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Chapter Text

"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you--"

"I know!"

Bakugou continues his grumbling and growling as he walks along with Kirishima.

Seriously? Of all the people I could be paired up with, it had to be him? He thinks with a glare in Dumb Hair's direction.

Aizawa had split the class into groups, letting them go into teams of two or three for whatever they're about to do next. Bakugou doesn't care. He's just mad he's been paired with this idiot.

Then again, there's no one actually cool in this class. Kirishima is the most tolerable so...

Okay, so maybe his group is okay. At least he wasn't paired with Izuku or, worse, Ashido.

Bakugou tugs at his gauntlets. They're so heavy but there is no way he's going to admit it. He'll have to talk to the support people though.

Aizawa announces that he's pairing up the students with an assortment of heroes that volunteered to let the students join them on patrol. Hands-on education or something.

Whatever. Bakugou doesn't care, as long as he gets to see villains and beat them up.

"Bakugou and Kirishima are paired up with Hawks."

"What."

The chatty pigeon?!

"Aw, don't make that face, kiddo," the Number Two Pro Hero Hawks says as he saunters up to them. "I'm sure I'm not the worst option, right?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Kirishima says cheerfully, the opposite of his companion, "You're such a manly hero! I can't wait to work with you." He salutes.

"Why wait?" Hawks smirks, "Come on. Our route starts this way."

Kirishima and Bakugou follow him, the latter angrily grumbling to himself. Hawks?! Why not Kamui Woods or Mr. Brave? Well, at least it's not Ms. Joke...

But Ms. Joke seems to be looking better and better as they walk. Being paired with the number two hero sucks because he's so recognizable. Within minutes, a swarm of fans have crowded around them and are all asking for autographs and photos.

"This sucks," Bakugou growls as some civilians shove past him, "Hey! Watch where you're going, bastards!"

"Calm down, man," Kirishima says calmly, "Part of being a hero is patience."

Some random woman sticks her phone in his face and asks if he'll take a photo for her. Kirishima smiles and does that as she and her friends pose with Hawks. The woman takes her phone back and giggles at the photos as her group walks away. Hawks huffs a sigh.

"That's gonna get old fast. I wish you both could fly."

"I can fly!"

"Not like that, boom-boy," Hawks says, ignoring Bakugou's fierce glare, "I guess we could work on your parkour skills, though. I can supervise from above while you jump over buildings and stuff. Sound good?"

"Sure, but, um," Kirishima's eyebrows furrow with confusion, "Why?"

Hawks shrugs, "You guys can't fly like I can. You might get into a situation when you need to get away over rough terrain or something and it will be better to be agile instead of punching or exploding your way through. Does up there look good?" He points at a building with a fire escape leading to the top.

"Yeah! Let's do this!"

"Whatever."

Bakugou flattens his hands and sends explosions downward to propel him up. He rises fast, then drops just as quickly to land on the roof. He turns to see Hawks land a moment later, followed by Kirishima, who had to scale the fire escape.

"Alright. Just..." Hawks vaguely motions toward the next building over, "Hop from rooftop to rooftop. Maybe get a running start?"

"I don't need a running start!" Bakugou snaps, but takes off running anyway.

His boots pound on the cement and when he reaches the edge, he sets of a blast that sends him flying over the gap between the buildings and onto the next roof. He turns back toward the other building, flipping them off.

"Told you!" He yells across.

Even from here, he can see Hawks roll his eyes before taking off, flying over the alley and hovering as he shouts to Kirishima.

"Come on! Your turn! You can do it!"

Kirishima claps and hops from one foot to the other, warming himself up. His skin hardens into its rock-like form, giving him jagged edges and a fierce look. Then he starts sprinting toward the edge, jumping to the other side.

He... makes it. Sort of.

He bashes into the side of the building, cracking the bricks, and falls to the ground below. Bakugou runs forward and looks over the edge to see his classmate pulling himself to his feet, hardened skin softening back into its usual form.

"All good!" Kirishima yells from below, giving a thumbs up.

Bakugou watches him climb back up another fire escape, scowling.

"You shouldn't have hardened before jumping, idiot. It made you heavier so you couldn't make it across."

"He's right," Hawks calls from above, "Let's try that again, but this ti--"

The Wing Hero's words cut off as his gaze fixes on something in the distance.

"Hawks, sir?" Kirishima asks, "Is something wrong?"

"I think we're got a problem. Follow me."

He takes off in a direction and both hero students hop down from the roof to chase him down the street. Bakugou sees that he seems to be heading toward a park of sorts. As they draw nearer, they can see trees and grass burning as people scream and run from whatever is happening.

"Get the civilians away!" Hawks shouts from above, "I'll try to figure out what's going on!"

Bakugou doesn't want to follow his orders, so he leaves Kirishima to deal with the last few stragglers around as he charges headfirst into the battleground.

Except it isn't a battleground.

"What the hell is going on here?!"

There are no villains around, just trees burning. Maybe it was just an accident. How disappointing. Kirishima joins him, since all the civilians are now gone, and sees what he does.

Hawks lands next to them. "I don't see anything. Maybe it was just some kid with a fire quirk that got out of hand."

"Then we should probably try to contain the fire," Kirishima says, "Make sure it doesn't spread until the fire department can put--"

A crack echoes through the air, startling all three of them. They fall into battle stances and Bakugou grins. Finally, some fun. But no villain appears. Instead, a storm cloud seems to form right in front of them. A swirling mix of smoke and lighting bolts.

"What the hell is that?!" Bakugou yells over the loud crashing and tearing sounds it's making.

"I don't know, but we should probably run!" Kirishima responds.

"Hell no! I'm not gonna--"

The wind around them suddenly picks up, sucking them toward the cloud. Bakugou decides it's probably best to run now, so he grabs Kirishima and tries to get as far away as possible.

They can't. That thing keeps drawing them closer, sucking them into whatever it is. Hawks is visibly struggling as the wind resistance on his wings pulls him toward it. Bakugou and Kirishima lower themselves closer to the ground. Playground mulch, children's toys, and abandoned picnic baskets fly toward it, being sent to who-knows-where.

"Hang onto something!" The pro hero yells, grabbing onto the roots of a nearby tree stump. Kirishima stabs his free, hardened hand into the dirt to hold on.

