Ashes and Feathers

Chapter 6: Ashes and Lies

Hawks' wings beat furiously as he soared high above the ruins of the city, the wind howling in his ears. His body ached, his side still bleeding from the earlier attack, but he pushed through the pain. He couldn't afford to stop—not now. Dabi was somewhere beneath him, waiting for their final clash, and this time, there would be no hesitation.

The dark sky was heavy with smoke, the ground below a sea of destruction and twisted shadows. The air crackled with tension, as though the entire world was holding its breath, waiting for the inevitable explosion.

Hawks' heart raced, but not with the same familiar longing he had once felt for Dabi. No—those feelings had been burned away, replaced with something far more dangerous. Hatred. Betrayal. And the bitter sting of truth.

Their love had been a lie.

All this time, they had used each other, manipulated each other for their own selfish purposes. Hawks had seen it now, seen through the illusion of what they once had. He had thought there was something real between them, but that had only been a mirage—a carefully crafted game played by two men who were far more alike than either of them wanted to admit.

Hawks had used Dabi for information, for the League, for the hero society. And Dabi had used Hawks to get closer to his enemies, to infiltrate the world he so despised. They had played their roles perfectly, two actors in a tragic, violent theater of deceit.

And now, the final act was upon them.

Hawks' sharp eyes scanned the ground below, and he saw it—a flicker of dark flames in the distance. Dabi was there, waiting for him. Waiting for the inevitable confrontation.

With a deep breath, Hawks dove.

The wind roared in his ears as he descended, his wings slicing through the air like blades. The ground rushed up to meet him, and just as he reached the burning wreckage, Dabi's flames exploded upward in a violent surge, colliding with Hawks in midair.

The impact sent Hawks spinning, his wings struggling to regain control as the heat of Dabi's flames seared his feathers. But he didn't stop. With a powerful flap, Hawks righted himself, his eyes narrowing as he faced his former lover.

Dabi stood amidst the chaos, his dark flames burning brightly in the night. His expression was twisted, a cruel smile playing on his lips as he watched Hawks approach.

"Well, well," Dabi drawled, his voice dripping with mockery. "Look who finally decided to stop running."

Hawks landed a few feet away, his wings folding behind him as he straightened. His eyes locked onto Dabi's, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, there was no hesitation, no uncertainty. He knew what needed to be done.

"I'm not running," Hawks said, his voice cold. "Not anymore."

Dabi's smile widened, his flames flickering with amusement. "Good," he said. "Because I'm tired of this little game."

Hawks' fists clenched at his sides, his feathers bristling in anticipation. "It was never a game to me," he said, his voice laced with anger. "I thought—"

"You thought what?" Dabi interrupted, his eyes gleaming with malice. "That I cared about you? That there was something real between us?" He laughed, the sound bitter and hollow. "You're more naïve than I thought, Hawks."

Hawks' chest tightened at Dabi's words, but he forced himself to stay focused. "You used me," he said, his voice low. "Just like I used you."

Dabi shrugged, his flames flaring up around him. "I never pretended to be anything other than what I am. You were the one who thought you could change me, make me into something I'm not."

Hawks' feathers trembled with fury. "I didn't want to change you," he said, his voice rising. "I just wanted—"

"What did you want, Hawks?" Dabi snarled, his flames surging forward in a violent wave. "Did you want to play hero? Did you want to save me? Or were you just trying to ease your own guilt?"

Hawks leaped into the air, narrowly avoiding the flames as they scorched the ground where he had stood. His wings beat furiously, propelling him upward as he prepared to strike.

"I wanted to stop you before you destroyed yourself!" Hawks shouted, his feathers sharp and deadly as they cut through the air.

Dabi's flames erupted in response, meeting Hawks' attack with equal force. The air between them crackled with energy as fire and feathers collided, each strike more brutal than the last. Hawks' wings moved with blinding speed, his feathers slicing through the flames as he pushed forward, refusing to back down.

But Dabi was relentless, his dark flames surging around him like a living entity, burning hotter and brighter with every passing second. Each strike was faster, more vicious, forcing Hawks to retreat, his body screaming in protest as the heat seared his skin.

"You never wanted to save me," Dabi sneered, his eyes blazing with fury. "You wanted to control me. You wanted to use me, just like everyone else."

Hawks' heart pounded in his chest as he dodged another attack, his wings flaring out to steady himself. "I wasn't the only one using people," he shot back, his voice cold. "You used me just as much as I used you. We're both liars, Dabi."

Dabi's smile twisted into something darker, more dangerous. "Maybe we are," he said, his voice low and venomous. "But at least I'm not pretending to be something I'm not."

The flames surged again, and this time, Hawks wasn't fast enough. The fire engulfed him, searing his wings and burning through his flesh. He cried out in pain, his body writhing as the heat consumed him. But even as the flames licked at his skin, Hawks refused to fall.

With a burst of energy, he tore himself free from the flames, his wings tattered and burned but still functional. He glared at Dabi, his eyes burning with a mix of anger and determination.

"This ends now," Hawks growled, his feathers bristling with deadly intent.

Dabi's eyes gleamed with excitement, his flames flickering in anticipation. "I couldn't agree more."

And then, they charged.

The battle was brutal, each strike more violent than the last. Hawks' feathers cut through the air like blades, slicing through Dabi's flames with deadly precision. But Dabi was fast—faster than Hawks remembered—and his flames burned with an intensity that Hawks had never seen before.

They fought like animals, tearing into each other with a ferocity born from years of betrayal and lies. Every punch, every strike, was laced with the weight of their shared past, the broken promises and the twisted love that had brought them to this moment.

But as the battle raged on, Hawks began to realize something. Dabi wasn't just trying to win—he was trying to destroy him.

With one final, powerful strike, Dabi's flames surged forward, engulfing Hawks completely. The heat was unbearable, the pain excruciating, and for a moment, Hawks thought it was over.

But then, with a desperate burst of strength, Hawks pushed through the flames, his wings flaring out as he launched himself at Dabi with everything he had left.

The impact sent them both crashing to the ground, and for a moment, everything was silent. The flames flickered, the air thick with smoke and ash, and Hawks' body trembled with exhaustion.

But when he looked up, Dabi was still standing, his dark flames burning brighter than ever.

And in that moment, Hawks knew the truth.

There was no saving Dabi.

There never had been.