Chapter Text
This was his last block to patrol to night. One of his favourites on this route not only because it was a quiet block, where people lived in piece with each other, but also, he would run into Dabi from time to time. Hawks and Dabi had this understanding between them.
The League days were behind, The Hero Public Safety Commission had changed to the better and the city was calmer now. Most of the criminals have been put away, some escaped. Like Dabi who is a criminal the heroes and police are looking for, but they would sometimes meet each other, talk. Usually Dabi threw some snarky remarks and tried to scare the hero away. They weren't friends, but not enemies entirely.
As usual Hawks was flying over the buildings, slowing down to see everything better. The sun was slowly going down making the city glow in reds and oranges, and the warm light made the city look more friendly and calmer. Hawks landed on a the highest buildings roof.
He prepared to just sit for a moment and enjoy the new found freedom. If nothing comes up, no shady guys hiding anywhere, he could end the patrol earlier. He closed his eyes and let some feathers wander around, explore the alleyways and search for any suspicious activities.
He was starting to relax even more when he heard or, more like, felt a commotion. He was up in a second. He speeded to the place that triggered one of his feathers. Getting closer and closer he could already make out 3 figures. One of them held blue flames in their hands.
Dabi. Hawks felt his heart drop. If Dabi was attacking a civilian, Hawks would be forced to take him in or report this action. He believed that anyone could change after he saw the Hero Commission turning to the better.
Hawks picked up his speed. Closing up his wings for a boost. Getting closer he released more feathers to build a wall between the figures to stop any upcoming attacks from Dabi.
He was about to land on the ground when Dabi turned around. His face displayed surprise, a rare showing of emotion form the white haired male. "Hawks! Stop! Don't come closer." That got Hawks slowing down. The other parties ware on stand still. No one was moving.
"Stand down! Don't hurt them." Hawks saw Dabis warning as a threat, so he put up his hands for him to see. "If you leave now, I might not report this. You had such a good streak man." Hawks tried to lighten the mood and calm down the flame user whose hands where still full of blues fires.
Dabi was about to respond when his attention moved back to the feather wall. The read feathers were ripped apart, making an opening. A clawed hand reached through it to grab more feathers and rip them out of the fluffy construction. Hawks felt his nerves burning. Those feathers wont be usable after this. He felt them bend and break.
"Hey! Calm down! Everything is under control." It seemed that the scared civilian had chosen fight not flight. "This guy wont do any harm to you anymore. I promise." Hawks made his smile hearable.
"The damage is already done!" A sharp cut broke all the feathers apart. A creature of some kind was standing right in front of both Dabi and Hawks. It had long claw like blades that glinted in the sunlight. The face was human, but the jaw and teeth were set wrong, its eyes were empty. Hawks just knew that behind those eyes and that stare was nothing going on. The rest of its body was covered with a shell like armour, and the legs were bent like you would see a goats legs.
He shifted his gaze to the person behind the creature. They were standing strong and straight, with their hands folded behind their back. Only body part to radiate the pure rage was the stiff shoulders and pale blue eyes. They had a jagged mask that covered the lower part of their face.
"I didn't want to get other people involved into this, but you leaves me with no other choice." The creature moved closer. "I only wanted Dabi here, but I can make an exception."
"What is going on?" Hawks questioned, looking at Dabi by his side. The white haired man was starting straight at the mysterious figure in front with a frown on his face. The humanoid creature suddenly stopped. In a flash it jumped preparing to slice with its sharp claws. Hawks jumped to the side, avoiding the death razors. With the corner of his eye he saw Dabi doing the same.
Hawks let some of his feathers go alert. The ones broken and crushed non responsive, but he concentrated on the ones still in working conditions. He felt the air shift on his left. The creature was targeting Dabi, going straight for his head. Hawks kicked his foot out under the goat like leg to hook it around and pull, making the attacker lose his balance and giving Dabi enough time to move out of the way.
A blue flame was fired. "I told you not to come closer. This guy has some messed up quirk!" Hawks was by Dabis side again. His wings were too small to carry out both of them. "And this guy has a messed up obsession with poking me with a knife." They dodged another attack that Dabi returned with an angry huff and a roaring fire. To catch the attacker unprepared Hawks sharpened a feather and jumped on top of it aiming for its eyes.
