteristically chipper and saccharine as he reached a hand behind him into his backpack- shit, Darling must have unzipped it- and pulls out one of his flight feathers before rounding on Dabi, the rest of his feathers pushing him forward at an alarming speed.
Dabi barely dodged it, the feather sword nicked his side and tore through his shirt. He managed to spin and jump back from Hawks, but he could only get so far in such a confined space. With his backpack discarded and his wings now full and operational, Dabi was at a serious disadvantage in this closed space. He could use his fire to ward off the hero, but he could easily set the entire room on fire and turn the whole damn thing into an oven, and he would have no way to get out. As Darling’s boisterous laughter echoed in the background, Dabi realized they must have planned this from the get go.
He coated his hands in fire, going on the defensive to try and burn the offending feather as it whipped and slashed at him, grazing what was left of his skin shallowly. The closer Hawks got, however, the quicker Dabi realized that his eyes were completely glazed over, face devoid of any emotion. Eerily similar to the suited bodyguard who threw himself in the way of Dabi’s fire. Darling’s hysterical laughter rose in pitch when Dabi’s eyes grew, the connection apparent now as he dodged another blow from the winged hero.
“Do you get it now?” Darling’s pearly white teeth were on display in a wicked smile, their laughter finally dying down in favor of mocking Dabi.
Mind control , Dabi thought, eyes narrowing. Hawks’ movements were getting slower, his eyes were fluttering and his posture became sluggish, as if he were crashing hard off of a high. This must have been Darling’s quirk, which explained a lot. The flirtations, the way they hung off of Hawks in order to get him to let his guard down. As long as they kissed their victim, they seemed to have complete control over them. This would also explain their bodyguards dying for them so readily. But why were the three remaining guards still dead-eyed and stoic? Why were they still seemingly fine while the effects were already beginning to wear off of Hawks?
Hawks finally slowed to a stop, teetering on his feet before falling back on his ass. He looked up at Dabi, dazed, wondering why he was sitting on the floor by the entrance, staring up at a fairly injured Dabi. Just a second ago he was watching that guy burn alive but then-
His eyes grow wide, he stands up fast- so fast he almost falls right over again, dropping his flight feather and whipping around to see that the man had completely burned away to ash. The blue fire was gone, nothing more than a smoking pile left in its wake. The sound of slow clapping filled the office, and finally his swimming line of sight landed on Darling, who now stood on the opposite side of the room snickering as they flicked on a switch. A hum from the ceiling above, and the drifting smoke told him this was a venting system.
“Well boys, I’ve had my fun, but I believe you’ve overstayed your welcome. Especially you, scarecrow,” Darling’s eyes darken under thick lashes. “You might want to get those cuts taken care of before you start to fall apart.” They spare another look at Hawks, expression blank before shifting into something warm and flirtatious. Something that no longer appealed to him but made his stomach churn in disgust. “And you, birdie? You come back anytime~”
“We’re not done here,” Dabi said, a hand darting out to shove Hawks out of the way. Hawks still hadn’t gotten his wits completely about him yet, so it sent him sprawling back behind Dabi. But before the scarred man could take another step, the three bodyguards left in the room stepped forward quickly, drawing their pistols on him. Dabi paused, eyeing the men warily.
Darling’s expression was exasperated, and they were very visibly annoyed now. Their tone was no longer flirtatious and dark, no longer held the same seductive edge to it. This was no longer the Darling they wanted Dabi and Hawks to see, but a glimpse of the real person behind that facade. “Sorry, but we are. Now get the fuck out of my office before I turn you both into swiss cheese.”
Hawks scrambled back onto his hands and knees as Dabi turned on his heel and stormed out the now open front door without him, the sound of his heavy boots slamming with each step and the faint smell of burning hair that wafted passed were clear indicators that he was utterly furious .
Hawks didn’t even spare a glance back at the pissed off fox behind him, not wanting to see them make good on their threat. With a flap of his wings, he summoned his flight feather back to its rightful place and flew out of the base just as the doors about slammed shut on his ass. He halted just behind Dabi, swaying on his feet as soon as they touched the ground.
He had no idea just what the hell Darling’s quirk was exactly, but it had knocked him completely senseless. When Hawks was a kid, a young dumb teenager who just wanted to fit in with the cool kids, he tried a hallucinogenic that, at the time, felt fucking incredible. But as the high began to wear off and make him feel sick, he felt like a passenger in the backseat of a car that was driving through a circus of horrors. The feeling he’d gotten the minute their lips made contact felt eerily similar to that. The difference being… he couldn’t totally recall what had happened between Darling kissing him and how he ended up in front of a very injured, very pissed off Dabi. All he knew for sure was that he was definitely the one to cause all of those injuries, and he’d be lucky if Dabi didn’t try to return the favor after that.
