The Shape of Fire

3...2...1... Fight!

Hawks' hands curl around the downy soft feather and he holds it close to his heart. Mourning for a life he never had a chance to live. Listening to his father's audio logs leaves him with an empty and confused feeling. How is he supposed to feel and process everything? Hawks comes to the conclusion that his father was nothing but a monster, willingly operating and cutting open an angel just to advance humanity? Anger begins to fester within his heart and he glowers at an unassuming corner of the room.

His mother was just as much as a fool as his father, what even possessed her to stay with him? She had a chance to fly and be free yet she allowed his father to remove her wings?

"He was wrong." Hawks mutters and looks back down at the small feather. Even if he never had the chance to fly and truly be free, finally after all these years- he knows what had been missing in his life.

His freedom.

For the first time in a month, Hawks has no dreams and doesn't visit Dabi in his realm. Instead, all that surrounds him is suffocating darkness.

His eyes slowly crack open and for a moment, he stays still- confused why he isn't at his apartment. As his eyes slowly adjust to the moonlit room, a dark figure gets his attention. Hawks bolts up in bed and a freezing hand clamps down over his mouth.

"Shh." Its raspy voice comes out as a slither and Hawks can see a puff of breath from behind him. His heart begins to thunder against his rib cage as the hand tightens for a second- its ice cold nails bite into his skin before letting go.

"We have to go." There's a soft hiss from behind him before it fades away and Hawks blinks up at Shouto who's standing at the foot of his bed.

"You could've let me know like a normal human and not scare the living shit out of me like that." The smallest smile flickers over Shouto's features before he moves towards the window and motions Hawks to follow.

"You were dead asleep. Besides, where's the fun in being a normal human, when neither of us are a human to begin with?" Shouto points to the box and Hawks picks it up and follows Shouto and steps out into the silent spring night.

They move under the cover of darkness, Shouto makes an occasional turn down a derelict alleyway and Hawks complies without too much complaining. There's always a soft white light in the corner of his eye that fades away if he dwells on it for too long, always dancing in and out of view. Hawks can't take the silence for much longer and he clears his throat, doing his best to ignore the white wispy light to his left.

"So," Shouto stops and glances over his shoulder at Hawks before taking a right- Hawks close behind him, "Is this what kids do these days? When I was your age," Hawks trails off and shakes his head, "Uh, never mind."

"No, please continue. I'd love to have a history lesson right now."

"Good to see kids still have attitude problems." Hawks mutters under his breath and shudders as the white light floats near him and a gust of cold air envelopes him.

"I thought you said she only comes to you in your dreams?" They stop in front of a small building and Shouto pulls open the door.

"It's three in the morning, this is the only time she can have a form outside of my dreams." He answers flatly.

"She isn't trying to kill you." Hawks observes and Shouto watches him for a moment before looking over at the white light, shaking his head.

"She only does that in my dreams. Like I said, only broken memories of her remain. Maybe when she has a physical form- she still clings to who she used to be instead of a murderous spirit. Never thought to ask her."