Chapter Text
Kamino Island, Eastern coast, about a mile from the docks
The sun shines off Hawks’ twin blades, temporarily blinding one of his assailants.
Sorry, Hawks thinks entirely unapologetically, before hitting the hilt of his swords on the man’s skull. He’s out like a light, and Hawks turns to kick the other one in the chest. The prick goes sprawling on the dirt, and Hawks brings down both blades against his neck.
“Surrender now and I'll spare you,” Hawks says. “It’s not your captain I have business with.”
The man spits at him. “But I have business with you, Takami Keigo.”
All the hair at the back of Hawks’ neck stands on end.
“What did you just call me?”
No one is supposed to know that name. Hawks gave it away a long time ago, and there are no survivors, no snitches. The Naval Public Safety Commission had made sure that his old crew was hung by the neck in Masutafu. It was part of the deal. And yet—
The pirate laughs, baring a row of missing teeth interspersed with golden ones.
“I never forget a face,” he brags. “But I suppose your father did. Lucky me, I get one last chance to kill your traitorous ass.”
Before Hawks can react, there’s sand in his eyes and pain exploding between his legs. Hawks cries out but lets his instincts take over and falls sideways, rolling out of the way of a swing just in time. The sword sinks into the sand at his left instead, almost chopping off a tuft of hair as it goes.
Fuck. It wasn’t supposed to go like this.
He gets back on his feet, scrutinizing his opponent with a heavy heart. He makes up his mind before he can consciously realize he’s doing it. With a flourish, he parries another attack before twirling on his heel to kick the pirate’s legs underneath him. The man falls unceremoniously again, but this time, Hawks sinks both blades in his flesh without a second thought.
Shocked eyes open wide to stare at him, but it’s already too late. Their light fades out, and Hawks’ chest heaves with adrenaline.
He doesn’t have time to linger. There’s a loud bang at his back, and he takes in a sharp breath. The smell of gunpowder overwhelms his senses, and his vision wobbles. Hawks instinctively brings the back of his hand to the wound. A graze on his side starting to bleed copiously through the thick fabric of his pants.
Hawks swivels on shaky legs. A third pirate is grinning at him, his finger still on the trigger of his pistol.
For fucks’ sake, Hawks thinks. Next time make it a party.
Brothel of Madam Midnight, approximately 4 minutes earlier
"You didn't even drop by to say hi," a woman says behind Dabi's back. "What happened to your manners?"
Dabi rolls his eyes, recognizing the voice before Kayama can slide into the seat opposite his. "The same that happened to your modesty, I presume," he shoots back.
As if spurred on by his deadpan expression, she crosses her long legs under the obscenely generous upwards fold of her gown in a manner that would've made weaker men shudder. It's a good thing Dabi's immune to lust. It makes their partnership strictly professional, current game of footsie under the table notwithstanding.
"I should spank you for that," she says in a sultry tone, licking her lips.
"Gross," Dabi says, without even putting down his chicken leg. "Is there a reason why you're bothering me, or are you that bored in your old age?"
It’s his first night on dry land after three months of nothing but endless expanses of water, and he’s determined to put some real food in his stomach. He’s never been the feasting type—that lifestyle was for Young Lord Touya, and that weak crybaby died a long time ago—but life is a pain as it is without counting a diet consisting of fish and dried fruit on the daily. He's allowed variety every now and then.
He should be allowed some fucking peace and quiet, too.
Completely unbothered, Kayama gives a hearty laugh, masking it behind a fancy fan with fake coyness. "Ah, the impatience of youth!" She shudders and her cheeks tinge a ruby red like she had one glass of wine too many. "I was about to get there. I have information to sell, but it's going to cost you more than a pretty penny."
Dabi arches a brow, fixing her with a bored look. He bites into his chicken, not bothering to finish chewing before replying, "Like what?"
