Chapter Text
Originally posted March 10th, 2023
Hawks getting hit by a de-aging quirk but it doesn’t turn him into a kid. No, he’s 16 and confused as hell as to why he’s in some dark warehouse in the middle of the night.
The villain who nailed him with the quirk runs for it when he realizes he hit the number two, and not the League recruiter he was lying in wait for.
So Hawks is left alone, in too-loose clothes, debating calling his handler, wondering if this is a new test, when Dabi arrives.
Dabi sees this gangly, quiet teen, and almost turns around. Not his monkeys, not his circus. But Hawks perks up when he arrives.
“Are you part of the training, or…?”
That gives Dabi pause. “Training?”
“Yeah - with the Commission. I figured you were a trainer…?” He suddenly looks uncertain. “Right?”
Dabi gives him a flat look. “I’m not with the hero commission.” He looks Hawks up and down. “You are, though. You should call them.”
Hawks blinks, then his eyes narrow. “Right.”
Dabi arches an eyebrow. “You don’t believe me.”
Hawks folds his hands behind his back, military style. “Last time I woke up somewhere new, the test was to see how long I could last before I called for help.”
Well, that’s a fucking lot to unpack.
Dabi looks at this teenage version of his part-time enemy, full-time puzzle, and he presses his lips together.
“Yeah, I know a thing or two about waking up somewhere new.” He turns to the exit, nodding for Hawks to follow.
“C’mon, you’re with me.”
Hawks snaps to attention with a salute, then scurries over to Dabi’s side as if his report card depends on it.
“This should be interesting,” Dabi mutters under his breath.