The wind increases dramatically. The ground vanishes beneath Bakugou's feet and suddenly he's holding onto Kirishima for dear life. Hawks goes flying backwards and into the storm cloud and Kirishima cries out for him. The ground around Kirishima's hand gives away and suddenly they too are pulled into the storm.

The world seems to lurch and spin as Bakugou feels like he's falling. Then he hits something hard and the world fades to black.

Chapter Text

Hawks groans, face pressed to the grass and the smell of ash cutting through his senses.

Ash? Grass? What?

He jerks awake, blinking away the blur in his eyes as get on his hands and knees to try and move around.

"What-- What happe--"

He spots something glowing near him and he grabs it. It's a... cube. A glowing blue cube. Energy seems to thrum under his fingertips as he picks it up. He should probably put it somewhere for safekeeping and give it to someone when they--

The boys.

"Bakugou? Kirishima? Kiddos?"

A groan nearby alerts him of a presence. Hawks turns to see the two of them piled in a heap on the grass.

The blond sits up, shoving the redhead off his lap, "WHADDAHELLSGOINON?!"

"Calm down, Bakugou," Hawks says, "We'll figure it out."

He taps on his earpiece to connect with the communication network.

"Hey, this is Hawks. We have a bit of a situation and are requesting backup at--"

Hawks pauses and frowns when all he's met with is static. That's odd. Is it broken or something? He looks around, trying to take in his surroundings. They're in a park not unlike where they were before, but it's different. They seem to be right in the middle of a baseball field. Also, there's a crowd of people starting to surround them. That's no good.

Hawks pulls himself to his feet, brushing off the dirt and fixing his outfit. He doesn't seem to have lost anything from it, so that's good.

"Alright, folks. Clear the area. Don't worry. The pros will handle whatever this is."

The crowd murmurs, seeming confused, and Hawks suddenly realizes that something is very wrong.

"Guys. Get up."

"What's up?" Kirishima asks as he and Bakugou stand, "Why're you so tense?"

"There's something wrong," Hawks states, his golden eyes scanning the crowd, "Very wrong. We need to go. Now."

"Why the fuck--" Bakugou begins to rant, but Hawks blocks him out.

The crowd. The people. They're all... normal. No. That's not the right word. They're different from normal. There are so many, yet none of them show physical manifestations of their quirks. No mutations or even interestingly colored hair.

Something is wrong.

The sound of an approaching jet or something proves Hawks right.

"Get behind me," Hawks orders, "and hold this."

He ignores Bakugou's protests as he thrusts the weird cube into Kirishima's hand before falling into a fighting stance, a long feather in each hand.

Hawks spots a speck in the distance, which rapidly grows into something flying closer and closer. It's a metal humanoid, red and gold with a glowing blue energy source in its chest that looks similar to the cube. What's meant to be its face has two glowing eyes and seems to be shaped into a permanently intimidating glare.

Lovely.

The metal being points its hand at the trio, a circle on its palm lighting up. When it speaks, its voice sounds like a man speaking through a megaphone. That's probably what it actually is.

"I don't have time for this. I have a date, so if you would just surrender, I'd really appreciate it."

Hawks moves to say that they mean no harm, but Bakugou decides to open his big mouth.

"What, are you some scaredy cat who's afraid of fighting someone like the Great Explosion Murder God, Dynamite?!"

"Alright," the metal man sighs, "I guess we're doing this the hard way."

With that, he flies straight at them. Hawks immediately takes off into the sky as Bakugou blasts himself and Kirishima in separate directions. The people around begin screaming and running.

"Kiri-- Red Riot! Protect the civilians and that thing! Bakugou, help me with this!"

Hawks soars through the air, pursued closely by the metal man. He swoops up and back down near the ground, speeding right past Bakugou's before heading back up. When he turns around, Bakugou's hitched a ride on the back of the metal man. His legs are wrapped around the man's waist and his hands grip the man's head as explosions burst from his hands.

"Get the hell off me!"

The metal man jerks and wrenches Bakugou off, sending him flying through the air. The hero trainee catches himself with his explosions, hurtling back toward his opponent.

"DIE!"

A giant explosion sends both of them flying in opposite directions. Hawks swoops toward Bakugou and catches him as the metal man crashes into the ground.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine! Let go of me, bird brain!"

Hawks complies and Bakugou drops toward the ground, slowing his fall with more explosions. He lands and yells toward the crater made by the metal man.

"Is that all you've got, tin can?!"

That was, apparently, not all he's got. The metal man flies out of the crater and toward Bakugou, lifting him back in the air. Bright lights flash from the metal man's hands and they send Bakugou hurtling through the air.

"Dynamite!" Hawks yells, diving after him and catching him before he hits the ground.

Bakugou's unconscious body is limp, sleeves burnt and bruises in the shape of hands marring his arms. Hawks lands and places him safely next to the fence and out of the way before turning back toward the metal man, who hovers above.

"One down, two to go," he says smugly, his tone making Hawks' blood boil. "Why don't you just stand down and you won't get hurt like your friend."

Hawks glances around quickly. There are no more people around and Kirishima has placed the blue cube next to Bakugou.

Where are the other heroes? Never mind. He can do this.

Hawks quickly grabs onto Kirishima and takes off, carrying the boy toward the metal man.

"On my signal, harden!" Hawks orders.

"Sir, yes, sir!"

Hawks carries him higher and higher, wings pumping hard as the metal man begins catching up. Several beams of light shoot past from below, a couple hitting his wings and scorching his feathers.

"Now!" He yells and releases Kirishima.

"Red Riot: Unbreakable!"

The boy drops quickly, hitting the metal man with his stone arms and sending sparks flying as they both plummet toward the ground. When they land, dirt and grass flies everywhere.

"Red Riot!" Hawks calls out as he lands, unable to see past the dust in the air.

The boy goes flying out of the dust cloud, tumbling and hitting the fence a couple meters away from Bakugou. The metal man emerges, armor slightly dented but otherwise unscathed.

Oh no.

Hawks can see Kirishima pulling himself to his feet, unbreakable form still on but most likely not for much longer. Bakugou is still out and there aren't any others around. Hawks' wings have taken a hit and this guy might be able to take him out completely, so this is going to be a hard fight.

New plan.

Hawks turns and runs. He uses his wings to propel himself toward the boys, skidding to a stop next to them.

"Red Riot, turn off your quirk."

