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There is so much to do before the raid on the League of Villains, from talking to various MLA members, charting routes, figuring out how everyone has been dispatched and organized, and Hawks is absolutely swamped. Still, it’s important, so it doesn’t really matter if he hasn’t slept in awhile, but passing by a slightly open door, Hawks can’t help but notice Dabi with his shirt off and talking to some kind of camera.
(Wow, so the scars really do go all the way down.
…sue him, it’s not a crime for him to just look at a villain. For a man who is nearly burnt to a crisp, Dabi is awfully hot.
What happened to him and how he managed to survive that is a mystery that Hawks would love to solve, but probably won’t be able to before the raid—
Time enough to figure that out after everyone has been safely taken care of.
But what’s Dabi up to in there anyway?
…it can’t be that the villains are doing livestreaming or something, right?
There are weirdos everywhere, but if they were that dumb, Hawks wouldn’t have had to turn double agent here.)
Hawks slides closer to try to listen, cracking the door open just a sliver more and sending his feathers in.
“I am Todoroki Touya, the eldest son of Endeavor.”
(What.
What the fuck.
No—he has to be lying. Hawks has never even heard of Endeavor having any other kids besides Todoroki Shouto—)
“ Once upon a time, Endeavor yearned for nothing but power, but when he found himself unable to surpass All Might, he despaired. To concoct even stronger quirks, my father forced the woman who would become my mother to marry him. That’s when my father created me , in pursuit of his selfish, egotistical dream,” Dabi’s voice continues on, relentlessly.
(…so, Hawks did vaguely know that Endeavor’s wife had an ice quirk, since that’s where Shouto got his awesome combination from, and he also knew that Endeavor’s wife had snapped and that’s how Shouto got that scar on his face, but as for the reasons why—
It can’t be true, can it?
The Hero Commission would have never put up with—
No.
Hawks, of all people, knows exactly what the Hero Commission would be willing to put up with in the name of peace and stability.
What was covering up something like that to having him murder a good man?)
“But alas, I was a failed creation. It didn’t take long for him to reject me, and I was tossed aside and forgotten. These murderous flames of mine are Endeavor’s flames,” Dabi says, gesturing at himself, before his electric blue eyes dart over to the side, and a wicked smirk appears on his face.
“Enjoying the show, pretty bird?”
(Ah, shit.
Fuck.
He doesn’t even know what he thinks about all this, and he’s made a rookie mistake by letting the villain see him.
Fuckkkkk, can he brazen this out?)
Hawks lets a lazy smirk drift across his face as he walks in, obviously raking his eyes up and down Dabi’s body.
“It’s not a bad sight.”
Dabi lets out a dark chuckle, lounging back.
“Good enough to make you give up your plans of turning around and backstabbing all of us?”
(…how much does Dabi actually know? Or is he just being his usual suspicious self? Not without cause here, but—
Deflect, deflect, deflect. He can’t be knocked off course here, even if he’s floundering inside.)
“Well if the show wasn’t good enough to change my mind, your claims might be,” Hawks says, nodding at the video camera. “What—planning on blackmailing Endeavor or the Hero Commission with that?”
“More like planning on releasing it on mass airwaves during the raid you’re going to spring,” Dabi replies, lifting his chin. “And don’t even think about destroying the video—Skeptic has copies.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Hawks says immediately, trying to breathe through the sensation of his stomach dropping. “You’re being paranoid.”
“I’m being smart, Takami Keigo,” Dabi says, practically savoring the last two words.
(Oh fuck.
How does he even know that name? It makes no sense—
The Hero Commission had told him to bury it the day that they had taken him in and saved him—
But here is the worst possible person in the world trying to tear down everything about him.)
“You—” Hawks swallows and tries again. “How—”
“You think you’re the only one trying to dig around for information?” Dabi jeers, leaning back, not breaking eye contact with him. “Guess again. I’ve always had my eye on you.”
(Well, his cover has apparently been blown to shit here. He should pull it together, the entire operation is hinging on him, and the raid is so close —
But Dabi is holding all the cards here—
And is Todoroki Touya on top of all that.
That shouldn’t change anything, he has his orders, but—
But he still wants to know why .)
“You—your story,” Hawks says, nodding at the video camera. “Let’s say it’s true—”
“I’ve got the DNA test right here if you don’t believe me,” Dabi sneers, pulling out a Ziploc bag. “Figures that you wouldn’t.”
“…sure,” Hawks says, a sinking feeling in his chest as he stares at the test (it could be faked, but he has a feeling it’s not). “But—what do you expect to get out of this? Everyone finds out what Endeavor did, and you think they’ll, what? Overthrow the entire system?”
“Even if they don’t, some people need to learn that actions have consequences, and t he past never dies, ” Dabi hisses, his blue eyes lit up like his own flames.
Hawks licks his lips and retorts, “And you’re supposed to be the ghost to remind everyone of that? What the fuck—if you’ve been alive this whole time, why didn’t you contact your family until now?”
“They moved on,” Dabi says with a flip of his hand belied by the harsh tone of his voice. “And it was the same old with Dad—had to pummel that perfect successor into shape after all.”
