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Years down the line, Hawks still couldn’t believe his first official kid came to him in the form of an egg.
(And Dabi would never let him live it down.)
But that’s what happened, and it was his own damn fault for rushing ahead.
The warehouse was on the smaller side, kind of rundown and grimy, but that was just on the outside. According to records the HPSC had compiled, they were using almost twice the electricity as the bigger one down the street - kind of weird for a building that supposedly housed imported toys.
So it wasn’t much of a surprise when Menagerie, a small time villain turned Big Time animal smuggler, was linked to the operation.
Animal trafficking might normally be the sort of crime they left to the police, but considering Menagerie’s past (and a surprisingly high kill count for a guy wearing a literal fur suit), it made sense for the cops to request backup.
And call him a softy, but Hawks had feelings about seeing his comrades-in-feathers behind bars.
It was almost too easy.
“Oh SHI-!”
The first guard dropped like a sack of potatoes, the second following almost immediately after.
It got a little harder from there, with the higher ranking grunts swarming the back entrance, but between his speed, his feathers, and the fact that he had thirty of Fukuoka’s finest flanking him the entire time, and the outcome was obvious.
Anyone who managed to escape was met by a very grumpy Rock Lock, so that was one less thing he had to worry about.
With the criminals captured, his job was sort of done. The police were taking stock of the various caged, crated, and tanked animals, and the vets they’d called for were on the way.
He could probably have left then, rules about staying to give your report notwithstanding (and who in this day in age expected Hawks of all people to stick around for something that boring?), but...
As horrible as the entire set up was...
...he kind of wanted to see the birds, maybe just keep an eye on things until he knew they were either going to be released or sent back to their countries of origin.
(No, not because they’re FAMILY, you flaming assho- Tomoyami, stop laughing! He’s not funny!)
So he wandered around, just looking. He got a few dark looks from one officer, but he was used to it, so the guy’s silent outrage didn’t do much to stop his path deeper into the hooting, shrieking, and cooing mess that was the avian section of the warehouse.
The animals all seemed to be in good shape. Not a HUGE surprise, since they were meant to be some rich bastard’s exotic pets, but good to see all the same.
And then he saw it.
Not in a cage, or behind any lock or barrier whatsoever.
An egg.
No. Correction. The Egg.
Because that thing was enormous.
Up to his knee in height, the Egg stood proud, all creamy white with soft, warm looking specks of tan and light, golden brown.
It was beautiful.
And Hawks...Hawks was, for the first time that night, or even that year, absolutely furious.
Because what the HELL was an Egg like that doing left out in the open?! No heating lamp, no incubator to be seen, and was that a little nest of rags around it?!
Whatever was meant to hatch from the Egg, no matter the species, wouldn’t have survived weeks or months of neglect like that - not in the cool temperature and low lighting of the warehouse.
He wanted to track down Menagerie (who should be getting a hero’s escort down to the police station at that moment) and shake him. Hoist that evil bastard up fifty stories and then have a little accident keeping his grip on that ugly fur of his. He wanted-
He wanted to cry, just a little, because he didn’t know how, but he knew that the Egg had been fertile, and whatever was inside would never hatch. Would never live, or breathe, or fly.
There were protocols in place. He shouldn’t be touching the evidence, even if it wasn’t living evidence - probably especially if it wasn’t living evidence, but he couldn’t help it.
The Egg was massive, but it looked so small and lonely in that mountain of scrap fabric.
He picked it up.
Even considering it’s size, the Egg was surprisingly heavy. Hefting it into the crook of his arm, he looked down at it, not even noticing his wings curling forward, blocking them both from the view of anyone intruding on the moment.
It really was a beautiful Egg.
“I’m...I...we should have been faster.” He wasn’t sure why he was whispering to the Egg, but it didn’t matter. “You didn’t deserve this.”
The Egg was heavy in his arms, its warmth bleeding slowly through the thick material of his jacket.
Wait. It’s warm? Why would-
The Egg wiggled a little in his grip. Gold eyes widened, arms tightening protectively to stop its fall to the ground.
Warm.
Moving.
The Egg was still alive!
He opened his mouth, wanting to call for the nearest veterinarian to get over here IMMEDIATELY, when the Egg jumped again, harder this time.
Crack!
A spiderweb of damaged shell spread across the upper half.
That....wasn’t possible.
Even if the Egg was alive, birds didn’t hatch that fast, either in nature or under human care.
Unless it had a Quirk.
Because one in like a billion animals could be born with a Quirk, give or take a few million.
Crack! Crack!
The cracks spread, a little bit of shell falling off, and then another.
