Flying Free: My Hero Evolution Wings of Change (X-Men/My hero crossover)

Chapter 35: Double Trouble

Grey clouds swirl through the mid-morning azure sky as a group of four recruits dodge the bustle of the congested street.

"You know, I could fix this with one boom boom, Drake. If nothing else, it would make this much more interesting." Boom Boom sneers.

Drake spins around,  ice shooting from his hands.

"Here, is this more interesting?" He scoffs at the frozen woman. "Maybe next time you should stay at Logan's training and watch muscle man flex on you."

Tabitha blows herself out of the ice cube encasing her. "Ahh... that was so refreshing. Sometimes a girl just needs to blow shit up... you know? Release a little tension. Thanks for the solid, ice man."

"Uhhh... guys?" Jamie's wide eyes dart between his friends and the once bustling city, now completely still with every eye on Tabitha and Drake.

A dropped pin could have been heard as the recruits look at one another, hoping for a distraction from the silence. "...maybe we should go back before we get in trouble," Amara suggests, scooting her friends along the sidewalk.

Boom Boom follows suit, swinging an arm around Amara's shoulder "-ah come on, girl! Live a little. There's no harm in breaking a few rules to have some fun. We'll try to keep a lower profile, okay?"

Magma sighs, "maybe you're right. Things have been tense around the mansion lately.  Some fun won't hurt."

"That's my girl."

"Hey, a comic book store!" Jamie rejoices. "Let's go!"

"That sounds like a great idea, Jamie-s." Boom Boom mocks, gesturing to the 20 multiples of Jamie also jumping up and down surrounding him.

"Uuummm... I'm going to leave the bookstore to you, Jamie. We'll head over to the coffee shop next door." Boom Boom says, taking the lead across the street.

******

The dimmed lights and softly playing ballad humming from the speakers is a welcome changes as the recruits enter the coffee shop and slip into a booth in the back corner.

Jamie locks eyes on the couple sitting in the adjacent booth. The woman's voice slowly crescendos as her words become slower and more deliberate. Noticing Jamie staring at her, she breaks her conversation and looks at Jamie with a sneer.

"Please tell me there is a REALLY good reason you are here, kid. And if you don't have one, you better get away from me right NOW!" she snaps.

Jamie jumps backward, then scurries to the bench to join his friends.

"Seriously, Tabitha? Why did we have to sit next to the one arguing couple?! This is a total mood killer." Drake gripes.

"It's some good drama, shut up and listen!" Tabitha shoots back as the woman in the neighboring booth adjusts her black sunglasses, irritation pricking off her like a menacing dark cloud.

-"That assignment should be his top priority right now, he has no room for distractions!"

"The moment we locate him, we return with him. Those are our orders. Hawks will get reprimanded for this."

"Do you think he found out about Xavier?"

"For all the X-men's sake, I hope not. We can't lose him, and if the x-men get between the commission and their protege -"

"We need to get him back and reprioritize. Once he is reminded of his place, things will continue how they should. We just have to get him alone to reduce the... commotion."

*******

Hawks leans back, taking in a calming deep breath.

How did I miss him? The whole mansion could have been in flames. People could've gotten hurt. And Rouge, no way he brought the whole gang with him. I should-

"Kei are you doing any better?" Jean's voice cuts through his thoughts.

Hawks keeps his eyes plastered on the table in front of him for fear he would cry if he saw her emerald eyes.  "Yeah, thank you, Chickadee."

"Kei-" Jean begins, sitting at the table next to him and placing her hand on his.  Her soft hand rubbing his knuckles breaks his dead-set eyes on the table. Hawks' tear-filled eyes meet hers, soothing his racing mind.

"We brought food." Tokoyami cuts in with freshly made sandwiches in tow.

"Oh, you two having a moment? You guys are oddly close right now."
Dark Shadow asks.

Tokoyami coughs, embarrassed by his quirk's comments. The link they share meant it wasn't just his quirk's thought but his own too.

"We can leave you two be if-"

"Wait, uh, no stay and eat with us," Hawks flashes a smile to his student . "I'm just- we're just trying to figure out how- and who- was able to penetrate our security system and almost send this whole place in flames. Until we can get some answers, we're all in danger. Plus, that food smells amazing."

*******
"It just seems like the opposite of keeping a low profile. I loved seeing it burn!"

Dabi pulls his gaze away from the streets and back to Twice, leaning against the wall further into the alley.

"What exactly are we looking for here? Or are we just here so you can taunt me with the smell of coffee all day?"

"Fine, we'll go get you a coffee. Just shut up about it."

As Dabi and Twice walk towards the streets, Dabi notices a group of four leaving the coffee shop. He stops Twice and the two retreat back into the darkness of the alley as the teenagers pass.

"But I don't understand- what do you think they meant 'Hawks knowing about Xavier?'" I mean, Xavier is so transparent. Surely there's nothing we don't know."

Dabi and Twice look to one another as they wait for the teenagers to move further past the alley. Instead of turning left to go to the coffee shop, they take a right to follow the teenagers. "Looks like today is our lucky day. You're going to have to get a rain check on that coffee though."

****
The rippling sound of the water flowing from the fountain and the cold water running over his feet is a welcome contrast to the mid-afternoon April sun beating on his back.

"I just don't have any idea where they would be now... or who he has with him."

Hawks whip around at the sudden patter of footsteps behind them. 

"Amara?!" Jean gasps.

Hawks rushes over to Amara "Whoa, breathe, Embers. Tell us what's going on."

"Drake, Tabbitha, and Jaime are in trouble! I just barely got away. Please help!"

"Where?! What did the person look like?" Hawks presses. "And how many people?"

" We- we just went over to the city to get away. I know we shouldn't have but we just wanted to have some fun- and- and- all the sudden- they were just- " Amara bursts into tears. "We have to go find them! They're going to kill them!"

"Let's go." Hawks shoots into the air.

"Dammit, Keigo!" Jean screams, though Hawks is already a red speck in the sky.

"Let's go, Dark Shadow. We can't lose him!" Tokoyami wales.

"I'm coming!" Amara screeches, jumping on Tomoyami's back.

***

Jamie, Tabitha, and Drake sit on the cold stone floor of the dark room, bound back-to-back by the hands.

"Come on, Jamie! I guess just don't try, since that's when your dupes come anyway!" Tabitha hisses.

"I can't work under pressure, Tabitha. Please stop, I'm trying."

"We've got to get out of here! He's going to kill us if you can't make some multiples to get us unshackled. "  Drake exclaims.

"Oh, what would be the fun in that?" Dabi smirks as he walks through the door towards the bound trio. "You are way too valuable to me to kill you now. I won't kill you until I get what I need out of you. So not to worry." Dabi says, slipping knapsacks over the three's heads.

"Stand." Dabi directs. "Twice, let's move."