Mystery from Another World--MHA

Part 36: Hawks

Wally and Shine decided it would be best if Hawks didn't really know who both of them were unless necessary, so Wally pretended to split off from Shine and head to the bus stop. Shine kept walking, and she sensed Hawks was right on her heels, but he waited to appear until she'd veered very far East. She was still in a not very nice part of town from the looks of it, and all alone, she felt a little uneasy and began to wish he'd just appear and get it over with.

She had to make herself vulnerable on purpose. Nothing happened until she had turned a corner of a building onto a street next to a parking lot, then a bunch of red feathers suddenly pinned her to the wall through her clothes.

Shine was not very happy about a bunch of holes now being in her outfit-- she didn't have any too many of those, come to think of it. Now that UA was paying her, she really should go shopping and get some more stuff...

Hawks landed in front of her, running a feather sword through his hand casually. "Sorry for dropping in so unexpectedly," he said, "but I couldn't help but be curious after our little encounter earlier with you-know-who. Maybe now that he's not around, you'd be willing to share..."

Shine was not really in a great mood after being pinned to the wall, and she frowned. "Can you let me go, please?"

 She knew Wally would have doubled back by now and be watching her, if she needed him, but she preferred not to need him in this case.

"Sure, once you tell me why you're meeting with Dabi," Hawks said, "You know something about the LOV, don't you?... You two aren't... uh...?"

"I already answered that," she said.

"I thought you were bluffing," Hawks said.

Shine frowned. "No, I was serious."

"But what about all that flirting?" Hawks said.

"What flirting? Look, Mr. Hawks, I don't appreciate this," Shine said. She would have crossed her arms if she could. "And this is also uncomfortable. Furthermore, do you really think this is going to stop me from getting away? Get these feathers out-- one's poking me in the ribs. Or I'm gone."

Hawks was either really gullible, or he knew she was serious. He sighed and pulled out some of the feathers, enough so she should move her arms down.

Shine very deliberately yanked out the other ones also.

"I really don't think I can tell you my connection to the LOV, unless you tell me yours," she said, more evenly, "Why would I, if I get nothing out of it? And how do I know I can trust you?"

"Well, I'm the number 2 hero," Hawks said.

"On a scale I don't care about," Shine said.

"Well, if Dabi is using me, why wouldn't you?" Hawks tried a different tactic. "I can make it worth your while. An information swap. What do you know about the LOV?"

"And you want to do this out in the open?" Shine said, though no one was around. 

"Well... no..." Hawks admitted, "I guess not. Oh, I know." He snapped his fingers, then the feathers swirled around Shine and shot up into the air with her. Hawks flew after them.

In another minute, to Shine's horror, they were on top of a very high building, at least a mile from where she'd just been.

Wally could find her up here, but it was going to be much harder for him to do it unseen.

To make matters worse, there was no railing, and she was terrified of heights.

Shine grabbed the pole at the top of the building like it was her lifeline and went very pale.