His legs felt weak as he stared down at the actively hatching egg. He was holding onto a baby bird with a Quirk.
Like Nedzu.
Who...well, what happened with Nedzu...
They’re going to want to take you to the lab, too, aren’t they?
Another little bit of shell hit the ground, the hole left by the action still too small to see exactly what was in there, but it wouldn’t be long now.
He could hear voices growing closer.
His feet were in the air a second later.
The Egg wiggled more in his arms as he flew for its life, as fast as he could without hurting whatever it held.
He landed on the balcony of his penthouse in record time, stumbling inside and pressing the Egg onto the seat of the most cushioned chair in his living space.
Just in time.
Cra-Crack!
A little, curved claw pierced the middle of the shell, sending a huge chunk of the now mutilated shell tumbling onto the carpet below.
I thought all birds used their beaks to break the shell?
The claw struck again, and then another curved out of the hole, breaking the Egg into tiny pieces as a baby’s cry rang through the silence of his home.
A small, red and kind of wrinkly head poked out of the top of the shattered husk that had been the Egg, a tiny tuft of what should be hair but was definitely down feathers peaked out from under its impromptu hat as the (Human? Bird? Human-Bird like Tokoyami?) infant looked up at him, weirdly familiar golden eyes opening to gaze blearily at him as the Quirk-having something continued to wail its displeasure.
Knees finally giving out, Hawks hit the ground in front of the chair, arms bracing himself on the now gooey seat as Egg (he needed a name - no, why would he name it?!) cried and flailed.
There were bits of shell still on the seat, and baby skin was so delicate-
Egg was in his arms again a moment later, tucked under his jacked, with just its little human-bird head poking out.
The baby was also gooey, and he could now feel that firsthand.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
He’d stolen a living animal with a Quirk from an active crime scene.
Or he’d stolen a baby with a Quirk from an active crime scene.
And it had given birth to itself on his favorite chair - one he’d now need to burn with fire because eww.
Okay.
The baby-bird had started to quiet down, crying and screaming turning into sad little hiccups and - was that a chirp?!
Sure.
Trying not to let the absolute WHAT THE HELL of the night show on his face, Hawks carefully removed the...fledgling something from his jacket.
It did have feathers, a soft layer of (still kind of nasty looking) white down specked with light brown on its head. It’s hands were the claws (talons?) that had broken the Egg earlier, and there were down feathers on her arms as well, spreading out from her elbows to her wrists like some sort of fashionable gloves. And her legs...huh.
Human looking to just above the knee, and then distinctly bird-like from the feather-covered skin to the lethal black talons replacing her (and it was now pretty obvious the fledgling thing was a HER) toes.
But the real shock was the little, twitching nubs on her back, feather covered as well, but so obviously wings that his own shook at the sight.
He still wasn’t sure if it - she - was a baby with a Quirk that made her part bird or a bird with a Quirk that made her part baby, but that didn’t matter in the long run.
Because the Hero Commission would be interested in the baby and the labs would want the bird.
And like fuck was the kid going to either!
Still in shock, Hawks once more took the something into his arms, cradling her protectively against his chest as his thoughts raced a mile a minute.
He wouldn’t, couldn’t, give her up to the HPSC, the vets, the police, or ANYONE even remotely related to any scientist.
There was no way that would end well.
He also couldn’t leave her with Nedzu. The mouse-thing would likely feel some kinship with the newborn something, but he was busy running a school, and considering his...sort of nebulous legal status as an intelligent animal, there was no guarantee he could keep custody, even if he was willing to take her in.
He couldn’t send her back to her home country, even if he could find out what that was (she looked a little European, but that didn’t mean much) because Menagerie wasn’t known for keeping records on who he got his animals from, and that meant she’d have the same dangers no matter where she went if she was there without someone protecting her.
Which left...maybe staying here. With him.
He was high profile and secure in his position, so it would be harder to challenge him, and he could definitely provide financially...
Okay.
It was 4AM and he was keeping the fledgling (and that wasn’t the worst name, actually - Fledgling). Their eyes were almost the same, so if he paid off the right people...he might be able to swing it.
The - his new daughter was relaxing in his hold, big eyes shutting as she gave into the tiredness she was no doubt feeling from kung fu-ing her way into the world.
He had a kid. A small, fragile, newborn baby-bird with stubby wings and talons that looked like something out of Jurassic Park.
He needed...diapers, and a baby bed, and what did she eat? He couldn’t just find breastmilk for her in the middle of the night (or that powder some people use), and he wasn’t chewing and spitting up worms, kid or no kid. Did all little birds eat worms, or would that send her to the hospital?
He needed help.