(…he doesn’t know much about Todoroki Shouto beyond what he saw during the U.A. Sports Festival.
He remembers that the kid had a weird complex about not using his flame powers until that green haired kid had yelled at him about it and he finally started using it.
At the time, he had just chalked it up to maybe Todoroki Shouto wanting to even the playing field a little since his quirk was truly too OP, but now it rings true that Endeavor had purposefully been searching for a quirk like that.
Quirks like that just don’t happen— he should know, even his own quirk had been carefully thought through by his mother.
And isn’t that horrifying that he had just turned from worshiping one set of abusers to another.
…but be that as it may, that still doesn’t justify anything that Dabi is now doing.)
“So what? You’re just going to kill your little brother out of spite ?” Hawks spits out.
Dabi tilts his head. “It’s a tempting plan for sure—make Endeavor suffer the loss of his golden child.”
“That’s horrifying,” Hawks glares at him. “That’s detestable—your brother is a complete innocent in this matter!”
“And that’s better than you contemplating killing Twice, how exactly?” Dabi asks, baring his teeth.
(…maybe he should just assume that Dabi already knows everything, because goddamnit, Dabi really has been keeping a close eye on him.)
Still, he has to try. “I’m not—”
“Save the denial, I’ve seen you circling him, acting all friendly,” Dabi says with narrowed eyes.
“Jealous?” Hawks shoots back, kicking himself in his mind.
( Why do so many of his conversations with Dabi always end up this way?
This weird bantering flirting—one of these days, he really needs to get out there and meet someone nice and normal.
Ha, and that’ll be the day he finally slows down.)
Dabi just smirks at him. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Maybe a little bit—I’m hurt, pretty bird, that you didn’t think me worthy of keeping an eye on. Still don’t quite register as a threat to you, huh?”
“Well, obviously I do now,” Hawks snaps. “But even knowing what I know now, Twice is a good man, and he deserves a chance to get out while he can—”
“And leave all the rest of us to our fates?” Dabi asks lightly.
Hawks crosses his arms. “You guys all already had your choice.”
“Did I?” Dabi demands, his eyes flashing. “I was fourteen years old when my father let me burn and just went on beating Shouto into shape. I waited eight years, just biding my time and trying to move on—but some sins have to be paid for.”
“By tearing the entire world down in the process?” Hawks asks disbelievingly.
“You’re the one willing to kill Twice to ensure the peace,” Dabi points out, lifting his chin. “You arguing with me is just quibbling over numbers at this point.”
“Quibbling with numbers—at least I’m trying to benefit society as a whole, what are you doing if not gunning for a personal vendetta?” Hawks demands.
“Are you really trying to benefit society as a whole, or is that what the Commission has brainwashed you into thinking?” Dabi jeers. “When did the Commission ever help Twice? Shigaraki? Or me?”
“They didn’t know about you—”
“They didn’t give a fuck about any of us, and the only reason they gave a fuck about you was because you were useful ,” Dabi interrupts, gesturing at him. “The perfect overpowered quirk for a spy, and someone young enough to mold, and pretty enough to win a fanbase—they couldn’t have wished for a better pawn to land in their hands.”
(Okay, that’s it.
Fuck Dabi and his knife-like observations, they can all go to hell.)
Hawks lets out a growl and lunges forward, covering Dabi’s mouth with his own.
(At least that will get him to shut up, right?
He doesn’t know anything—
Or even if he does, even if he has a point, that doesn’t mean that Hawks isn’t also right.
Insufferable, wicked, sexy bastard.)
Dabi’s eyes widen, but he also catches Hawks’ waist and kisses back, barbed tongue delving into Hawks’ mouth, the metal an odd contrast to the heat of his body.
“I’m no pawn,” Hawks hisses at him after he wrenches his mouth away, his wings flapping frantically behind him. “I chose— ”
“How much of a choice did you have? What else could you have done? Gone back to your mother who sold you out? Or your dad in jail?” Dabi pants. “You didn’t have any options but the ones that the Hero Commission left you—”
“I wanted to be a hero,” Hawks insists, his hands gripping Dabi’s shoulders tight. “I have never wanted to be anything else—”
“Maybe, but did you want to be one in a cage? Doing all their dirty work while pretending to be some paragon of justice?” Dabi sneers. “At least I’m honest about what I am.”
Hawks scoffs. “Honest? You don’t even claim your own name anymore, and you kill people just to make your father feel bad—”
“Todoroki Touya is dead, and I am his ghost,” Dabi interrupts, his eyes blazing. “And I feel bad for those people, but sacrifices have had to been made—”
Hawks laughs in his face, a harsh jeering sound. “And you are arguing with me about killing one man for the sake of peace?”
“There is no peace, there’s just the veneer of it while you heroes lock up, kill, or forget about anyone who doesn’t fit your pretty picture,” Dabi sneers. “And it seems we’re more alike than you thought at least, aren’t we, Takami Keigo?”
(…shit.
He doesn’t want to kill Twice—Twice is a good man based on everything he has seen, but if it’s for the sake of peace—
Shouldn’t there be another way?
A way that doesn’t make him the exact same thing as Dabi?
