Chapter Text
“Sorry, no heroes,” The big security guard said immediately as the two had made it to the very front of the queue. Hawks snorted at the sudden turn of events, giving Mirko a look. The rabbit hero just stood there with her mouth open.
“Really?” Hawks spoke first, waving his wrist with the concert band around it, “Even if we’re big fans?” He asked innocently. Mirko took a step closer instead, an accusing finger raising to stab one of the men in the chest, “Hey, baldy. I paid a fortune for the concert so either you step aside or I’ll let myself in.”
The guards gave each other a look behind the black sunglasses, before one of them said, “Sorry ma’am, owner's request.”
“Well that’s disappointing,” Hawks said dramatically, taking a hold of Mirko’s elbow and starting to take a step back, “Guess there’s nothing we can do.”
“Keigo, I swear,” Mirko sent an angry look his way, struggling to get out of his grip, “I want to join the party, you said it yourself that I never go out. This once I do!”
Without a word the blond pulled the still angry rabbit hero away from the front.
“Oh we will,” He finally muttered as he gave a pointed look over his shoulder, “Maybe just not from this door.”
Mirko seemed to catch on quickly and the two made their way around the building, before coming to a halt at hearing loud noises and laughter ahead.
“Aren’t those the-”
“Holy shit, it’s them!” Mirko whisper-yelled and put a hand in front of her face, wide-eyed as she pointed at the scene about ten meters from them.
Even Hawks could recognize the band members now, the whole group standing amongst a few unknown faces and talking loudly near what was presumably the other entrance of the club, a cloud of smoke surrounding them. The music coming from inside could be faintly heard from here, and Hawks was rather keen on seeing what the talk was all about.
Unfortunately, there was a fence separating the duo from the golden gates over there. Even if Hawks flew over, it’s not like he could just waltz in there now. There was a possibility that the band could not be the biggest fans of their line of work, so Hawks really had to put his best foot forward here and make sure he seemed as friendly as possible.
Taking the final steps towards the fence, Hawks put his hands on it, “Cool show tonight!” He called out the praise to the crowd, leaning forward. He heard Mirko whisper warningly behind him, “You better not embarrass me, birdbrain!”
The conversations stopped, many curious faces turning their way now. Hawks continued, “It’s a bit of a shame we heard there’s a “No Heroes” policy at this club though, since number 5 here is quite a big fan,” He drawled, nodding at Mirko over his shoulder.
Golden eyes danced over the faces he recognized from the show, coming to a stop on the guitarist. Hawks felt a small smile tug on his lips, “We can play nice, I promise,” He raised his hands in surrender.
The band gave each other questioning glances, whispers about the Number 2 hero and his name being dropped proving he isn’t as unpopular as he would have hoped for once. The guitarist was rooted sitting on the steps, taking slow drags of his cigarette as he merely watched them. Hawks couldn’t read the expression on the other man’s face even if he tried. He narrowed his eyes.
“Well?”
“Well what makes you think we’re fond of heroes here,” The singer finally acknowledged him, taking a few steps closer as he waved at them half-assedly, “And two of you? No, I’d rather drown in a sink.”
Hawks only narrowed his eyes at the singer and they shared a beat of silence. Mirko broke it herself.
“Listen here, Tomura ,” She spat out the singer’s name, voice sharper than ever, “I’ve been a fan ever since your debut and boy if this isn’t one of the worst first meetings I’ve ever had. I just wanted to-”
Hawks heard her breath hitch as she stopped suddenly, his eyes widening slightly as he whipped his head around. Angry tears ran down Mirko’s face, a scowl marrying her features.
“What a shitshow,” She said with a scoff, “Thanks for nothing, not even welcome here by the band I’ve been a fan of since forever just ‘cause I'm a hero.”
It was quiet. Hawks turned back towards the band, trying to calculate their chances here. Tears were the oldest trick in the book, and Mirko was truly a sight right now.
“No cops,” Dabi surprisingly spoke first, his gaze hardening as it danced from Mirko to Hawks. Like a warning, “I know how friendly you little heroes are with the Police Force. I don’t want to hear one word from the mutt in charge there. Remember that.”
The lizard mutant made a face, “Oi Dabi, Rikiya said that-”
“He ain’t even here, is he,” Dabi said, waving his hand, “Besides it’s still our party.”