"Insurance that he's acting alone," she says, her demeanour changing to seriousness at the drop of a hat. "I don't want any Navy officers swarming my island and treating my girls like they're garbage."
Dabi puts his food down, leaning forward in his seat with a furrowed brow. "Who exactly are we talking about?"
She leans in too, until her fan tickles the unscarred skin left on Dabi's face. She whispers the two words into his ear: Lieutenant Hawks.
Huh. Been a while since Dabi has last heard that name.
He thought the prick had gotten the rope before Dabi. The last he'd heard of him, the former lieutenant had gotten stripped of his status and all his money after losing Jakku's fort to Shigaraki's fleet and succumbing to debt. He doesn't know how the crafty fucker has managed to escape capture by the Vanguard. Even the fastest ship of the seven seas, the sleek Adamantine Wings, had sunk without much ceremony under Toga's cannons.
Dabi supposes he should've expected a cockroach to be hard to kill. Luck's on his side though. Shigaraki will pay Hawks' weight in gold for his head and double that for the chance to slit Hawks' throat himself.
He reaches into his coat pocket for a satchel of gold, unceremoniously dumping it on the table between them. "Where?"
"I meant what I said." Kayama presses, not yet pocketing the satchel. "I don't want any Navy ships docking my harbor. You know as well as I do how bad it is for business to let them set course for Kamino."
Dabi scoffs. It's not her neck that would be hung at Masutafu. If she got lucky, with smarts like hers, she'd just be taken in as a concubine. Dabi, though…
His bones will never be left dangling in the breeze, chained as a warning for anyone to see and fear the power of Governor Todoroki. He'll never give his old fart the satisfaction. Oh no, Dabi is gonna put a bullet between the fucker's eyes himself if it's the last thing he does.
He spits on the floor, but it's so dirty with grime that it doesn't make much of a difference.
"Consider it done," he mutters, already rising to his feet.
The food on his table gets cold.
Eastern Coast, twenty minutes later
Kayama's information is on point, but it looks like Dabi wasn't the first to take the jump on Hawks. Or the other way around, considering the still warm corpses lining the shore a few ways away from the docks.
Dabi raises a brow. There are three men, each roughly two times Dabi's size, which is impressive, considering that only one of them was brandishing a pistol. They're splayed on the ground, limbs strewn every which way, but their eyelids have been respectfully closed to avoid becoming food for crows. Dabi thinks he recognizes them, and when he kicks his boot on the third one to push him onto his back, his suspicions are confirmed. Kayama won’t be pleased.
It’s the pirate crew on Chisaki’s payroll.
Dabi's teeth grind together. Of course they'd set eyes on this particular target before Dabi could. Chisaki had been trying to renegotiate a second meeting with the Vanguard Triumvirate for months. Officially, to get the Navy’s attention away from his own shady business. But in truth? Dabi knows the fucker doesn’t give a damn about his reputation. Rumors of his ties with pirates never led anywhere. That bastard knows how to guard his back.
No, predators like that only care about devouring their competition. Unfortunately for him, it'll be a fresh day in hell when Shigaraki will let himself be bought by flattery and subterfuge.
It isn't long after that Dabi finds Hawks.
He's wheezing for breath and clutching his bloodied side with a torn piece of fabric from his shirt. His face is pale and covered in sweat, but when their eyes meet, there's no trace of weakness there. They spark with recognition, and Hawks straightens up with a barely visible wince. The grip on his blade tightens, but he doesn't raise his arm at Dabi. Smartly trying to save his strength for a fight.
"Captain Dabi," he greets cordially, his voice even despite the pain. "I have to say, I wasn't anticipating the big fish himself to come here to finish the job."
Dabi tilts his head to the side, letting out a drawl. "Don't lie. You were expecting me. Why else would you go through the trouble of letting one of Kayama's girls spot you and overhear you? You're not subtle, and I can take a hint, alright."
Hawks' eyes shine, but he doesn't deny nor confirm it.