Kirishima obeys and Hawks grabs the cube, holding it over his head. The metal man freezes.

"Where did you get that?!"

"You want it?!" Hawks yells, "Go get it!"

He throws it as hard as he can, sending a feather to push it further. It flies over the metal man's head and he lunges after it.

Hawks scoops up Bakugou from the ground. Several more of his feathers detach and pick up Kirishima as he takes off. Sometimes it's best to run from a fight you can't win.

The cube barely bought him a couple seconds of time. The metal man is following and Hawks pushes as fast as he can. He flies over a big body of water and contemplates sending a couple feathers to try and get the metal man to fall in. It's not worth the risk. His tech may be waterproof.

Several more energy blasts hit both him and Kirishima, burning his wings. Hawks cries out in pain as suddenly he doesn't have enough feathers to fly and they begin falling. He curls around Bakugou protectively and sees Kirishima harden and grab onto him just before they hit the water.

Chapter Text

The water slowly warms up around Kirishima, his body getting used to the frigid temperature. He struggles to keep floating on the surface, head dipping under with every splash and wave. Why can't he stay above? He gropes at his hero suit, pulling off his vest and letting it sink down in the murky water.

Kirishima blinks the water out of his eyes as he looks around. It's so dark. It wasn't dark during the battle. Has the sun set already? But it was morning back home.

Home. If they aren't home, where are they?

"Hawks?! Bakugou! Guys, where are you?!"

"Kirishima!" He hears Hawks in the distance, "Over here!"

Kirishima isn't a good swimmer, so he slowly doggy paddles in the direction of his voice. Above the water, he can see sparkling city lights. So it is night. A black figure is bobbing on the surface some ways away, so he makes his way toward it.

Hawks is treading water and struggling to hold Bakugou above the surface. The student is still unconscious. Kirishima paddles over and tugs at Bakugou's gauntlets, taking them off and letting them sink into the water. They don't matter right now.

"Get down," Hawks says suddenly, pulling him under.

A bright light flashes over them, moving past and down the river. River? Yeah, he thinks it's a river. They resurface and Kirishima coughs up some water.

"We should find somewhere to hide," Hawks murmurs, looking around. "Let's just keep swimming for a bit."

Kirishima doesn't want to keep swimming. He's ready to just sink like a stone. But Hawks also looks like he's exhausted and is still ready to keep going, so Kirishima has no right to complain. Besides, he's also carrying Bakugou.

Bakugou... "Is he going to be okay?"

"Yes," Hawks says firmly, "Once we get somewhere dry, I'll give him some medical attention. He'll be fine. He's strong."

Kirishima wishes he could believe that.

They paddle and drift aimlessly for what feels like hours, avoiding the occasional boat or bright light shining down on them.

Kirishima is so glad he ditched his vest because that would've made it so much worse. But he's also very cold, he's soaked to the bone, and his socks are wet. Wet socks are the worst form of torture.

Then he runs into something.

"Ow!"

"Are you okay?" Hawks asks.

"Yeah, I just ran into this... pole or something."

Hawks grins, "It's a dock."

Indeed it is. Planks of wood and pieces of metal set on poles that go into the water. There are barely any boats around.

"Let's get out here," Hawks says, "Then we can find somewhere to hide before the sun rises."

Kirishima nods and grabs into the planks above him, hefting himself up. He lays sprawled on the solid ground for a moment, huffing and choking out water. Then he pulls himself to his hands and knees, leaning over the edge and holding out a hand. He grabs onto Bakugou and pulls him up too, watching Hawks climb up after them.

Kirishima pulls Bakugou onto his back, holding him so that Hawks can have a break. He forces himself to his feet and his knees almost give away from the weight and his lack of strength.

"Alright," Kirishima says, "Lead the way."

Hawks nods, pulling off his jacket as they walk. He wrings out the water as they travel through the darkened streets, keeping out of the lights and avoiding the sounds of people.

One problem. This is a city. Even at night, there are a lot of people around.

"New plan," Hawks mumbles, "Follow me."

Kirishima obeys, following him down an empty street and pausing with him at the center of the road, next to a manhole cover. Hawks bends over it and pulls it up, face screwed up with concentration as he hefts the heavy piece of metal to the side.

"I don't want to go into the sewers," Kirishima complains, making a face, "I just took a bath."

Hawks chuckles, peering inside, "It isn't the sewers. Come on."

The pro hero lowers himself inside, hopping to the ground below and holding up his arms. Kirishima gives him Bakugou before climbing down too, closing the manhole behind him.

It isn't the sewers. It's a train track.

"If we get hit by a train, I'm blaming you."

"I'll take the blame."

Hawks looks both ways with narrowed eyes as Kirishima takes Bakugou back. He takes off his goggles and squints.

"I think..." He points, "That way."

Kirishima nods and follows him in that direction. It's too dark to see anything beyond his nose, so he just follows the sound of Hawks' footsteps. He almost trips over the track several times, Hawks having to catch him twice to keep him from face planting on the ground.

Dim lights appear ahead and Kirishima sighs with relief. It's a completely empty station. Abandoned. Thank god.

Hawks helps him up onto the platform and Kirishima looks around. The ground is chipped and broken. Old vines and moss grow between the cracks in the walls, floor, and roof. The only lights are the flickering ones in the corners that are most likely still hooked up to the main electrical system.

In other words, a great place to hide.

Hawks clears off a spot on the ground and helps Kirishima lay Bakugou down. Hawks folds up his jacket and lays it under Bakugou's head, who shifts slightly in his sleep.

"First order of business," Hawks states, "Dry off."

"Good call," Kirishima says with a tired smile, "We should probably also start a fire. It's cold."

Hawks nods, running a hand through his hair and flicking away some water. He stands and Kirishima watches him go and take a look around. Kirishima decides to check on Bakugou.

The sleeves of his shirt are torn and burnt. His mask and headpieces are falling off slightly and his usually spiky hair is plastered to his head with water.

Okay. First things first. Kirishima checks his belt, pulling out the small first aid kit he keeps on hand in case of emergency. Thankfully, it's waterproof. He opens it up, taking out a small bottle of antiseptic ointment and a piece of gauze.

He carefully rolls Bakugou onto his back and pulls up what's left of his sleeves. Kirishima takes off the blond's gloves and winces when the boy shifts and mumbles.

