Archive of Our Own

Tear stained cheeks were rubbed ever so softly by weak, battle bloodied hands. Gold eyes, once bright as the morning sun, now dull and barely focused. Sparrow choked back sobs as she held one of his hands in her own – the only unharmed feather he possessed hung loosely on a necklace around her neck. She couldn't bare to look at anything but his face; she wanted so badly to ignore that his own set of dual swords were now implanted firmly in his abdomen, crossed enough that moving him would only result in his death coming faster. She tried to use Heaven's Hum to heal the gravely injured Hero, but there was only so much her abilities were capable of. The most she could muster was buying him time as the pair were coddled together in the wreckage of a building Hawks was violently thrown into moments before.

Still, even with unfocused eyes, Hawks called out to her weakly, "You're still gonna sing for me, right?" Sparrow only nodded quietly for a moment, trying to tear her eyes open again to look at him; however, looking at him hurt made her heart sink. She was losing the one person that trusted her the most.

"Hey, don't cry; you can make illusions, right? Just tune everything else out..."

"I'll try..."

"You can do it Pipsqueak, you've never let me down before, you wouldn't start now!"

Sparrow almost, ALMOST, let herself cast him a relieved grin — that is, if his words weren't followed by violent coughs and splatters of blood from his mouth. Slowly, she sighed and shook the guilt from her mind; she wasn't about to lose him without at least trying to fulfill his last request. A soft inhale as she looked upwards towards the sky – a silent prayer that someone, anyone, would save Hawks where she couldn't – before she opened her mouth to sing. It was a favorite song of hers; however, she'd changed the words here and there...for him.

"We met, it seems, such a short time ago,

I looked at you, needing you so,

Yet from my sadness, our happiness grew," 

Before she could continue on her own, Hawks' raspy, weakened voice joined her own much stronger one. He hated the sound of his voice right now, but he didn't want to spend what was possibly his last moments with her in silence.

"And I found out I needed you too–"

"That's right." Sparrow gently squeezed Hawks' hand.

"I remember how we used to fly,"

"Mhm~" She continued to reassure him as he turned his head towards her voice, his vision becoming cloudy.

"I recall those rainy days; the fire's glow–" Hawks was cut off by his own rattling cough; he could only manage giving her an apologetic expression as she cast him a forgiving smile.

"That kept us warm..." She continued, fighting back the urge to stop. She promised. She PROMISED.

"A-and now I find, we're both...soon to be alone–"

"HEY, that's not how it goes..." Hawks pouted, weakly, but he was clearly pouting.

"Goodbye may seem forever,

Farewell is like the end,

But in my heart's a memory, and there you'll always be," Sparrow continued, pushing herself through the words.

As he listened, Hawks now knew why she never finished singing the song, he lifted his free hand to hold her cheek. "If you want to stop, you don't hav–"

"I made a promise. I intend to keep it." 

"Okay." Hawks squeezed her hand, not realizing his grasp held much less strength now; and she wasn't about to point that out.

"Goodbye may seem forever," 

Hawks' thumb brushed against the corner of her eye, wiping away her tears.

"Farewell is like the end," 

Sparrow slowly removed the Pro Hero's hand from her face, placing it neatly on his chest, where she moved his other hand to as well before clutching the pair of them tightly in her own.

"But in my heart's a memory—"

Hawks' eyes were closed, his hands still weakly hanging onto her own as both of them ignored his labored breathing and slowing, desperate breaths.

"...Amelia...I...really care....about you. A-and, I'm...sorry. This..wasn't supposed to—"

"Shh.."

"B-but what if...I never...never get to—"

"Then I guess I'll never know, now will I?"

"But—"

"Please, Kei...it'll hurt less if you don't say it."

"...You...already...know...?"

"I do, yes."

"Good..."

Silence fell between them as Hawks gently tugged at her fingertips, reminding her she didn't finish the song.

"But in my heart is a memory,

And there you'll always be..."

A smile remained planted on the Pro Hero's face; if Sparrow didn't know any better, she'd have thought he was asleep, peacefully dreaming about the clouds and the view from within them. His hands were no longer squeezing her own, his brow no longer tensed, and – worst of all – his chest no longer rose and fell in that familiar breathing motion. All was still; save for the Pro's wisps of hair shifting slightly as a wind rose up in the rubble. Though not strong, it was enough of a breeze to cause the feather that hung around her neck to rise and brush against her cheek flatly, before falling once more. Heartbroken, Sparrow affixed Hawks' still slightly warm hands neatly on his chest, removing his goggles to place them upon her own head. She carefully brushed the dirt and dust from his face, planting a gentle kiss on his cheek before rising to her feet. She didn't even try to bring herself to wipe away the tears that formed in the corners of his eyes before his conciousness faded; she was having trouble being near him as it was.

"In my heart is a memory..." She spoke to no one in particular, taking Hawks' headphones and radioing in for Rescue and Support Heros to his location as soon as possible. Tentatively, she informed them he was gone before placing the headset next to him, neatly resting on his folded gloves.

Quietly, she sang a song of remembrance while activating her Quirk, as images of herself and Hawks laughing together swarmed around them. She sang for quite some time, watching every moment she shared with the Hero play as though she were walking through her own mind. The support crew arrived just as the last image of Hawks' smiling face phased from view and her song ended in a hushed whisper. After explaining what happened, she lowered Hawks' goggles upon her eyes, knowing now she would do what she could to take up his mantle — someone had to finish this fight in his absence. Slowly, her steps retreated from the destroyed building, the wind carrying words that were never spoken – she recognized his voice immediately as she stumbled foward, determined more than ever to seek revenge for the fallen Hero:

"In my heart is a memory, and there we'll always be"