“Really?” Mirko said suddenly, wiping the tears from her eyes in a rush, “Okay, that’s fine.”
Hawks raised a brow at the man's request. Although their affiliation with the task forces isn’t a secret, it was still rather unexpected to hear from a simple guitarist.
Dabi must have sensed his suspicion, already speaking, “The age for entry is 16, but the bar doesn’t check IDs for more profit,” The man said boredly, tilting his head at Hawks, “Now is that a crime worth reporting or not?”
“I got my first hangover at 14,” Mirko said as she waved her hand dismissively, “As far as I know, I haven’t heard anything.”
“And him?” The guitarist’s eyes flickered to Hawks.
“Yes, him especially,” She spoke for him, throwing an arm around his shoulders, “Like he said, we’ll play nice.”
“Those tears didn’t last very long, did they bunny,” Somebody hollered at them, making the ice break a little as the group chuckled amongst themselves.
She was already over the fence, narrowed eyes searching to find the perpetrator, “-Alright well I’m about ready to cash in my golden ticket,” Hawks finally spoke after having taken a leap over the fence with ease, taking a hold of the rabbit hero’s shoulders and pushing her forward.
They came to a stop at Dabi still blocking the way up the few stairs, long limbs lazily scattered. The blond dragged his eyes over the figure, a quick realisation that the man’s skin was actually marred by scars, held together by the staples glinting back at him in the dim light. Hawks figured it had to do with the powerful quirk which Dabi owned. The motor jacket draped over the wide shoulders was hiding the scars on his arms which Hawks couldn’t remember the layout of anymore. He bit down his curiosity as he raised a brow instead, “Do I have to say the magic word?”
Dabi finally got up, standing tall as he looked down at the heroes. His gaze flickered between them again, two of the bluest oceans suddenly boring into Hawks.
The man finally let out a huff as he shook his head with a small grin, “Knock yourselves out, heroes.”
Mirko gave a curt nod and without another acknowledgement the guitarist shouldered past them downstairs. Hawks thought it was quite amusing how the main event of the party were all standing outside instead, not caring to join in.
Hawks was quick to take the last steps and push the door open, letting the loud noise escape outside.
Mirko mustered up her final courage, turning around and yelling a loud thank you to the members before taking a serious bow. She wasn't lying when she had told the members that she had been a longtime fan, even Hawks could support that claim. He was quite sure he had unwillingly listened to the majority of the setlist even before the concert.
The singer snorted, shaking his head, “Enjoy your night, our number one fan,” He teasingly said as he swung his keys lazily around his finger.
Mirko was dragged backwards into the club, the band growing further away before the door closed completely. Hawks gave Mirko a smug look over his shoulder as they made their way through the swarm of people.
“Come on, Bunny,” He yelled at her teasingly, nodding towards the bar, “Let’s get drinks to celebrate your first fan meeting back there.”
As the two settled on the stools, Hawks felt an amused smile creep up to his lips as he watched Mirko. The rabbit hero had taken three shots in a row, slamming the glasses down and mumbling along to the lyrics in between to a familiar punk song that was currently playing.
“Happy with the outcome?”
“Hell yeah, I can’t believe I got to talk with them,” Mirko said happily, swinging from side to side.
“Well I’d say it was more like arguing but,” Hawks shrugged, “Guess we’re just that charming.”
The rabbit hero snorted, “How did you like Dabi, still hot?” Mirko poked him, “Glad that your own age range is still on the table.”
The blond huffed, leaning his face on his hand as he drummed his fingers on the surface of the bar. His gaze lazily followed the overdressed barman polishing a glass slowly, watching the two of them. The man appeared to be made of purple mist save for his eyes, which were a glowing yellow. The barman’s attention was finally lifted from the two heroes as one of the bouncers came up to the counter, nodding over his shoulder as he spoke with the man.
Soon enough the big security was marching back in the direction he had come from, taking a stance at the back of the club.
“Don’t ignore me, dumbass,” Mirko huffed, nudging the said man.
“Do you think it’s true?” Hawks asked instead, turning towards Mirko, “The IDs not being checked, that’s all there is?”
Mirko blinked at him, “We’ve been here for five minutes, did I not catch something already?”
Hawks didn’t answer, instead turning to eye the still half full cocktail in front of him longingly before pushing it away. He had made up his mind to keep his eyes and ears open if things got more serious than just underage drinking here.
