Chapter Text
Hawk tucked his wings close and dove, his curled talons punching clean through the side of the skull of a monster which had been about to bring its massive fists down some warriors from another tribe and a few knights of the Kingdom. He screeched as he ripped his fist free, powerful wings beating to carry him up once more. The battlefield had descended into chaos more or less immediately, but at least it was easy to tell who was friend and who was foe. No Shifters could imitate the Great Evil’s monsters, at least not any who stood against the dark entity rising from the ancient seal at the heart of the enemy forces.
Hawk scanned the battlefield, and dove again, this time aiming at a smaller monster coming up on the flank of some allies of the tribe. He sent it sprawling minus a skull and snapped his wings out just in time to avoid smashing into the ground at top speed. A blaze of fire shot just under one of his wings singed his feathers and sent him spinning from the sudden, forceful updraft it created. He flung himself into a roll, returning to human form between one breath and the next and throwing his arms up to protect his head, wings pulled close as he could manage.
Pain drove into his back as he was yanked to a stop, some unnatural horror stomping down on one of his wings and dislocating it. A screech burst from his throat before he could master himself, and he flung his other wing out blindly, making his assailant stumble back a step. Not much, but enough to get back to his feet. He gritted his teeth around another sound of pain as he Shifted partially to his avian form and back, re-setting his wing. He wouldn’t be flying on it again during this battle, but that had been inevitable. He drew his swords, the magic worked into the hilts igniting at his touch and flowing through the feather-like etchings on the blades. “Come at me.” he challenged, and the beast charged. Hawk darted aside at the last moment, the magic in his swords ensuring that his blow struck true and carved cleanly through the monster’s shoulder.
He danced out of the way of the spray of sickly ichor and slid his other blade into the monster’s gut, darting back as it toppled. Now that the big one was down though, smaller monsters would be eyeing him. Would his wings hold him for a quick pop up into the air to locate the nearest cluster of friendlies? He flexed them, but his speculation was cut short by a wave of blistering heat. Hawk threw an arm up in front of his eyes instinctively, wings curling around his body to shield him from the heat at least a little. He blinked his eyes open when the temperature stopped rising, and what little air was still in his lungs left them all at once.
“Dabi.” he breathed, taking in the sight of the boy- no, the man, they were no longer children running from their pasts. He wore a loose tunic of undyed cloth under a long, open deep blue coat with sleeves that only came to his elbows and a hem which had seen better days. His pants were dark, the material heavy and cut both flattering and practical, with the ends tucked into a pair of heavy, sturdy boots of similar colour. Time had broadened Dabi’s shoulders, and granted him more height than Hawk, but his purple burns remained stark against his pale skin, the line between them at his collarbone only emphasized by a familiar cord of leather slung around his neck.
“Hawk.” his old friend inclined his head, dark hair falling in his face and hand lifting to brush over the trinkets Hawk had strung on his necklace, so many years ago. “I can’t let you stop us.”
“Us?” Hawk asked reflexively, even as his stomach lurched sickly. He’d heard of humans on the side of the Great Evil, criminals and bitter outcasts, rallying behind a young man with the power to call on demons. He’d never thought that Dabi would fall in with them.
“Us.” Dabi confirmed unhelpfully. “Shigs has a plan, but the first step is freeing the Great Evil.” the flames leapt higher, but remained in their neat encirclement. Oh, of course Dabi would’ve fallen in with someone who could give him control over the demon that had ruled his magic since they met.
“I can’t let that happen.” Hawk said, lifting one of his blades to point at Dabi. “Don’t make me hurt you.”
“Funny, I was about to say the same to you.” Dabi smiled, but there was none of the warmth in it that Hawk so fondly remembered. Hawk moved first, lunging at Dabi as fast as he could go without his wings to boost him. Dabi threw sky-blue flames at him, forcing him to redirect, and when Hawk saw his old friend’s face again it was twisted in a snarl, eyes glowing with magic. He dodged the blast of fire easily, and rushed Dabi at an angle. Magic like that was most effective at a distance, so if he could get in close he could force the fight. Hopefully without having to kill the man he’d once called his best friend.