"My obsession has a reason!" The voice of the mystery person could be heard over the commotion. "You probably don't even remember it. But I do." The beast attacked again. "If your life is ruined it does not give you the right to ruin others." The claws sparked when they met a wall of a building. It dragged the claws leaving deep gashes. Hawks used the opening, that the stuck claws made, to cut in the attacking hand. "I haven't understood how you are still walking free. I thought maybe the heroes needed some help. But it looks like they aren't really trying to catch you."
The creatures attention shifted to Hawks in a second. Its other hand coming in for a fist strike. Hawks ducked and rolled out of the way. "We can talk about this! The hot head has paid for his actions." Hawks avoided another swing at him. He allowed another feather to slide in his hand and sharpened it, striking back at the claw.
"Who's back yard you turned to ash now Dabi?" A blue fire flew over Hawks's head. If the creature weren't so set on killing both of them, he would have thought that Dabi was aiming at him.
"You think this is funny?" The beast stopped again letting the alley way clear up from the dust. Now they could see both the creature and the masked person. "I'll show you funny!" Right before Hawks and Dabis eyes the creature melted, blending in with the ground, after a moment there was nothing left to prove of its existence. Hawks suspected a summoning quirk, but why deactivate it now?
Before he could finish his next thought, something exploded in front of them. Hawks lost sight and sense of anything. The only feeling was a tingly sensation that made little electric jolts through his body. What hit him? Was he going into shock from the attack?
Hawks could have been in that state for a few second or a few years, but the blinding light was what followed. The next was the sound of a city loud in his ears. The feathers left on his back ached, he turned on his side so he wouldn't be crushing them. He was still in the alley and now he was laying on the dirty ground of it. The memory of before hit him. "Dabi, was that some kind of your new attacks?"
Hawks looked to the side, but there was no Dabi. Of course he left him sleeping here. What ever he did with the mysterious person. Getting to his knees and up to his feet he let out a sigh. What a long night, after a meal he could call The Hero Commission, maybe get a few more decent sleeping hour before needing to fill out the report.
Hawks made his way to the opening between buildings. Walking out on the street he was blinded for a moment. When he blinked a few times and let his eyes and feathers readjust he looked for a street sign for directions. Only after a few moment looking around he felt a low panic set in. This was not the block he knew. Well taking it all in, this wasn't the city nor its skyline he knew.
----------
Sam had had a quiet week with no missions and any big meetings. Captain America can also get some days off between ensuring the peace of the world and someone not going on a destructive rampage. He had visited his sister, worked around the house and just enjoyed his time without any extra worries.
Now he was back in New York with some spare days to spend how ever he wanted till he had a meeting with the higher ups to discuss something, something Avengers. He was not a fan of that topic, but now that the world knew there was something much bigger than their universe, the Celestial islands were no help with that, they needed to reassure the people of their safety.
Sam was a guy with no power only a strong will and a suit made from vibranium. He might be the face but not all the strength enough for protecting this world.
It was a few minutes past two o'clock and Sam was on his way to meet Joaquin to do some training. He had promised to show some tricks and moves with the EXO-7 wing suit. This also would make his meeting more easier when he tells the pushing men and women that he was working on making the new Falcon ready for action. He did not want someone getting hurt because of inexperience if he could do something about it.
He had to turn a few more corners and then he would be just outside of the busy streets when a message came through to his phone. It was from Joaquin, must be important if he couldn't wait till they meet.
Sam opened his phone. A message of 'Take a look at this' and an attached video that looked like it was taken from a surveillance camera. He played it. A blond man in a jacket came out of the alley way blocking the sun with his gloved hand. What was the most disturbing thing where the small wing that came out of his back. They could have been some kind of a costume, but the feathers were too real. They were moving and catching vibrations like a real birds. Fluffing up and shaking out.
Sam was looking at his phone for a few moments. He had never heard of a mutant or an experiment like this from SHIELDs files, but he guessed that the big 3 was an obvious sign that everything was possible. He let out a sigh, he hadn't seen anything like this person meaning he had another alien on his hands or a new group with some bazar experiments.
Sam just wanted to spend his week stress free, but he guessed that it is not in Captain Americas list of things to do.