And—
It’s probably not the full story, but what happened to Todoroki Touya—
That shouldn’t have been ignored.
Someone should have—
Well, he knows how the Hero Commission usually handles things, so that’s not surprising, but to think that even Endeavor—
He doesn’t want to admit it, but he has Dabi right in front of him, the sum of all Endeavor’s sins, and even if Dabi was the one who decided to choose to kill people, looking at the ruin of him, he does have to admit that maybe he was pushed there first.
Where do they go from here?
He knows Dabi’s plans now, but his own cover is also blown to hell…and he has even kissed him…)
Hawks reaches back to grab a long feather to hold to Dabi’s neck, and Dabi’s hand immediately lights on fire, drifting towards Hawks’ back.
“Careful, pretty bird,” Dabi says in a silky voice, “Wouldn’t want us all going up in flames, would you?”
“Isn’t that your endgame? To burn it all down?” Hawks snarls.
“You got a better idea?” Dabi challenges him, raising his chin and licking his lips. “Or are you more of a love it and then burn it all down sort of guy?”
“I don’t—if I let you go, are you going to turn around and tell Shigaraki to come and dust me?” Hawks demands.
“That depends,” Dabi replies with a languid shrug belied by the way the flames in his hands are still crackling despite his skin starting to smoke. “Are you still going to try and kill Twice?”
Hawks swallows, but grits his teeth and continues, “He’s—if he would just leave and give you guys up—”
“Yeah, you’re not going to persuade him that way,” Dabi replies with a snort, and then his eyes harden. “So, what’s it going to be, Hawks? Are you going to kill him for the greater good? Or are you going to finally try to break that cage and go a path that the Hero Commission wouldn’t approve of?”
(That’s assuming he can even get out of this situation here with Dabi alive.
…he would do it, if it meant peace.
He would hate himself, but he would do it.
But—
If there’s another way—some way that doesn’t end with Hawks killing a good man—some way to justify everything he’s already done—
He’s willing to entertain it.)
Hawks takes a deep breath, and moves the feather away slightly, “…what’s the other path?”
Dabi’s eyebrows shoot up as he slowly puts out the flames in his hands. “Wow, was the kiss that good that I convinced you just like that?”
“Hardly,” Hawks barely keeps himself from rolling his eyes (....maybe it was). “I don’t—I don’t want to kill Twice if I don’t have to, so talk. What’s the path that somehow gives all of us what we want?”
Dabi’s jaw moves, and he says slowly, “You say you want peace, but you would settle for making sure Shigaraki doesn’t destroy everything, wouldn’t you? I think there is a way to turn him away from that goal.”
“Go on,” Hawks gestures. “I’m listening.”
“You think it’s just a coincidence that All For One managed to get his hands on an orphan with such a destructive quirk? He’s been looking for a new body for a while—I was a candidate except that even Ujiko couldn’t fix how incompatible my body and my quirk are,” Dabi gestures at himself.
Hawks stills in place. “…All For One has a body surfing quirk?”
“Or something,” Dabi shrugs. “I don’t know all the details, but it seems to rely on psychologically priming the host, or I feel like he should have already taken Shigaraki over a while ago.”
“And you haven’t told any of this to Shigaraki until now because—why?”
Dabi bares his teeth at him. “Because it didn’t help me in any way. And now is the time to tell me how you’re going to further my goals, pretty bird, before I tell you how to prove any of this to Shigaraki or I start lighting those wings up.”
(Turnabout is fair play.
Taking Shigaraki off the board would be much more important than taking Twice off, and All For One is a threat that cannot be ignored.
And—
He hates to do it, and he still isn’t entirely sure if he believes all of Dabi’s claims, but if it’s true—
Endeavor also deserves to be brought to justice.)
“…I can make it so that your video plays during primetime, and—and I’ll get people I know within the Commission to take it seriously and investigate,” Hawks says finally.
Dabi cocks his head. “Mm, not enough, that’s still too easy to bury.”
Hawks grimaces. “Then what?”
“Tell your story about how they took you in and made you the perfect soldier,” Dabi gestures at him and then amends, “Or if you’re not ready to do that yet, then tell some of the dirt you have on the Hero Commission, starting from you staging Best Jeanist’s kill to you being willing to kill for the chance at preserving the status quo.”
(…that would get a lot of attention.
It would also completely undermine the stability that the Hero Commission wants him to bring.
But—
What is more important here?
Stability or making sure the world isn’t destroyed?
…maybe if they had asked that sooner, he wouldn’t be stuck in this situation now.
At the very least, his own reputation is worth not killing Twice and bringing All For One down.)
“…fine,” Hawks says, holding out his hand to shake. “But your plan better work.”
“Oh, it will,” Dabi says confidently, grasping Hawks’ hand and then hauling him close for a filthy kiss. “I’m good at scheming, can’t you tell?”
Even though it’s such a bad idea, Hawks kisses back, his arms tightening around Dabi.
(…in for a penny, in for a pound.
If he’s going to ally with Dabi, then why not give in to his terrible attraction to him?
Even if it all blows up in his face, at least he’ll get a few enjoyable moments out of it.)