"It's okay," Kirishima says softly, "You're gonna be fine."

Bakugou settles down, murmuring something about being "fine, you old hag" before falling back asleep. Kirishima huffs a laugh and starts cleaning his wounds.

That metal man is as good as dead, he growls mentally as he sees the burns and bruises on Bakugou's arms.

Hawks reappears. "There's an exit that leads to an alleyway above. One of us should probably take a look around in disguise to figure out where we are."

Kirishima nods, "That's--" His eyes land on the hero's wings and he takes a sharp breath. "Hawks."

The hero glances over his shoulder and smiles, "It's alright. They'll grow back in a day or two. Faster, if I get something to eat. That should be a priority, too..."

His smile is strained. His wings are burnt, half the feathers gone and the other half blackened. Kirishima takes out a few rolls of bandages and starts working on Bakugou's arms as Hawks sits and begins preening and plucking charred feathers.

"I could probably cover them up and look pretty normal," Hawks notes, then smirks at Kirishima, "Can I trust the mighty Red Riot to protect his friend while I'm out?"

Kirishima's eyebrows furrow with worry, but he nods anyway, "Yeah. We'll be fine."

Chapter Text

Hawks is scared.

This is fine. He doesn't show that he's scared. He never has and never will. Visible fear is for children and the broken. He is not broken. He's been rebuilt. He is strong.

But he's still scared.

He's scared of not knowing what's going on. He's scared of getting hurt. He's scared for the boys.

Funny. He's never felt the third one before. Sure, he's been scared for civilians who may get hurt in a villain attack, but this is different. He's terrified. Bakugou is hurt and Kirishima looks ready to faint and he hates it.

Hawks wants to protect them.

That's new.

He shakes his head as he ducks behind a wall and starts fixing his clothes. He can't really go out like this. Even if he's not from here, people may recognize him. The bird guy who fought the metal guy at the baseball field. Yeah. That wouldn't be good.

He wrings the water out of his shirt before putting it back on, inside out, then does the same for his pants. The cargo pants are black on the inside. His clothes were specifically made in case he needed to go undercover in an emergency and didn't have a change of clothes available. Thank you, Hero Commission. Taking off his goggles, he exchanges them for a set of aviator sunglasses to cover his eyes and runs a hand through his hair to try and tame it.

Hawks glances at the glass next to him and grins at his reflection. Not bad, pretty bird. If only he could keep his wings out, though. They feel uncomfortable, hidden under his shirt. Whatever. He can deal with it.

He comes back out and sees Kirishima gathering a bunch of dry sticks and vines in a pile on the ground. The boy sees him and gives him a thumbs up.

"Looking great!"

"I always look good," Hawks smirks, "I'll be back all. If you get too cold, you can wear my jacket. And if Bakugou wakes up, make sure he doesn't alert everyone in the city about your location."

Kirishima gives a nervous laugh, "Will do. Stay safe!"

Hawks nods and heads toward the exit. There's a ladder in the staff only area, most likely used by the janitor. It leads straight up into an alleyway with a bunch of big trash cans, most likely unused for years now.

Climbing out, Hawks squints at the light that comes streaming through the hatch. It must have been just before sunset when they got here, so it's probably breakfast now.

The boys spent hours in the freezing water. What if they get sick?

Yeesh, Hawks. Where did all this worrying come from?

He doesn't know.

Hawks checks his pockets, pulling out his wallet and pausing when realization hits him. They probably won't take a pro hero's card here. His bank account probably doesn't even exist here. And he doesn't carry around cash. Would they even take cash from where he's from?

He sighs and presses his fingers to his temples. This is giving him a headache.

Is this what parents feel like? A growing panic every day as they worry about what they'll feed their children? Bakugou and Kirishima aren't his children, but they're under his protection.

"Okay, okay, okay," Hawks mumbles to himself, "You can do this. You're a hero. You can deal with anything!"

He needs food. For food, he needs money. To get money, he needs a job. For a job, he needs credentials and an identity that exists here.

That's not going to work.

Back to money. The only way he could get it is...

No. He's a hero. He can't steal.

But what else can he do?

He's in a big city. People who live in big cities can afford it. Most of the time. He just needs to find someone who won't miss twenty dollars.

Oh god, this sucks.

Hawks takes a deep breath and steps out onto a busy street. The overwhelming sights and sounds attack his senses. He flinches as cars roar past and people chatter.

"Pull yourself together, Hawks," he whispers, "For the boys."

He starts walking aimlessly along the sidewalk, following the mob of people commuting to work or on their morning runs. His eyes sweep the crowd, searching for a person who looks like they could spare some change.

There. Heading toward him. There's a man wearing normal clothes and a pair of very dark sunglasses. His beard is trimmed in an interesting shape. He doesn't look super rich, but the phone he's calling with looks very high-tech.

I am so sorry, man, Hawks thinks.

The man gets closer, arguing with whoever is on the other end of the line.

"No-- Nick, I know. What I don't know is how it got here. I-- No, listen to me. Find a way to contact Thunder Rapunzel and his Sky Daddy because it was meant to be with them--"

Hawks brushes past, fingers closing around leather as he plucks the wallet out of the man's pocket and into his own. He stiffens and continues walking briskly, listening to the man's voice grow fainter until it dissolves into the cacophony of the crowd.

Oh, oh, oh, oh, OH! He just did that. Ooh. He feels a bit sick.

Hawks presses a hand to his stomach, trying to calm the churning.

Forget it. Just forget it. He'll return this when this is all over. When. Because it will be over soon. Right now he needs to find food.

Hawks looks around. Okay. Where's food? Actually, maybe he should check on the boys. Which way is back?

Shoot.

Don't panic. Don't panic. What would Endeavor do?!

Yell and demand directions.

Nope. Can't do that. Can't yell and draw attention to himself. But he can ask for directions.

Hawks turns to the nearest person-- a woman carrying a bunch of shopping bags.

"Excuse me--"

Nope. She just walks past. Rude. Hawks tries again, this time with a man somewhere in his fifties. No. He just glares and keeps walking. Why are people so rude here?

Oh, he's so lost right now.

His heart starts beating faster and his palms begin sweating.

Keep calm. Keep calm.

Oh no, no, no.

Chapter Text

Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm, stay calm--

"Are you alright?"

