"I wasn't talking to you," Hawks said, glaring at Shigaraki irately.

"That's obvious, but mind your own business," Shigaraki said.

"I don't think you can tell me that after all this time," Hawks said.

"Hawks..." Mirko was reaching the point of frustration where even punching him was starting to feel like too much work.

"What's going on?" Wally asked.

"Shigaraki is getting kind of secretive," Hawks said.

"Um, should we really start this out here?" Fuyumi said.

"You're the one who's trying to twist things his way," Shigaraki growled.

"Guys," Mirko said. "This is dumb."

"Yeah, I'll say." Aizawa tossed his scarf at them. "Both of you, simmer down." 

Shigaraki looked at him. "Get this off me before I destroy it."

Aizawa's eyes lit up red. "Good luck with that," he said.

"Eraser--" Miss Joke tugged his arm, "we're making a scene."

Some people were looking at them.

"Hey, no Hero-ing," some of them yelled. "This is a Hero free zone."

"Yeah, get lost, buddy."

"A--h---."

Aizawa looked back. "Let's take this outside."

One shoved him right then. "Why don't you leave the little shrimp alone?"

"I can handle this," Shigaraki said to the big, bear-quirk-looking guy.

"Why are all the animal quirked people in here?" Shine said.

"Maybe they have the most reason to want to get away from public scrutiny." Wally guessed pretty well.

Aizawa jerked the big guy off his feet. "Stay out of this matter."

The guy got up and swung at him.

Aizawa ducked.

Miss Joke ducked also and tripped the guy.

That did it.

All the people watching turned it into a full on brawl.

"Ah, s---!" Hawks flew up to avoid getting smacked by half a dozen people trying to stampede them.

Fuyumi yelled and covered her head with her purse. Hawks scooped her up.

"Get her out of here," Wally called. "We'll handle ourselves."

"Calm down!" Miss Joke was trying to get the angry crowd to simmer down.

"No, you beat it!" They shot quirks at her.

Aizawa erased them...and then it turned into a fist fight.

Mirko looked around and started laughing. "Ah, well, if you can't beat 'em," she said, jumping up and kicking a few people away.

Kitsune laughed too. "I guess she's right." She flipped someone over her head.

"Whoa..." Spinner said, then ducked and knocked someone aside just on instinct.

Miss Joke punched people off and kicked more and made a few start laughing.

"Ah, this takes me back to the old days again," she said to Eraser.

"Especially the part where you'd get distracted in the middle of a fight." He threw a chair past her at someone.

Shine had her sword out to use as a shield.

"Wally, we've got to--" she began.

Wally backhanded someone and tripped someone else. "What?" he said.

Shine smiled. "Uh...are you doing this too?"

"Might as well, right?" Wally said.

Shine shook her head. "Fine." She slammed someone else.

Shigaraki, of course, couldn't really fight without killing someone, and Aizawa was watching him to make sure he didn't, so he just ended up ducking.

"Come on." Mirko yanked him behind an overturned table. She peered out over it. "Wow, the exit it totally blocked."

"This is Hawks' fault," Shigaraki said.

"Technically, you started it," Mirko said. She put her ears down as some bottles came flying over their heads. "Where's Compress when we need an escape?"

She kicked a chair up and then over the table at one of the attackers. They flew across the room.

Wally rounded up a bunch, clearing a path. "That way, people," he waved.

"Ah, buzzkill." Mirko shrugged. "Oh, well. Come on, genius." She leapt over the table, knocking aside someone else in the process.

All of them made a beeline for the door.

Some more people blocked their path.

"Whatcha gonna do?" the biggest one said, holding a nightstick. "We got a dozen of us."

"Pretty bad odds," Wally said.

"Uh huh," Shine said. "As Supes would say, they don't stand a chance."

"Get out of our way," Aizawa warned.

"Oh, come on, you've got nothing. We've got weapons," jeered one of the others. They had mostly clubs--kind of fitting.

"Well, we have highly trained vigilantes and a cage fighter," Shigaraki said.

Mirko shot him a look.

"A cage fighter? Like a quirk cage fight?" said one of the guys.

"Yeah," Mirko said.

"What...you?" they scoffed. "You're just a little bunny. You seriously expect us to believe--?"

Mirko kicked one of the floor boards, and it shot up and sent two of them right off their feet.

The others stared at them.

Then the big guy laughed. "Heh, I used to cage fight. You can scrap there, girly?"

