ROCKETEER

Chapter 16: The Ones We Trusted

                                                                    "Each betrayal begins with trust. "

                                                                              - Martin Luther King

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I moved. 

I wasn't sure where I wanted to start, but my feet moved for me. I flew to Toga and Mel, ripping her knife hand away from Mel's face. The girl stiffed and tried to rip her arm away, but I twisted it around her back and pushed her to the ground, my foot stomping on her knife hand, sending it skittering across the floor. Toga screeched, flailing underneath me. I twisted her arm tighter, my foot grinding into her hand. I felt a bone pop, her screaming got louder. I brought out a pair of hidden cuffs and bound her on the floor. 

Blue flames licked at my face from behind, and I whirled around to see a ball of fire headed straight to my face. I ducked, the fire barreling over me and hitting the wall behind. It burst into flames, setting the room ablaze. 

"Dabi you fucker! This is our fourth safehouse that you've burned!" I heard Shigaraki shriek. I sneered at Dabi, wiping the sweat that had already appeared off my face. My wings burned brighter, fueled by the light of the flames. He raised his firey palms to shoot another fireball, and I launched myself at his scarred figure, tackling him to the floor. He was bigger than me, sure, but I had the strength of someone who's trained their whole life. I overpowered him, almost too easily, forcing him to stay on the floor. I brought out a dagger from a pocket of my suit and pointed the blade at his throat. 

He smiled underneath me.

"What a hero you are, threatening to kill someone. I would have thought the Commission taught you better, babe." I hissed at him, pressing the knife further into his throat. 

However, instead of red, his skin bled a muddy brown. A moment later I felt his whole body melting underneath me, turning into a clay texture, until even his face had melted into the stuff.

What the f-

"Moonshine, stop!" I felt arms grabbing at my shoulder, ripping me from the disgusting pool of mud. I struggled against it. "Just stop!"

I snatched my shoulders away and turned around to see Hawks's face right in front of mine, his eyes on fire. Sweat poured down his face, and I heard crackling as the walls of the delapidated room gave way to the fire. 

"You have to run, okay? Run!" He shook my shoulders, and I felt his fear. 

"No, Hawks! We can get them, if you just-" I wiggled out of his grasp, scanning the room for the other villains. Mel lay against the bar, seemingly having a panic attack. The room was empty, save Toga on the floor, trying to wiggle out of her cuffs. She stared daggers at me and Hawks.

A wall completely collapsed, exposing the hallway and spreading the flames.

"They knew our plan, you have got to get out of here!" Hawks snatched my hand, making me face him. 

"Then call the Commission! Send Endeavor, the others over here! We finally capture them, Hawks!" I didn't understand why he was freaking out, we're heroes for gods' sake, this is our job.

"Emma, listen!" That made me pause. 

"What!?"

"They will kill you, Emma. They will capture you, and kill you slowly. They will make a plublicity stunt out of you and kill you. You cannot stay here!" His feathers were zooming everywhere, stopping falling rubble from hitting us. 

"If you think they can kill me, then you have severely underestimated me, Hawks." I moved away from him, and he let go of my hand. "But fine, I'll take Toga and call the police. They should at least know about this hideout."

I made to move, but another thought stopped me. I faced Hawks, who was having trouble controlling all of his feathers. 

"Why did they act like you're their friend?" Hawks's eyes widened, and he looked away from me.

"That's a conversation for a different time." Hawks stepped towards me but I stepped back.

"Are you with them, Hawks? Are you with the League?" It was starting to get hard to breath, smoke clouding the air. 

Hawks shook his head frantically. "Please, Emma, just trust me, please. It wasn't what it looked like, and I want so badly to explain it to you but I can't!" His voice became shrill, still struggling with keeping the room from completely collapsing on us. We didn't have much time.

It was better to leave and reassess. I got Mel back, and one of the League members was detained. No thanks to Hawks. I slide my knife back into its pocket. 

"How am I supposed to trust you? You basically threw me into a wolf den." I narrowed my eyes, felt my heart trying to have emotions about this, betrayal, fear. But adrenaline won out and I stepped away from him, heading to Toga. She hissed at me, and I hauled her up by her cuffs. Then I headed to Mel, stooping down beside her, laying a reassuring hand on her head. She looked up at me and clung to my suit, and I hugged her close.

"Emma-"

"I'm going, but I want you to know that the Commission is going to hear about this." I led Mel and basically dragged Toga to the door, down the hallway we came in through. I glanced back over my shoulder at Hawks, who stood in the middle of the room. The look on his face was unsurprised, even expecting. Hm. 

"I'd think carefully on what side you're on, Hawks."  

I turned and flew through the hallway and burst through a dingy window,  Melody and Toga in tow. 

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