Hawks jumps nearly a foot in the air, jerking around to face the source of the voice far too close for his liking. Behind him stands a young woman, about his age, with chestnut red hair and a concerned look on her face. Her dress has a cute, red floral pattern, giving her a vintage aesthetic.

"Oh-- I-- Um--" Hawks gives her an uneasy smile and rubs the back of his neck, "I'm fine, thanks. Just kind of lost. I'm new to these parts."

She smiles back. It's kind and makes him feel a bit better. Her voice has an interesting accent he can't quite place.

"That's alright. It's really hard to navigate this place sometimes. Big cities are always crazy."

Big cities aren't a problem, he thinks, if I got lost back home, I'd just fly over the buildings.

"Is there anywhere specific you're going?" She asks.

"Kind of? I'm looking for a place to get some food. I'm here with my... brothers and I promised to bring back some takeout. Do you know any good places?"

"Sure. Is there anything you particularly want?"

Hawks feels his wings flutter with discomfort against his back and he shifts nervously on his feet, "Not really. Just something to grab quickly before I go back."

Something flashes in her eyes. Red? Maybe it's just the light. It vanishes just as quickly and she grins, "Fast food it is. I was actually heading there just now to meet some friends. Care to join me?"

It's... odd. But Hawks is too tired, lost, and confused to question it too much. Two of his longer feathers are intact. If anything goes wrong, he has a little protection. And the crowds here are big. He could always lose her in them.

"Thanks," he says, returning her smile and nodding, "I don't know what I would do without you."

She just nods and motions for him to follow her. They start walking and Hawks eases up just a bit. It'll be fine. He watches her reach into her pocket out of the corner of his eye and pull out a phone, dialing a number before putting it to her ear.

"Hey," she says when whoever she is calling answers, "I met someone and we're heading to get some food. Yeah."

Hawks notices the signs on the stores and street signs they pass. American English. America?! How did they get here? And has he been speaking English this entire time? He knows it, obviously, but he usually has to consciously switch to it. He feels like he's just talking normally. This is so weird.

The woman laughs into her phone, "Only if you want them to come, but Stephen will probably be all snippy about it if we don't invite him and you know how Wong is. Alright. See you in a bit."

She hangs up and puts her phone away. They stop at a crosswalk and her eyes suddenly widen as she turns to him.

"Oh! I forgot to introduce myself!" She laughs, face flushing red, "I'm Wa-Wen-- Gwen."

The light turns red for the cars and the crosswalk light changes from a red hand to a white walking man, so they cross.

Hawks laughs, too, "It's alright. I forgot, too. My name is--" Not Hawks. Hawks isn't a normal name. What's a normal American name? "Keith."

"Nice to meet you. Oh, we're here."

Hawks looks up at the sign before they enter, seeing the red line in the shape of a rooster's head connected to some words that don't quite make sense together. Eh. This is America.

He enters with Gwen-- although he's not quite sure that's her real name-- and they walk up to the counter. She places her order, which he doesn't pay much attention to, before she moves out of the way for him. Literally everything on the menu is chicken, so he just chooses a couple random items and hopes that the boys like chicken. He also asks for some hot sauce packets, just in case one of them likes spice.

The teen cashier who probably hasn't finished high school yet says their orders will take a few minutes, so Gwen grabs the drink she ordered and leads Hawks to a table with a few extra chairs to sit down at.

"So, tell me about yourself."

Oh dear. Hawks stares blankly at her for a few moments, trying to process what she said and how to reply.

"There's not much to tell," he says, "I was sent to a... boarding school when I was pretty young, so I didn't see my parents much. Then I started training and am a high ranking superhero."

Shoot. He didn't mean to say that.

Gwen bursts out laughing, "Yeah, I've always wanted to be an Avenger, too!"

Hawks laughs along with her, so glad she thought it was a joke, "Yeah, no. I wish I was." What's an Avenger? "I'm training to be a police officer." That's more believable.

"That's so cool. I, myself, am studying theater and acting with a friend of mine. I've always loved sitcoms, so it's my dream to create one."

What's a sitcom? "Nice."

Gwen smiles and nods, eyes locking onto something behind him, "Oh. There are my friends. Hey!"

She stands up and waves them over. He turns around and sees that there are two men entering. Both are pretty tall. One is about their age, with wavy black hair falling to his shoulders and bright emerald eyes. He wears a black dress shirt and gray pants, giving him a neat and put together look. The other has short brown hair with silver streaks and a short beard. His plain gray T-shirt isn't quite as elegant as his friend's, but he still manages to look both sharp and intimidating.

Oh no. Hawks suddenly realizes that they may not be friendly to the random guy who their female friend just met.

"Good morning," Green Eyes says to Gwen, then turns to Hawks, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Yeah, lemme introduce you guys," Gwen says a bit forcefully, "Keith, this is Luke and Stephen. Luke, Stephen, this is Keith. And I'm Gwen, just in case any of you forgot. I'm really bad with names."

Luke makes a face but doesn't say a word. Stephen looks at her with a slightly raised eyebrow, but also smiles at Hawks as he and Luke sit.

"Will couldn't make it?" Gwen asks.

Luke stifles a laugh while Stephen nods, "Yeah. Will is busy with whatever he's doing. You know how he is. All work, no play."

"Maybe he would be free more often if some of you pulled more of your weight," Luke mutters in a slightly accented voice, shooting a pointed look in Stephen's direction.

Stephen elbows him in the ribs and the two glare at each other. Gwen huffs a laugh and shakes her head.

"Calm down, you two."

Luke shrugs, "Alright. Tell us about yourself, Keith. Gwen mentioned you weren't from these parts. What brings you to our humble city?"

I think I fell through a portal or something. "I want to join the police force here, although my dream has always been to become a pilot. I love flying. Maybe someday, I will."

Luke's eyebrows raise slightly as Stephen grins, "Flying is wonderful. Freedom, the wind in your hair, and all that. Anything that inspired you in the first place?"

To get away. "I've always loved how birds fly and how open the sky was. Where I grew up, there wasn't much room to move around. I love wide, open spaces and the sky is by far the biggest one."

"Aw," Gwen says with a smile, "That's so sweet. You said you're here with your brothers, right? Do they like flying, too?"

Bakugou and Kirishima. He needs to get back soon. Hawks feels his feathers ruffle with impatience and he squirms in his seat.