He was sliding his phone out of his pocket before he knew what he was doing, typing in a number he was meant to remember but NEVER save.
The phone rang.
Once.
Twice.
”This had better be important, Hawks.” The voice on the other end of the call was rough with sleep, but the threat came through loud and clear.
“I-I- need...”
”Hawks? The voice was more aware now, its owner having caught on that something was very, very wrong with the hero. ”Hawks? What’s happening? Are you hurt?”
He shouldn’t be doing this. He and Dabi were on better terms these days, almost friends despite Hawks’ inevitable betrayal once he had what he needed from the League, but what kind of idiot would let a homicidal supervillain around their new child, let alone ASK for the villain to come help with the new child?
”Hawks? Hawks?! Answer me, you bastard!”
“I - help, please. My apartment.”
He was that kind of idiot, apparently.
”What are-“
“Please.”
There was a long pause. Idly, Hawks noticed that his own breathing was coming in ragged pants. Fledgling shifted in his hold, still asleep, and he struggled to keep his cool.
”...I’ll be there in twenty.”
The line went dead.
Hawks wanted to stay where he was, shaking and huddled up in front of his ruined armchair, but he forced himself to his feet, stumbling into his bedroom.
His comforter was more stylish than comfortable, so he grabbed his plushest bathrobe and set it down. Taking Fledgling into the bathroom, he picked up a clean washcloth and set the sink on hot.
He didn’t know if sink baths were okay for babies this young (or birds), so he wet the washcloth, gently removing as much of the remaining goo as he could see.
When Fledgling was clean enough, he wrapped her up in the bathrobe.
“There you go,” he felt a little better as he laid her down on the bed, keeping her tiny head cushioned outside the swaddle. “All wrapped up like a little burrito.”
Now if only he could fight the rising urge to scream himself hoarse.
Hawks whipped around as a banging noise came from the living room. His feathers extended, ready to-
Oh. Right. The door.
Right.
Closing the bedroom door behind him, Hawks moved to greet his guest.
Dabi stood in the doorway, a long coat covering most of his body, with a hood and medical mask obscuring most of his face.
Apart from those eyes, an almost electric shade of blue.
That were gazing at his chest in something like horror.
“Dabi, what-“
“Get inside. Now.” And Hawks could only blink as his arm was grabbed and he was herded back into his own home, pushed onto the small couch as Dabi pulled his mask down and leaned in.
Hawks felt his heart beating double time as that scarred face drew closer, warm arms caging him in.
Was Dabi really going to-
“Hawks, I need you to tell me where the entry wound is.”
Hah?!
“Hah?”
Up close, the undamaged skin between the mass of scarring looked pale as those hands slid his jacket open, fingers tracing over his chest.
Hawks was going to die.
“You’ve lost a lot of blood, and I need to know where they got you. Focus, Bird Brain.”
Blood?
What did-
Hawks tilted his head to the side, and for the first time noticed that the goo coating his armchair was a dark, bloody red.
He looked back down at his jacked and shirt and saw more of the same.
Oh. Dabi thought...he wasn’t...
Of course. Yeah.
Good.
Maybe it was a sense of humor at the mistake, or maybe he just needed Dabi’s mouth face out of his personal space, but Hawks managed to push the villain back, shuffling up into a sitting position as the pyromaniac growled and tried to move in again.
Only to be nudged back by a wing to the chest.
“Hawks-“
“It’s not...mine. I’m not bleeding.”
Dabi stopped fighting against the wing and let himself be moved back.
Neither of them spoke for a moment, or mentioned how awkward that moment was.
Eventually, the moment ended.
“So, did you finally snap and kill your handler? Your agent? That kid who keeps flirting with your intern? I can get rid of the body, but we need to be quick before the morning rush starts.”
Good to know that he had someone willing to help him hide a body (and wasn’t there some saying about friends and dead people?), but not what he needed.
“No, I...um, no one’s hurt. It’s actually,” Come on, brain, you’re better than this! “...not...that?”
Dabi’s eye twitched and Hawks had to remind himself that jumping off the balcony to escape social embarrassment was only okay when he didn’t have his newborn daughter alone and defenseless in the other room.
“Hawks,” the growl was back, “the next time you call me at four in the morning, someone either needs to be dead or someone will be.”
Was it getting warmer?
Knowing he needed to explain himself fast, Hawks gestured again to the goo-and-shell coated chair. “I was checking out this warehouse and found-“
A cry split the air and Hawks and Dabi both looked at the door separating his living room from his bedroom.
“Hawks...is that a baby?”
“Um, more or less?”
“...”
“Ah...any chance you know where I can get diapers and...other stuff?”