“I guess we’ll see, for now I think it’s best I get sober so you can enjoy your night while I keep an eye out.”
“What a gentleman,” Mirko slurred, leaning into his side roughly as one of her long ears tickled Hawks’ face.
“No way,” Mirko jumped up suddenly, raising her finger as the song changed, “It’s one of my favourites,” She yelled and was already dragging the other hero towards the dancing bodies on the floor.
“You’re making me double what you owe me already-”
“Shut up and enjoy,” Mirko beamed at him before jumping with the others along to the music. Hawks felt a little too sober for this, but he had made a decision.
“I’m going to take a look around the club, don’t turn this place into another mosh pit while I’m gone,” Hawks spoke into Mirko’s ear.
Mirko only rolled her eyes at him, “Don’t stay too long, I brought you here so I call the shots tonight.”
“So domineering,” Hawks purred, before taking a step back, “Be back in a few.”
As he made his way throughout the busy club, Hawks took this opportunity to have a clearer view of the layout. He shedded a few of his feathers to sense the vibrations of the many conversations happening currently, while his eyes quickly scanned his surroundings.
He heard them all, drunken words, sweet nothings whispered only for their own ears, the loud chanting while somebody took shots far away.
He almost managed to circle the entirety of the club, a few people having noticed him and either pointing or yelling out his hero name. With a quick wave Hawks had passed them, exchanging niceties or snorting at a few profanities being yelled at him occasionally. He brushed it off, it seemed clear that heroes weren’t an everyday occurrence at this type of club.
With an easy smile he had excused himself from a few hands catching onto him to have a drink or a conversation with them, before deciding to head back. But as Hawks made it back to the first bar, his companion had already taken off.
Ordering himself a water instead, Hawks guessed this doubt in him was just a stereotypical conclusion his brain had jumped to. The band didn’t exactly look like they would start handing out balloons in front of hospitals here, but then again that must be the appeal to some about these kinds of people in the first place.
A sudden voice brought him right out of his thoughts, his head snapping up from having stared at the single cube of ice melting slowly in his glass.
“Where’s your little friend?”
Hawks raised his brows at the sight next to him. The very same guitarist leaning against the bar lazily, a couple empty stools between them. Hawks felt one of the corners of his mouth pulling into a smile, “Good question, actually,” Turning towards the dancefloor, “Last she dragged me over there.”
His eyes flickered back to the other man, “Had enough of fresh air?”
Dabi only hummed, pushing himself up before turning around and taking his leave suddenly. Hawks watched the retreating figure, blinking dumbly. Finally he heard, “Come.”
For a second Hawks weighed over the sudden invite, to where? And why? Curiosity seemed to get the best of him as his legs started moving before his brain managed to catch up, following the tall man cautiously as Dabi lazily made his way through the crowd. Hawks wasn't exactly excited about walking into a wolf’s den here, but since he was technically already at Dabi's party, he had decided to play along and follow. He shot a quick text to Mirko about his whereabouts, or lack thereof.
Following the hot guitarist rn, don’t know where though
Where had she run off to anyway, Hawks thought as he rolled his eyes. He pocketed the device again before looking up, eyes taking in the new scenery. He definitely had not ventured into this part of the club previously.
The lights were more dimmed and the drunken dancing bodies were left behind the red lint that the big guard lifted for them wordlessly.
The loud cheers and yells brought his attention right to the big red rounded couch on the right. Upon first glance it seemed full of unfamiliar faces to Hawks, but his eyes quickly spotted the same lizard man amongst them, and then the rest of the band as well. An unfamiliar man wearing a full body suit had taken one look at them, before suddenly jumping up and pointing at him frantically, “Hawks! Number 2! What is, Spinner how is he-”
The crowd on the couch now turned their attention to him, a few getting up and sitting a little straighter at the sight of their newest company.
“Relax Twice, there’s one more,” Spinner said with a chuckle before tilting his head, “Hey, where’s the other one?” He asked confusedly.
Tomura scoffed, “You’re a real team player, Dabi. Only bringing your favourite.”
Dabi didn’t address the comment, only fell down on an empty spot on the couch before leaning his head back. Hawks had yet to say a word, the table falling back into the many conversations as the noise grew once again.