"No, they're not really the flying types. One is really kind and compassionate but is built to fight while the other is really aggressive and loves fighting, so they get along pretty well. Great kids, really."

Need to get back. Hawks' head snaps toward the counter as their orders are called and he hops to his feet. Both he and Gwen go to pay, which he tenses at when he takes out the wallet which is most definitely not his.

"I'll pay," Gwen says, holding out her card and smiling sweetly, "A gift from a friend."

Hawks feels his face turn red and smiles back, "You don't--"

"I insist."

"I-- Thank you."

She pays and Hawks marvels at how kind some people can be.

Even if he stole this stupid wallet for nothing.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go," He says hastily, picking up his takeout bag, "I can't really leave them at home any longer." Or in an abandoned subway station.

"Oh," Gwen says, "Okay."

"Thank you so much," Hawks repeats, "It was nice meeting you!"

She and her friends wave goodbye and he leaves, walking briskly down the sidewalk, retracing his steps.

That was interesting. He hasn't ever spoken to anyone like that before. Normally. He's always been Hawks the pro hero, never Hawks the normal guy buying food.

It was nice. Maybe he'll do it again someday.

Chapter Text

Hawks whistles as he reenters the station, having looked around to make sure no one was watching. He smiles at the sight of Kirishima, who is easing out of a fighting position and looking at him with relief.

"Aw, don't act so disappointed," Hawks smirks, "I may not be All Might or Endeavor, but I'm pretty cool!"

"I personally like Crimson Riot more."

"That ancient artifact? He belongs in a museum!"

"And you belong in an aviary, you overgrown pigeon."

Hawks puts a hand to his chest in mock offense, "And here I went out of my way to get you chicken nuggets."

They both sit on the ground, Hawks sliding down a wall and sitting with a thump. He hands over the bag and glances toward Bakugou, who is no longer wearing his mask or head pieces and instead has Hawks' jacket draped over him and something black that might be his own shirt tucked under his head. There's a small pile of smoldering sticks surrounded by rocks between them, the remnants of a fire that probably didn't last long.

Kirishima offers him one of the sandwiches and he takes it. The redhead-- whose hair looks weird now that the gel is washed away and it's unstyled-- pulls off his headgear and tosses it aside before unwrapping his own and taking a bite.

"He didn't wake up?" Hawks asks, jerking his head in Bakugou's direction.

Kirishima shakes his head and swallows, "Not really. He regained consciousness for two seconds and mistook me for Midoriya, then fell back asleep."

"Did he try to kill you?" Hawks asks, half joking. He remembers Eraserhead mentioning the rivalry between the two.

"No," Kirishima laughs, "He just hissed something about Deku's stupid mumbling."

Hawks nods and reaches behind his back, letting his wings slip out through the holes cut in his shirt. Kirishima peers over and lights up a bit.

"Hey, they're looking better already!"

"Yeah, but it'll be a little while longer before I can fly again. I just need some rest. You do, too."

Kirishima shakes his head, "I'm fine."

"No, you aren't. You need to sleep, at least for a bit."

Hawks isn't blind. He can see the shadows under the boy's eyes and the way he sways where he stands.

"I'm fine! I was the least harmed and I'm the strongest quirk available right now. You should rest and I'll keep a lookout. If anything goes wrong, I need to be ready to fight."

"Which is why you need to rest. You're right. You're the best fighter right now. If anything goes wrong, I'll wake you up. But you need energy to fight and you'll drain it if you don't sleep."

Kirishima opens his mouth to protest, but at that moment Bakugou lets out a growl and opens his eyes, squinting and looking around with confusion.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," Hawks croons, "Your charming princes are here to protect you."

Bakugou's head snaps in his direction and he scowls, "Whahappend?"

"The metal man beat us up. We're hiding right now."

"Oh, I'm going to destroy him," Bakugou snarls.

He tries to get to his feet, but his legs give out from under him and he falls to his knees. The jacket falls away, revealing bandaged arms and a white tank top.

"Calm down, tiger," Hawks says as Kirishima scrambled to help him, "You're still hurt. You need rest. Both of you."

Bakugou glares at him, "I don't need--" He groans and clutches his head.

"Come on, you two."

Hawks motions for them to sit next to him. They do, one on each side, and he pulls them so they lay with their heads on his lap.

"I'm not a kid," Bakugou growls.

Hawks ruffles his hair, "I know, but I'm sure it's more comfortable than the ground."

He picks up both jackets, putting his over Kirishima and Bakugou's on its rightful owner. Hawks pats both of their heads.

"Nap time. I'll wake you up if something happens or I figure something out."

Bakugou grumbles something about being treated like a child, but his eyes close and his breathing slows quickly. Kirishima curls up on himself, wrapping his arms around his torso and snuggling up under the jacket before also slipping into a fitful sleep.

Hawks sighs and leans back against the wall. What is he going to do? The only idea he has about how they got here involves that cube and he threw it away. That was a stupid move.

What would Endeavor do? What would All Might do? What would anyone but Hawks do?

Hawks isn't a real hero, just someone flashy and cool for the media. He can barely ever save everyone. Heck, he's struggling to protect two kids.

Maybe he should ask for help. But that might be stupid, too. People here don't seem to have quirks, so if they see someone like him they'll probably call the police. The police will call the government or something and then...

He's not letting the boys go through that.

Hawks' eyes wander around the area, looking over the dirt on the ground and cracks in the walls. Every pebble and twig. So unsanitary. They might get sick.

It dawns on him that he isn't worried for himself. He doesn't care if he gets hurt or never makes it back. He has nothing to go back to. He doesn't care about his fame, fortune, or fans. He doesn't have any family or many close friends.

The boys have that. They have their friends and their family. Both have parents and each other. They have a future. They have a promising career path. They might start families, and then they'll have children of their own to raise.

The boys need to get back home.

Hawks doesn't have a home to get back to.

So that's his goal. Get the boys home by any means necessary. He doesn't matter. They do. If it comes to it, he'll give himself up to send them back. He'll put his life on the like if it means they can get back safe and sound.

Whatever it takes.

For them, for them, for them.

Chapter Text

Bakugou groans as his head throbs and his arms burn. His eyes flutter open and he shivers. It's cold, even with the jacket on him.

Ugh. This sucks.