“Why are you doing this?” he demanded when Dabi pushed him back with a wall of flame, circling around as Dabi tried to make space. His left wing still ached where it had been stomped on, and where it joined with his shoulder blade, but he was pretty sure he could get a boost if he pushed himself. Might not be flying again for a week, but if he didn’t win this fight he wasn’t going to live another week. He refused to think about whether he’d die at Dabi’s hand, or the hand of the monster he’d fallen into service of.
“Why do you care?” Dabi sneered, his tone making Hawk actually pull up short and stare at his old friend.
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“It’s been years since we saw each other.” Dabi straightened up, frown deepening.
“And?” Hawk challenged, taking a step forward. “If our time apart means so much to you, why are you still wearing my necklace?”
Dabi took a step back, his left hand flying up to clutch the simple leather cord around his neck. “That’s got nothing to do with this!”
“I don’t want to hurt you.” Hawk said, taking another step towards Dabi. Backing anyone else against the flames would corner them, but with Dabi it meant nothing since the fire was his own.
“Me either.” Dabi swallowed heavily, and settled back into a ready stance. “But if you keep getting in our way, I may have to.”
Hawk made a wordless sound of frustration, and fixed his grip on his swords. “Why are you even following that madman?” he challenged, stalking towards Dabi. The faster he got in melee range, the faster he could end this fight.
“Shigaraki isn’t a madman.” Dabi argued, fire spilling from his hands and wrapping around Hawk like a living thing, a snake whose azure coils tightened with every scorching breath. “But he can’t defeat the Great Evil until it’s been unsealed.”
“What for, power? Fame?” Hawk flared his wings and leapt, beating hard enough to blow out the fire immediately around him. He had to end this quickly, or the dry heat would suck all the water from his body and he’d be worse than useless.
“If he defeats the Great Evil, then Father will have no choice but to listen when I tell him that Shigs can help Mother, can help Shou.” Dabi’s eyes shone madly with the light of his blue flames, and Hawk’s heart dropped to the pit of his stomach.
“You idiot!” he flung one of his swords at Dabi, who dodged it easily. Right into Hawk’s bodily tackle, which knocked the both of them through the curtain of flame which had kept them separated from the rest of the battle. “You’re the one who told me the tales of great Quests past. You know what his kind do!”
“He wants to protect us, he needs Father’s recognition to get the power to do it.” Dabi spat, flames leaping to life under Hawk’s hands. Hawk gritted his teeth around a scream of pain, and hauled Dabi up to slam him back against the ground again, straddling his abdomen to pin him.
“Or he kills the whole royal family and takes it all for himself! If he can take the demon out of your mom, why hasn’t he removed yours?”
“I asked for this.” Dabi hissed, pushing up against the taloned vice-grip on his biceps. “Shigaraki gave me control, gave me power. I won’t let you stop us.”
Fuck, fuck, this wasn’t working. Dabi had always seemed so reasonable, when they were traveling together, so why wasn’t he listening now? He’d never wanted his demon powers, only ever wanted to be able to control his magic, to- to belong. How many times had he referred to their whole group, while Hawk demanded his personal motivations? “Are you so desperate for a place to belong that you’ll burn the world down to get it?” he demanded, and Dabi’s eyes went wide, his mouth falling open silently. Finally, progress. “Let me help you, Dabi.” he pleaded, gentling his grip just enough it shouldn’t hurt anymore.
“How?” Dabi laughed, the sound harsh and joyless. “The tribe that kept you already kicked me out once.”
“Before you could control your fire.” Hawk squeezed Dabi’s arms as gently as he could manage. “Please, Dabi. I don’t want to hurt you.”
Dabi stared up at him, and Hawk wished he could know what was going on behind those sharp blue eyes, fixed so intently on his face. “Alright.” the wall of flames they’d fallen through extinguished all at once, and Hawk sagged against Dabi, head dropping to rest against his friend’s sternum. “But we have to survive this fight, first.”
“With your power and my training, that shouldn’t be an issue.” Hawk chuckled, pushing himself to his feet and pulling Dabi up after him. He was down a sword now, which was a pain, but up one highly skilled fire mage. Net positive, he supposed.