Spinner waved him over, “Take a seat, come on.”
Hawks was about to, before he caught sight of the singer at the other end of the table suddenly leaning over the surface. Hawks felt his mouth fall open as the man leaned back, wiping his nose now.
“Ah, I might not have mentioned that,” Dabi drawled as he scratched his jaw, “Is that also a problem?”
Tomura leaned over again. The hero watched how his gloved hand separated the lines on the glass table slowly with a shiny black credit card, almost mockingly. Hawks sighed.
“Anything else?” He asked sharply before finally taking a seat at the very end of the couch, right next to Dabi. He didn’t know if it was his imagination, but he could almost feel the heat coming off from the other man, even if there was a good distance between them.
“Is he, you know,” The suited man, Twice, leaned over a few people and waved at Dabi, “Is he going to arrest us? Are the cops coming?” He whisper-yelled at the guitarist, even though Hawks was sitting right next to the man.
Dabi turned his head to Hawks instead, “He promised to play nice tonight, didn’t he?”
The hero clicked his tongue, “Lucky for you, heroes don’t really deal with lousy drug addicts,” He said as his eyes landed on the singer. While not exactly true, they were still expected to report a crime taking place back to the police, it did not appear in his work contract word for word. For Mirko’s sake he’ll keep the silly promise which they had made.
The said man hadn’t in fact liked that title, a few profanities escaping his lips before Twice let out a loud laugh, “He’s right you know, Shigaraki. You’re worse than Goto and Dabi these days.”
“Ah, didn’t realize I was at an narcotics anonymous meeting here,” Hawks rubbed his hand over his forehead.
“What am I doing here?” He finally asked, his sharp gaze dancing from the faces he had a name to at least.
Shigaraki, as Hawks had now learned, sighed before leaning back, “You think we have a lot of heroes prancing in here, demanding to be let in? Congrats, birdie. You two’s cute performance earned you VIP.”
“Who’s the other hero?” Twice asked.
“The rabbit,” The drummer said, groaning, “Dabi, what was the name again?”
“Mirko, Number 5,” Dabi answered, grabbing a beer from the many alcoholic beverages on the table, “Rumi Usagiyama,” Hawks looked up at the mention of her real name.
“You must be a real fan of Pro Heroes to know us by heart,” Hawks raised a brow.
The table let out a few heavy laughs, Spinner and Twice leaning on each other as the two roared, “Dabi? A fan of heroes?”
The laughter only died down after the said man sent a heated glare their way, shutting them up.
“What, it’s true,” Twice whined, turning towards Hawks, “Dabi only knows this much because he-”
“Don’t make me burn you so bad you’ll never make another pathetic clone of yourself again.”
The duo leaned back, sitting straighter. Hawks pouted slightly, his curiosity had been peaked already in wanting to hear more about this guy’s backstory. The heavy atmosphere was suddenly broken by a voice, “Shigaraki, best is if we discuss the upcoming schedule with him, the tour dates don’t seem to ma-”
The hero raised his head. Near their table stood a man in a top hat and a mask covering his face. He stiffened immediately when his eyes locked with Hawks, shutting his mouth.
“Compress, meet our newest guest,” Shigaraki raised his hand towards Hawks, “Believe it or not, our music also reached a couple heroes.”
The masked man finally tore his face away from Hawks, giving the table a once over, “I see,” He said, nodding at the singer, “Are you coming?”
“Ah yeah, tour dates,” Shigaraki huffed, pointing over the table instead, “Man I’m beat from the show, Dabi you go talk with him.”
“No.”
“I go every time, man!” Shigaraki lashed out.
“I can go!”
“Twice, you’re not even in the band, dude,” Spinner said with mild concern.
Dabi threw his head back with a groan, “Lazy bastard,” He breathed out before he stood, grabbing the pack of cigarettes from the table before laying one hand over the back of the couch, leaping over it unceremoniously. Luckily Hawks only felt a swoosh of air, his feathers ruffling a little.
“Go easy on the guy!” Spinner yelled after him.
The two men retreated out of hearing distance, Dabi sliding the balcony door open before they stepped out.
“Now that I think about it, I’ve never seen you out of that odd yellow outfit,” Spinner said seriously, “Wouldn’t have recognized you if it wasn't for the huge red wings.”