He sits up sluggishly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He glances over to the others and makes a face. Hawks is slumped against the wall, eyes closed and sunglasses askew. Kirishima is curled up next to him, snuggled under the fluffy jacket.

Bakugou rolls his eyes and glances around the area. He picks a paper bag nearby and finds food inside. His stomach growls and he suddenly realizes that he's starving. When is the last time he ate?

He grabs a box from inside and opens it to find chicken nuggets. Great. Unhealthy stuff. What would his dad say? Whatever. That doesn't matter right now. He grabs a couple hot sauce packets, because if he's going to eat trash, it has to taste good.

Kirishima shifts and stretches like a really stiff cat. Bakugou glares at him.

"You look way too refreshed for someone who's been sleeping on the ground." He notes, stuffing some food in his mouth.

Kirishima laughs, "It's been a long day. You know we were swimming in a freezing river for hours while you were out, right?"

"Is that why my socks are wet?!"

Bakugou watches as Kirishima pulls the jacket on properly, covering up his bare torso and shivering. He decides to copy, grabbing his own and scowling at the tattered sleeves.

"Why can't I ever have nice things?" He mutters to himself, ripping off the now useless sleeves.

"Because you blow them up."

"Shut up."

Ugh, now it looks weird without the sleeves. Maybe he can rip off the collar too and it'll be a vest. Yeah. Bakugou looks around for his head pieces. Those things are sharp. He spots them, but--

"Where are my gauntlets?"

"With my vest at the bottom of a river."

"What?!"

The shout startles Hawks awake and Bakugou feels just a tad guilty when he casts a panicked look around.

"It's alright!" Kirishima says, "Nothing's wrong."

Hawks sighs and slumps back against the wall, "Sheesh. Maybe next time you can give me a softer wake up call."

Bakugou rolls his eyes, "Who's Sleeping Beauty now?"

Hawks laughs and shakes his head, pulling off his sunglasses and replacing them with his goggles. Bakugou grabs part of his head piece, pressing the sharp edge to the collar of his jacket and cutting it away. He should probably hold on to the scrap cloth, just in case he needs it.

The group falls into a semi-comfortable silence. Kirishima is shuffling around on his knees and collecting their stuff-- which is really just Hawks' jacket, Kirishima's headgear, and Bakugou's mask. Hawks takes something that looks like a commlink out of his ear and begins fiddling with it. He's probably trying to see if he can fix it to get back in contact with the other heroes.

Wait. Call other heroes. His phone.

Bakugou gropes around his utility belt, opening the waterproof pocket and taking it out.

Please work, please work, please work.

The screen lights up and he fumbles with the passcode. He opens his contacts and hesitates for a moment. Should he call his mom? What? No! She won't be able to do anything to help, idiot.

Aizawa. Aizawa or-- or All Might.

Aizawa first. Bakugou dials and puts it up to his ear, squirming impatiently. Kirishima notices and his eyes widen with realization as he too reaches for his phone.

An automated female voice speaks. "The number you are trying to reach is unavailable--"

"Fuck," Bakugou growls, hanging up and dialing All Might.

"The number you are--"

"Screw you!"

He checks his internet signal. Nothing. He glances toward Kirishima, who has his phone to his ear and his face hopeful, only to look crushed a moment later. Bakugou keeps dialing anyway.

Deku.

"The number you--"

"You mother--"

A hand clamps over his mouth.

"What are you doing?!" Bakugou tries to snap, but all that comes out is a muffled noise.

"Shh!" Hawks hisses, "Quiet."

Bakugou sees Hawks behind him, eyes as wide as saucers as he stares up at the roof. Kirishima is frozen and silent, too. There's almost no sound, save for their breathing and the distant rumble of a car or something above.

"There isn't a street up there," Hawks whispers.

Oh.

Don't panic. It could just be some random people making some shady exchanges. Some guy pulling over to change his tire. Some mom stopping the car to tell the kids to shut up.

There's the distant sound of a hatch clicking open echoes through the room and all three sets of eyes meet.

Not safe.

Slowly and silently, the three of them slowly stand. Kirishima hands Bakugou his mask, Hawks his jacket, and puts his own headgear on. Bakugou pulls on his vest and slips into a battle stance, ready to blow any attacker to smithereens.

There's a click sound and something small and cylindrical comes skittering into the room.

Bakugou's heart stops.

"Flash grenade."

That's the only warning he can deliver before it goes off, the loud bang reverberating through the air. He squeezes his eyes shut against the bright light and his ears ring.

It dies down quickly and he squints to look around. Kirishima is standing in front of him, hardened like stone, and Hawks has his hands clamped over his ears and his eyes squeezed shut. Bird senses probably don't work well with loud noises and bright sounds.

A group of people clad in black armor and holding guns enter. That's no good. They point their weapons and Kirishima moves protectively in front of the other two.

This isn't a fight they can win. Not in their current conditions.

"Hands where we can see them! Now!"

"Fuck no, you bastards," Bakugou snaps.

In a swift movement, he throws several of his own grenades at the attackers. He grabs both Kirishima and Hawks, pulling them out of the way before they go off.

"This way!" Hawks says, sprinting ahead and leading them through a door and into a hallway.

Gunshots ring out from behind them and there's the sound of bullets hitting stone, obviously from Kirishima deflecting them. There's another door-- this one glass and sliding-- that Hawks kicks down and runs through, Kirishima close behind.

Bakugou pauses in the door frame. "I'll be right there!"

He sends several explosions from the palms of his hands into the wall, causing it to collapse. Something strikes him in the shoulder and he stumbles back before running after the others. Kirishima is waiting at the bottom of a ladder, Hawks halfway up.

"Come on!"

"Coming!"

They scale the ladder and exit through a hatch into an alley. Bullets rain down on them again because several other attackers are up here. Bakugou throws another grenade and Kirishima yanks him along to keep running.

Where to go?! They don't know this place! They don't have anywhere to hide!

"What do we do?!" Bakugou shouts.

"Just run!" Hawks yells back, aggressively flapping his wings. He can barely keep himself off the ground and Bakugou knows he won't be able to carry them.

A sound akin to something sizzling cuts through the air. The ground suddenly vanishes from under Bakugou's feet and then he falls. Not for long. He hits the ground for the second time in maybe two days, a sharp pain shooting through his shoulder when it slams into the hard floor. His vision blurs with pain but he fights through it. He can see several blurry figures standing over him menacingly and he scrambles to his feet, holding out his hands and ready to blow them to smithereens.