But it seemed Dabi was in a gracious mood today, or at least could hold in his temper better than Hawks originally thought. Because he rounded on the hero with a furious look in his turquoise eyes that was almost familiar, but he never let out his fire or raised a hand. But with the state his mind was still in Hawks couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
“...That was a goddamn shit show.”
Hawks couldn’t help it, he doubled over laughing, but the sound held little mirth. It held a pitch of hysteria and nerves that he had been doing his best to contain since he first walked into said shit show. “Christ, you can say that again.”
“Fine, I will. It was a fucking shit show and now we need to come up with a new plan. So guess who’s going to be cozying up to that asshole?”
Hawks’ laughter cut off immediately. His head whips in Dabi’s direction so fast he almost stumbles again. “Excuse the fuck me, bitch?”
“We now know what Darling’s quirk is and that they use it to manipulate people into obeying them. Now you know not to make the same mistake twice,” Dabi said simply.
“Oh come off it,” Hawks seethed. “I saw the way you were looking at them too, don’t even-”
“Who was the one who ultimately got targeted and almost killed me?”
Hawks shut up. Dabi shook his head. “The only reason I haven’t killed you for that shit was because I knew you weren’t acting of your own free will. That, and despite getting suckered into that like a starstruck buffoon, attacking me like that seriously in that setting would have been a stupid idea on your part. And you’re not stupid.”
“Aw, gee , thanks , you must really like me after all-”
“Don’t press your luck, killing you is still very tempting.”
A moment of silence weighed heavily with tension and stretched on even as they reached the mouth of the subway. It was early morning now, the sky still black as pitch while the patrons milling about the downtown area were long gone. It was just the hero and the villain, side eying each other dangerously.
“You didn’t have much of an opportunity to help me negotiate,” Dabi began, “But I still see an opportunity to convince Darling to join us. And for you to earn our trust.” He shoved his bare hands into the pockets of his jeans, breath coming out in a thick white cloud as snowflakes began to fall around them. “But first, you have to earn theirs.”
“...They did say something about me joining them, instead,” Hawks muttered, rubbing the back of his head and averting his gaze with a flush.
“Use that, then. Don’t know if you noticed but Darling extended an invitation for you to come back, not me. That, and aside from playing you like a fiddle, they seemed to take a liking to you. For whatever reason.” Hawks bit back a sharp retort as Dabi continued. “We need their abilities and technology in order to mass produce the quirk destroying bullets and to improve our existing technology. Hopefully, with Darling’s aid, we can even create stable nomus.”
The icy winter air suddenly felt as though it had dropped to sub-zero temperatures. It took every ounce of self control for Hawks to keep his voice steady. “Stable nomus?”
Dabi grins slowly. “Thought that might pique your interest. That’s right, stable nomus. Ones that are even more powerful, more intelligent than even the Highend we set loose. That said, you butter up the grease monkey back there and you’ll be giving the League a huge boost of power. A huge boost of confidence not only in our cause, but in your capabilities and loyalty.”
He swallowed hard. Much as he dreaded it, much as he dreaded this whole fucking thing, Dabi was right. Getting on Darling’s good side and successfully convincing them to swear fealty to the League of Villains was a surefire way to infiltrating their organization. Top brass back at the justice department would tell him to leap at this opportunity for sure, and he knew himself that he would be stupid not to take it. But this also meant-
Hold up a sec , Hawks thought. Does this make me a fucking triple agent now?
Dabi began to walk ahead of him, the snowflakes seeming to melt before they could even touch him. “All you need to do is find an opportunity to go back and do what you need to do. However you convince them to change their mind, don’t take too long. We have a lot of plans for Darling, and we’d rather their full cooperation. I’ll be in touch in the meantime.” With a final lazy wave behind him, Dabi said, “See ya ‘round, hero .”
The word ‘hero’ had been spat with sarcasm. It should have pleased Hawks, that Dabi seemed to be opening up to the idea that he was serious about his mission. But that the same time it brought that nausea from before back ten fold. It brought to mind the man who took that fireball in his and Darling’s place. The victims this horseshit was sure to create more of, that Hawks was helpless to save. Don’t even get him started on the topic of helplessness because that was a whole other clusterfuck of issues that involved self-loathing and anxiety.
He waited until Dabi was gone from sight to step out into the open street and pulled his jacket tighter around him. He flexed his wings and paused, a sudden realization for a perfect opportunity hitting him
He’d forgotten his backpack in Darling’s office.