“Yeah, and you got no glasses today!” Twice eagerly mimicked pushing the imaginary goggles over his head. The action made Hawks break into a small smile. This guy really seemed to have a few screws loose, but he sure was entertaining to look at.
“I dress for the occasion, you should feel honoured,” The Pro Hero spoke as he leaned back, throwing one ankle over his knee and crossing his arms over his chest.
Shigaraki grimaced, “What is that you got on underneath the hero jacket anyway, a leotard?” The remaining members let out loud laughs.
“Why do you know what a leotard is,” Hawks muttered as he shook his head, checking his phone. Still no news on Mirko, he should probably go check on her at some point. Hawks had heard enough stories of her school days, the now hero spending most of her time insinuating fights between students out of pure boredom. Luckily she had broken the old habit, mostly.
Hawks rolled the thought around in his head, he didn’t exactly want to leave right now. The hero turned his head to where the two guys had last been seen on the balcony. A man in a tailored suit stood there engaged in conversation with the duo, the contrast between the fitted and pressed clothes and Dabi’s rugged look being quite the sight.
He took in the unfamiliar features, the newcomer’s eyes shining golden similar to Hawks’ own. His face was quite devoid of emotion making it hard to read, much like Dabi’s. Hawks curiously sent one of his feathers through the barely open slide door. He told himself that there was still a possibility that the guitarist had left something unmentioned to him, but the truth was that Hawks was slowly getting more and more curious about the guy.
The hero could feel a couple words reach him. The conversation consisted mostly of times, dates and locations being mentioned but without much context Hawks struggled to make a connection. He figured they must really be talking about the band, since Hawks didn’t catch much to raise any real suspicion. He pouted.
Dabi pulled his phone out, his features getting highlighted by the glowing screen as he told the two men to go ahead. Dabi watched them leave before picking up the call.
“-This is a shitty time Natsu, make it quick… Thanks… No I’m not staying, we’re leaving tonight-”
“He’ll be back, don’t worry.”
Hawks turned around, his eyes catching Shigaraki who was sitting there with a wide grin on his face.
The blond was just about to speak, before he felt a sharp pain, making him flinch slightly. Hawks felt confused because he couldn’t sense anyone near him, not that close. He felt it again. Golden eyes widened slightly before putting a name to the feeling, it felt like it burned.
Hawks slowly glanced over his shoulder, his gaze locking with the man standing near the open balcony door. Dabi’s face was void of emotion as he lowered the phone, only standing there and observing Hawks. One of the scarred hands was raised, his fingers closed. Hawks had a good idea where exactly his feather was right now.
Without a word Dabi walked back towards the group, eyeing Hawks for the last time before jumping over the back of the couch again, sitting right back down next to him. Hawks felt his shoulders tense. This guy seemed sharper than Hawks had initially given him credit for. It was also worth noting that regular civilians rarely mastered their quirk to the levels of which Dabi had demonstrated, that must have taken years of practice.
“All sorted?” Shigaraki asked.
Dabi gave a slow nod. Hawks felt the stiffness in the air, making him ruffle his feathers slightly.
“Missing something?”
It was spoken so lowly, only for Hawks’ ears to pick it up. His eyes zeroed in on the still closed fist laying on the guitarist’s thigh. Hawks dragged his eyes back up to Dabi’s face.
A corner of his lips twitched into a smile, “Rumor has it they bring you luck, maybe you should keep it."
Dabi didn’t answer, only sending a weak glare at Hawks as he stayed staring at his face. The hero dared to admit to himself that the intense set of blue was almost mesmerising to look at, but he’ll have to pass on letting their owner know the same. Hawks wasn’t sure he’d end up in one piece if he kept pushing it, and fire was one nasty quirk against his Fierce Wings.
“Well, I think I should head back and check on your number one fan now,” Hawks finally broke the staring contest as he turned towards Shigaraki, already standing up slowly.
“What, come on,” Spinner groaned, “I promised Toga she could play spin the bottle with a hero tonight. She’ll put me in a zoo if I don’t deliver.”
A small smile crept up Hawks’ lips, “Maybe another time.”
“Alright, give me your phone then,” The man said seriously as he straightened out his hand, waving his fingers, “I’ll give you my number so you’ll get in easy next time, just let us know.”
