The Broker's Assistant

Episode Fifteen: Crystal Crawler

Episode Fifteen
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The hot and small ventilation shafts weren't comfortable, in fact the tight space put an immense pressure on Hawk's wings. He had to fold them inward just to drop a single feather, which he was able to control remotely using his power. He sighed wishing he had a shrinking quirk or something useful for this situation

Hawks let his biggest bright red feather drop lower and lower as the guard was unaware of it, even being near him. Unlike other villains, Hawks didn't enjoy killing despite being capable of committing murder. He hated having to kill someone, yet as the feather entered the guards neck, he did not turn away from the sight. He didn't enjoy the violence, but he felt a debt to those he killed.

He knew that despite his actions saving lives, he knew that it wouldn't fix the scales. He had no right to decide who lived and who died, and yet that was what he was doing. It didn't matter if it was for a greater good to Hawks murder was unjustifiable and one day he'd face penance for what he had done. Untill that day arrived he had to keep on killing despite the weight it placed upon both his mind and bird body.

Yet even as the feather ended the guards life he couldn't shed a single tear or show a hint of remorse. He couldn't cry or feel such feelings, the training he endured had numbed that part of him, and nothing would change that. The guard needed to die, and once things were over, Hawks would take care of the ones he protected. Until that time, he needed to focus on the heist and gaining the trust of Dabi as soon as possible. Trust was key like a rare and limited currency that caused his brain to salivate with envy.

The guards body slumped to the ground with a thud, and Izuku and himself slipped down to the ground, freed from the claustrophobic constraints of the ventilation system. The pair both took a deep breath in tandem with each other before they started down the long hallway that would led directly underneath Dabi.

The lights of the hallway glowed a darkened electric blue. The bulbs hummed a solemn rhapsody as the pair continued forward. The humming of electrical wiring moved as money and papers transferred through long plastic pipes that went underneath and through the banks hidden sectors. It was essentially a web of wires and deceit.

Hawk's wings seemed to flap with every step he took, his movements were meticulous and precise. He was like an angel that moved without the flaws that plagued human walking patterns. The old Izuku would have noted these thoughts down in his journal, but the new him didn't.

While it was true he was absorbed into his work over the past few months something else had changed in him. Perhaps it was the spark of hope that motivated him to pursue heros and quirks. Now after so much time had passed he didn't have that goal to study heroes because he just didn't accept that reality. It simply wasn't him, and it would never be him.

"We are here." Hawks said as the reached the location underneath Dabi's feet. He was behind schedule but only by a person, which meant it wouldn't negatively impact the heist's success rate.

"So now we wait for Dabi to start his end." Izuku said, not asking a question but rather restating the premise of their mission.

Hawks didn't respond to Izuku instead of saying what was on his mind. "Do you think you'll regret your decisions." He asked, his tone made him come across as much older than he actually was.

"Regret, I don't think I'm going to regret this stage of my life." Izuku admitted. "I'm doing what I do for the people on my side, and that's enough for me."

"That's certainly a unique take for someone your age." Hawks pointed out. "You really don't have any regrets." He added with a sigh, then a smirk underneath his mask.

Izuku looked up at the ceiling, imagining he could see Dabi at the moment. "This heist is the start of something greater than any of us, if we regret the path it took to change society, then we don't deserve to enjoy the fruits of that change." Izuku said

"Fruits of change?" Hawks questioned. He was unfamiliar with this phrase, and he hadn't expected a drop out to come up with a phrase with such a deep meaning like Izuku had done.

Izuku shook his head. "Heroes used to be my entire life, but now things are different. I don't want another boy to grow up idolizing the self centered super heroes of society, and I want to make Dabi's goal a reality."

Hawks nodded. The avian man had to admit Izuku's loyalty was inspiring, yet he wasn't a kid like Izuku was. He knew that Izuku would one day regret becoming a villain. Yet he couldn't talk the boy out of the path he was on, and so he remained quiet as the pair waited for Dabi to begin his stage of the heist.