"You wanted my attention? You got it. Although that," Dabi says, gesturing with his pistol towards the gash on Hawks' side, "was a stupid risk to take just for a chat. What's your deal?"
Apparently realizing he's not about to get shot, Hawks lets himself lean heavily against the wooden railing behind him to seek relief from his dizziness. The vulnerability is just for show, though. Dabi has seen a lot of dying men, and none of them have the predatory look Hawks' eyes do in that moment. He's still yet to let go of his sword, too.
Would you look at that, Dabi thinks. Ready for a fight even when he's about to kick the bucket.
It would be commendable, if it wasn't fucking stupid. Dabi's pistol might be old and unreliable at times, but it still has better chances of offing a man than someone with a hole on his hip.
"Ah," Hawks says with fake mirth. "You got me. I am here to negotiate."
Dabi's eyebrows rise to his hairline. "Negotiate," he echoes, earning a grunt and a weak nod.
"That's a good one. You have a foot in the grave. What are you gonna 'negotiate' about?" he asks, slowly inching closer until he's staring down at him. They'd be nose to nose, if Hawks was standing upright, Dabi thinks.
His proximity doesn't seem to intimidate Hawks one bit. “I want to join your crew,” he declares, making steady eye contact.
For a beat, Dabi's too stunned to react. Then he starts laughing.
Of all things the fucker could've come up with—
"What's a man like you have to offer to a pirate?" he snarks, using his pistol to tilt Hawks' chin up and to stare better at those defiant eyes. "I thought Navy officers didn't kill." He raises his eyebrows mockingly. "Or should I say former Navy officers? Is that why they kicked you out? Couldn't cover up your skeletons in the closet, so you thought you'd make robbery and murder under the sun your profession instead?"
Though it's certainly true that Hawks put up a decent fight, he looks like shit. The delicate folds and flaps of the bloodstained white shirt mask it well, but there's solid muscle underneath Hawks' loose blouse. Much like everything about the man, his appearance is also deceiving. Meant to make him look like less of a threat than he is.
It intrigues Dabi with the same allure and danger of a siren's call.
He wonders if baiting Chisaki's crewmen specifically was also part of Hawks' plan. What kind of madman would go that far to get someone's attention?
"You're different from the rumors about you," Hawks interjects, his voice sounding almost upbeat and relaxed despite the cold touch of steel under his chin.
Dabi's gotta hand it to him. If nothing else, the man's got guts. Or a remarkable suicide wish. He really must be confident in his lying skills, if he thinks that sweet-talking Dabi will avoid another bullet getting into his flesh.
"Those gentlemen at the docks didn't give me a chance to speak, but you seem like the kind of man who appreciates a good monologue."
He's got a sharp tongue too, on top of being a snake.
"And you looked much better in your uniform," Dabi retorts, his grin widening.
Something close to annoyance flicks rapidly across Hawks' face, but it's gone in the blink of an eye.
Ah. Sore spot. Interesting.
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now,” Dabi offers. “Or let Shigaraki do the honors for me.“
“Governor Todoroki.”
Dabi's eyes narrow into slits. Hawks takes it as his chance to keep running his fat mouth.
“I know my way through the labyrinth of tunnels underneath Masutafu's Fort. I could guide a select number of people through the maze without getting spotted.”
“Or you could lead us right into a trap,” Dabi points out, no longer smiling.
“I could, yes,” Hawks agrees. “But after how quickly they tossed me away despite what I did for them? I owe them nothing. I want to see Masutafu fall as much as you do.”
You're not the worst liar I've ever seen, Dabi thinks, pushing his knee right into Hawks' wound, but you cannot lie about just that one thing.
Hawks screams, and Dabi uses his momentary distraction to bring down his pistol on the back of his head. The screaming stops abruptly, and Hawks folds forward, right into Dabi's waiting arms.
It's a good thing this is your lucky day.