"Hey! Calm down!" One says, "We're not going to hurt you!"

"We got you out of that mess." Another says, sounding slightly annoyed.

His vision clears just enough to see that he's in a place that resembles a creepy old library. Kirishima and Hawks are standing up next to him, both looking equally confused and ready to fight.

The third figure, between the other two, sighs and steps into the light.

"Welcome to the Sanctum Sanctorum."

Chapter Text

"Hold on. Gwen ?"

Kirishima blinks, looking between Hawks and the woman he's speaking to. "You know her?"

"Ah, a little," the Wing Hero says, "I met her while I was out." He narrows his eyes at her, "I'm assuming that isn't your real name, though."

The redhead lady smiles, "I can't really give random people my real name while that and my physical description have been given to the general public because I'm wanted by the government."

"Great. So, you're a murderer or something."

"No!" One of the other two strangers snaps, " I'm the murderer. She's just unstable and a menace to society, like Spider-Man."

The third one sighs, "Yeah, these two are crazy. Don't worry. I have a pretty good handle over them."

"Says the man who was so vain that he had a meltdown after crashing his car while texting and driving."

"Well, excuse me, Mr. I-wiped-out-a-race-because-of-daddy-issues--"

"There's more to it than that and you know it!"

"Boys! Boys ! Calm down."

Kirishima turns to Hawks, blocking out their bickering. His eyes widen as he sees the hero swaying on his feet, red spots growing on his clothes. His legs give out and Kirishima catches him before he hits the ground. 

"Hey, bastards !" Bakugou shouts, clutching his shoulder as blood leaks from between his fingers. "If you wanna help, do something!"

The mysterious trio's attention snaps toward them, finally noticing their broken and bleeding guests. The woman-- Wanda-- rushes to Bakugou's side as one of her friends steps forward and takes Hawks. 

His eyes glow green and he murmurs something that sounds like a tape playing in reverse. Emerald mist swirls around them for a moment before fading away. His eyes lock with Kirishima's and he gives a comforting smile. 

"Your caretaker will be just fine."

With that, he suddenly vanishes into thin air. He looks around with panic, noticing that Bakugou is gone, too. A hand touches his shoulder and he spins around, heart rate increasing dramatically. The other man is standing there, holding his hands up placatingly. 

"Don't worry. Your friends are fine. They took them to the guest rooms. Are you okay?"

No . No, he is not okay. Not with the weird people and their weird quirks. Not with being alone and not with being the only one unscathed. 

"I-I didn't get hurt," Kirishima replies, "I was hardened most of the time."

The man frowns, "Hardened?"

"My quirk," Kirishima states, holding out a hand and hardening it, skin morphing into its nearly indestructible form. 

The man's eyes widen with shock. He looks over it, head titling with curiosity. 

"Fascinating. You can harden on command. Is it your entire body, or just the outer layer of skin? Would your organs harden, too? What's your limit? How much power can you withstand?"

"I-- I-- Uh-- It’s just skin deep. I don't know much." Kirishima wraps his arms around his torso self-consciously, "I don't really know the scientific aspects of it. I could ask Midoriya. He's the one who likes analyzing stuff, Mister..."

"Oh, right. Doctor. Stephen. Stephen Strange," he holds out a hand, "Sorcerer Supreme of the New York Sanctum Sanctorum."

Kirishima giggles nervously, face flushing as red as his hair and internally falling apart. This is so weird and… and strange. Heh. Strange .

Hold on. Is the cape moving on its own ?

“Are you okay?”

“I-- I’m fine, thank you.”

“Alright, then. Come this way, and I can show you the guest rooms.”

Kirishima slowly follows, taking mental note of the layout. Just in case. There are books stacked in random places and the roof is incredibly tall. Display cases hold odd artifacts that look ancient and dangerous. 

Yep, that cape is definitely moving on its own. The collar keeps pecking at Strange’s face and trying to pull him around. 

“What do you want?” The “sorcerer” snaps at it, proving that Kirishima definitely is not going crazy. Or maybe he is and Strange is crazy, too.

The cape keeps pulling at him. Strange frowns and looks in the direction it wants to go. 

“Oh, yeah. Guest rooms are that way,” he rubs the back of his neck and gives Kirishima a sheepish look, “This place is really confusing, even for me. Everything keeps moving, like Hogwarts.”

Kirishima doesn’t know how to respond, so he just nods and continues following. 

This is so weird.

“It’s moving because I’m having the acolytes remodel the place.”

Kirishima jumps a mile when another man appears next to them. Strange seems unphased. 

“Wong, this is one of the Crossers. Kai… Kri…”

“Kirishima.”

“Kirishima. Kirishima, this is Wong.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” the man says, then turns to face Strange, “We’ve got a situation concerning the Tesseract.”

“What’s wrong?” Strange asks. 

“We’re having a hard time reasoning with Stark and Ross. They’re being stubborn and refusing to hand it over.”

“Dammit. I’ll head over now.” Strange holds up both hands, pauses, then glances toward Kirishima, “Can you get to your room on your own?”

“I’ll show him the way,” Wong says with a dismissive wave. 

Strange nods, then returns his focus to his hands. One is held straight out while the other moves in a circle. A hole seemingly made of firecracker sparks opens up in front of him and he steps through. It closes and Kirishima is left gaping at where it once was. 

Wong chuckles, “Yeah, it’s cool. Anyways, here.”

He hands Kirishima a key ring with a single key on it. The key is floating, pointing down the hall. 

“Just follow where it’s pointing. There are clothes there for you to change into and you can come to the common room when you’re ready. Then we can explain everything.”

“Oh,” Kirishima says in a small voice, “Okay.”

“Do you need anything?”

“I… Do you have any hair gel?”

Wong nods, “In the bathroom. Anything else?”

“Uh, no, thank you.”

“Good. Also, you can also use the key to lock the door in case of emergency.”

“What emergency?”

“In case a rabid magical animal or artifact gets loose. Nothing to worry about.”

Wong turns and begins walking away. 

“Wha-- Rabid-- Wait !” Kirishima calls after him, but he’s already gone. 

Teleporting people with sparkly fingers. Wow. So manly . He looks down at the key in his hand, insistently pointing down the hall. 

“Lead the way, little buddy.”