Of Wings and Flames - Dabi x OC x Hawks

Spread Your Wings [33]

I was certain I was never going to look either of those two in the eye afterward, but they were surprisingly... Normal.

Except for the gloating. Both of them thought they had a one-up on each other, thinking that I liked them more than the other. Whenever things got heated I would simply shake my head, get up, and go save lives. Just like now.

Golden-hazel eyes scanned the ground as I patrolled, I even tried experimenting with my light, seeing if it could augment my vision and make the images sharper or closer. I messed it up a couple of times though, cursing as I either overshot the ratio and burned my eyes or slammed into a building. I was extraordinarily glad that no one looked up to see me being a complete dunce. I doubt it would've helped my reputation much.

A shrill scream of terror called my attention, and without a second thought, I propelled myself through the air, sharpening my senses as I searched for the source. I gritted my teeth when I caught the scene. They were bold, attacking in the middle of the street, pinning a helpless woman with glowing skin to the asphalt, hissing and cackling as they loomed over her. There were three of them, and while they looked like small fry... It was the markings and the black pustules on their skin that struck a chord of fear in my chest.

Something was very wrong. I pulsed flames from my heart and into my fingers, swiping my hand across and morphing my flames into a scythe that curved around me. I swiped at them as a warning and as I expected they hopped away to avoid the flame blade. The lady got up and scrambled away to safety, watching from a distance.

"Bold of you to assault in broad daylight," I observed coldly, keeping my feet off the ground. "Being a villain is a fruitless endeavor in my opinion, but even I could have picked a better time." I lowered my eyelids, glowering at them. "What's your game here?"

They burst into cacophonous laughter, clutching their stomachs as though they heard a great comedy skit. "A pretty harbinger of light, how quaint. The light won't matter once it's all gone, the shadows will douse your flames and smother the embers until you fade away into ash!" I widened my eyes as they lunged, their hands curled as darkness curled from their fingers. I swiped my scythe again and they hissed, leaning back away from the arching flames that leaped from the blade. For all of their talk, they seemed hellbent on dodging my Quirk.

I grinned, placing my feet on the ground and crouching down. "Prepare yourselves!" I roared as I jumped forward lowly, keeping my torso parallel to the ground. I dispersed my blade and sent the flames to my palms, grabbing two of the villains with smoldering hands and hearing them cry out in vain as my flames scalded their skin. I smacked their heads together and they crumbled to the ground like a ball of paper. I swung around with my leg and filled it with blistering fire as I landed a kick on the side of the last villain's face, hearing a satisfying crunch of their cheek as I brought him down. The black markings on their skin squirmed as I neared them, and even the features on the villain's faces would twist in agony as I neared, as though my very presence was a bane to them.

"W-What the fuck are you!" One of them spluttered, their eyes wide with maddened fear as they took me in. I frowned, pressing my boot on their arm as they struggled to get away from me. "Go away! Your stench is stifling, grueling, disgusting and horrible! It stings me, you sting my eyes and blister my mind! GET OUT OF HERE YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" Dark tendrils shot upwards from the ground and I seethed. quickly grasping the strands of light from the sun and striking down the shadows, grimacing as I heard them scream and squeal. I leaned forward and stared at the villain in the eye, frowning.

"Where did you get your powers from?" I inquired, putting a little more pressure on his arm. Veins popped out in his neck as his pupils shrank so much they became nothing more than pins. It was unsettling. I brought a flame to my hand, holding it close to his face and watching as he desperately squirmed to get away from the light it emitted. "Tell me, I won't ask again."

His eyes slid towards his fallen comrades and the police that were coming down the street before sliding back up to meet mine. "Maven," he admitted with spittle. His lips cracked into an impossibly wide smile, his brows rising as he looked up at me, almost as though he were victorious. "Matron of the Night, Dark Lady, Shadowbringer, call her what you will, she will take any name, any form," he said with a tone of utter reverence. My skin shivered at his cultish words, listening intently. "She gifts the arts of the shadow to those who are willing to take on part of her mind, to plead our existence to her will. So when the darkness consumes the world, her hold on it won't be questioned. Wonderful, isn't it? That she can be so powerful, she simply exerts her will through followers like us! I know you are jealous..." My mouth formed a flat line and I rested my hand on his chest. His eyes widened as light shot through my veins. "Wait, don't-"

"Sorry, but I need to see if this will work," I apologised and surged my light into his body. I felt heavy resistance, shadows clawing at my light and fighting me off. I bit my tongue and sweat began to bead on my brow as I purged away the darkness in his body. The darkness curled away and squealed from my light, cowering in the recesses of his body. I exhaled, shaking with effort. "Disperse." The shadows were wiped away, his skin clear from those marks, and his eyes were clear of that mindless rage, if not dull. "Are you alright?"

He winced, his eyes trembling. "I- What happened? I was just going shopping for my kids, a-and then I-" He was cut off as the police swarmed the scene, picking up the other two unconscious villains and handcuffing with Quirk-cancellation cuffs. I frowned, standing up with the man. He turned his panicked eyes to me, desperate for an explanation. "S-Sun Keeper, do you know what happened? Why am I here I- I don't know, I don't mean to hurt people I swear I just-" I rested my hand on the man's back and pursed my lips, in thought.

Is Maven taking control of the populace? If so, how many people has she taken? How does she choose them, how does this strange corruption of her's work? I accompanied the man to the car, crossing my arms. Before they took off I stopped the officers, raising my hand. "Excuse me, but do you mind if I go with you? I want to figure out something." They looked to each other and shrugged and I smiled, pulling out my phone and dialing a contact.

"Hey Ames, could you meet me at the North Kyushu Police Department? I've got something I need to disclose to you," I requested, and Amethyst's voice on the other end was shocked.

"Eh? Really, you never ask for my consult. Is there a serious villain plot you're uncovering again? You're not going to put a foot in the grave again, are you?" She began to fret, rambling on about her worry and how reckless I was with my last hobbled together plan. I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"No no, I won't be silly again like that, I think" I teased and she blew up. I chuckled lightly, clearing my throat. "Could you also call for Hawks? He'll want to know what's going on too," I asked and she consented. "Thanks Ames, I'll see you shortly. Alright big guy, press on the gas, we got a plot to solve!"

He shook his head and began to drive, his face unimpressed. "That's against the law, Sun Keeper. This is non-emergent."

"Tsk. Police are always such sticks in the mud."