My chest tightened as I watched Hawks struggle against the villain, his movements slower, his attacks weaker. He was putting everything he had into this fight, but it wasn't enough. The villain was too strong, too relentless, and Hawks... Hawks was hurt.

He's going to lose.

The thought hit me like a punch to the gut, and I felt something inside me snap. My hands clenched into fists, my nails digging into my palms. I wanted to help. No, I needed to help. But what could I do? My body was too weak, my quirk too unpredictable—

No.

That didn't matter. Hawks needed me, and I wasn't going to stand by and watch him fall.

The villain swung a massive fist, aiming to slam Hawks into the ground, and I felt the familiar pull deep inside me. It was faint at first, like a whisper, but it grew louder, stronger, until it was all I could hear.

I raised my hand without thinking, and the air around the villain's fist seemed to ripple. His punch stopped mid-swing, suspended just inches from Hawks' face.

Hawks stumbled back, blinking in surprise. "What the—?"

The villain growled, his muscles straining as he tried to push forward, but I held him back, my focus sharper than it had ever been.

"Hawks!" I shouted, my voice cracking. "Don't stop! Fight back!"

He hesitated for a split second, his sharp eyes darting to me, then to the villain. Understanding flashed across his face, and he smirked.

"Not bad, kid."

Hawks used the villain's momentary pause to dart forward, his feathers slicing through the air with renewed speed and precision. The villain roared in frustration, swinging wildly, but I was there, stopping every blow just before it could connect.

It wasn't perfect—my control was shaky, and I could feel the strain building in my head like a vice tightening around my skull. But it didn't matter. For the first time, my quirk wasn't fighting against me. It was working with me.

Hawks moved with a grace I hadn't seen before, his attacks faster, sharper. He wasn't just fighting anymore—he was winning.

"Keep it up, kid!" he called out, his voice filled with a confidence that made my chest swell.

I nodded, gritting my teeth as I focused on the villain's next attack. He threw another punch, and I caught it mid-air, redirecting the force to throw him off balance. Hawks didn't waste a second, slamming into him with a barrage of feather strikes that sent him staggering backward.

The villain snarled, his frustration boiling over. "You think this changes anything?!" he bellowed, his voice echoing through the orphanage.

"Yeah," Hawks shot back, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "I think it changes everything."

With one final push, Hawks launched himself forward, his feathers swirling around him like a storm. The villain tried to block, but I was already there, pulling his arms back with my quirk, leaving him wide open.

Hawks' attack hit home, and the villain crashed to the ground with a thunderous impact.

The room went still, the only sounds my ragged breathing and the faint hum of Hawks' wings.

I collapsed to my knees, my head pounding and my vision swimming. The strain of using my quirk had left me drained, but I couldn't stop the small smile that tugged at my lips.

We'd done it.

Hawks turned to me, his expression softer than I'd ever seen it. "You okay, kid?"

I nodded weakly, wiping sweat from my brow. "Yeah... yeah, I'm okay."

He crouched down in front of me, his wings folding neatly behind him. "You saved my feathers back there."

I chuckled, though it came out more like a wheeze. "Guess that makes us even."