Hawks stared at the hand, unmoving, “And why do you think I’m so keen on coming back? Want to get to know me better?” He teased, leaning forward and looking down at the now flustered Spinner. Twice leaned back and cackled, holding his stomach.
“Give it to me! Give it to me instead!” The masked man pleaded, putting his hands together, “Toga would love to meet a cool hero like you, so next time then?”
Hawks had not planned on entertaining this idea for much longer, but the realization hit him quickly that this would be valuable information over the rabbit hero, if she ever needed bribing in the future. With a small huff he fetched his phone out of his pocket.
“Do you really think I will call you though?” Hawks mused, waving the glowing phone in front of the other man. Twice sulked a little, “Come on, we’re fun to hang out with? Right,” The masked man looked around the table for affirmations. The band nodded seriously.
Dabi pulled a face before quickly leaning forward and grabbing the phone himself in a flash from between Hawks’ fingers. The phone was shoved back to him in the matter of seconds after Dabi had quickly typed something in there. Hawks blinked dumbly at the numbers on the screen. If there was a Guinness record for the fastest phone number ever handed out, Hawks would definitely nominate this guy.
“I’m a lucky guy now, remember?” Dabi offered a small grin as he leaned forward placing his elbows on his knees as he looked up at Hawks. The mocking undertone didn’t go unnoticed by the Pro hero.
Hawks could not understand the man sitting before him. Wasn’t he angry at him just a minute ago for snooping around in his business? The hero typed the guitarist's name hastily in his phone before rising his head to eye Dabi. Hawks was growing more and more interested in what this guy really had going on in that head of his.
“Ah, that’s so not fair Dabi,” Twice groaned, Spinner glaring his way, “Yeah, stop flirting your way through this, man.”
Hawks’ unintentionally glanced down at the scarred hands loosely drawn between the guitarist’s knees, eyes running along the long fingers and settling on the still curled up fist.
“I think we’re even now,” Dabi spoke first.
Hawks pondered for a second longer, “Guess so,” Finally pocketing the device and tearing his eyes away.
With a wave to the table and Shigaraki reminding him once more of their previous agreement, Hawks finally took his leave. He could still feel the burning gaze on the back of his neck, even as he passed the security guards.
Only after making it between the dancing crowd and loud music could Hawks feel himself let out a breath. He couldn't really get a read on the damned guitarist and it kept throwing the hero off. Dabi appeared to be a rather calculated person, similarly to the hero himself. And Hawks was one competitive man.
Finally he caught sight of long white hair, his legs already walking towards the figure.
“-I said, they allowed me in, asshole,” The rabbit hero slurred, arguing with a new bouncer. Hawks rolled his eyes.
“I was told that the policy-”
“Easy, easy. We’re leaving,” Hawks pulled Mirko backwards, the woman blinking at him on sudden recognition, “Keigo! Where were you, the DJ was taking song recommendations and then later this pretty girl-”
“Looks like you had a good evening,” Hawks mused, “Sadly there’s a nasty meeting waiting for us first thing in the morning, want to head back?”
Mirko started to argue, but as she went to take a step forward she almost fell on her face.
Hawks hauled her arm over his shoulder, “Rumi you,” Hawks groaned jokingly, dragging her towards the exit, “How much did you have? I’ve seen you out drink three people in a row and each started sober.”
“This guy, Kurogiri,” Mirko started, “He was at the bar, he said,” Mirko hiccupped, “The drinks were free for me.”
“Huh,” Hawks said dumbly. The band must have gotten a few more strings pulled here. Hawks felt the rain drops falling on him, making him look up into the dark night sky. Sadly the stars were all muted due to the heavy city lights.
Hawks pushed Mirko to the passenger seat, fetching her pockets for the car keys. The two of them rarely drove. Although Hawks enjoyed the activity, it felt quite mundane to him. At least the skill would prove itself to be useful tonight, flying in this rain now would be a real gamble.
“Where were you, birdbrain,” Mirko asked again, heavy eyes staring ahead.
“I think you’ll kill me if I tell you, actually,” Hawks mumbled before getting the keys and slamming her door shut.
“Why?” Mirko blinked slowly.
“I’ll tell you in the morning,” Hawks said, taking a final look at the still alive club before turning on the engine. The happy tune starting to play from the radio made Hawks let out a small chuckle, his ears finally getting a much needed break tonight.