Mirko tossed her hair. "H--- yeah."

"Eh, let em' pass," the big guy said to the others. "You don't want to start s--- with them. You wimps can't handle it anyway."

"You've...got to be kidding me," Hawks said. "That worked."

"Are you complaining?" Fuyumi was grabbing his neck in her fear someone was going to knock her right out of the air.

"Well, cool." Wally finger gunned them. "See you later, pals."

They all just walked out the door.

* * *

Outside the club, everyone but Hawks started laughing at what happened. Well, Shigaraki didn't.

"I can't believe that worked." Miss Joke was dying. "I thought they recognized us for sure."

Mirko was smirking. "Hey, you get serious street cred for those matches. Nobody fricks with you."

"But I never would have thought to say that," Miss Joke said. "How did you know that would work?"

Shigaraki was confused. "I didn't. I was just trying to sound threatening."

"And that was your threatening line?" Aizawa said. "Not...I'll turn you to ash."

"I knew you wouldn't let me do that, so I picked the person you wouldn't be able to stop." Shigaraki saw nothing wrong with saying that.

Mirko laughed. "Hey, when he's right, he's right."

"I'm not sure that was a compliment," Hawks said

"Can...uh...can I get down now?" Fuyumi said. "No offense, but..."

"Oh, right..." He set her down.

"Wow." Shine was looking at Wally. "I did not expect you to just throw hands."

"Eh, it's been a while since I was in a brawl. It's kind of fun," Wally said.

"Uh, guys," Spinner said, "we left Compress and Silk inside."

Awkward silence.

"I'll get them," Wally said.

He disappeared.

"Ah, well, what's a date without a brawl at the end?" Miss Joke stretched her arms. "Right? At least it was exciting...and now I want to go home and drink some tea. I have school tomorrow... I'll see you all later--and at the wedding." She gave Shine a thumbs up. 

"Hey," a voice surprised them.

They all turned.

It was the big guy from before. He was focusing on Mirko. "Were you that one fighter with the rabbit quirk and the tiger mask?"

Mirko tilted her head. "You know about that?"

"You're kind of famous for being one of the youngest fighters to go undefeated," the guy said.

Mirko tilted her head. "Wait...were you that one guy who'd beat his opponents by literally destroying the ring?"

"Yep, brought down the house," the guy said.

Mirko laughed. "Oh, gosh, I used to want to go see one of those fights."

"Right on," the guy said. "You still into it?"

"Ah, no, I do something harder now." Mirko flexed her arm.

"What's harder than that?" The guy asked.

"Oh, you know, professional fighting," Mirko said.

"What's happening?" Aizawa said.

Miss Joke covered her mouth to smother a laugh.

"Ah, can I get your autograph?" The guy held out a menu.

Mirko blinked. "Uh...sure..." She thought better of using her actual name, so she signed her cage name.

"The boys'll be stoked when I tell them this," the guy muttered. "Well, a pleasure." He walked away.

Mirko started laughing. "That's the first time I've ever been asked for an autograph for my illegal hobby."

"That was weird..." Spinner said, "but so cool... You're, like, famous."

"Nah, just a coincidence," Mirko said.

"That's surprisingly humble of you," Aizawa said, "even if it's questionable a Hero should be signing an autograph for doing something illegal."

"Oh, come on, he didn't realize who I was," Mirko said.

"Is that why you let her stay in the League?" Miss Joke asked Shigaraki. "Because she has a criminal record?"

"Technically, if you're not booked, you don't have a record," Shigaraki said, "but it's reassuring to think not all Heroes are complete goody-two-shoes."

Mirko rolled her eyes. "This guy, am I right?"

"It kind of sounded like you were bragging a little bit there," Wally said. "Which, don't get me wrong, I so would too."

"I brag on Wally," Shine said. "Men love it when you do that, apparently. Not all women do though, only some."

"I don't mind," Mirko said.

"No one would question that," Aizawa said.

"But why would you ever cage fight?" Fuyumi asked. "Isn't that super dangerous?"

"Oh, well, I don't know. I just liked it," Mirko reflected. "I like the whole experience. The danger, the smell of blood and sweat...it was a real rush."

[FYI, I am not making that up. That was her actual reason in the light novel--the smell of blood and sweat. I thought it was weird but perfect for her...and she sure sounds like a Villain at times, doesn't she?]

Aizawa looked kind of weirded out. "That's kind of carnal."

"Uh huh," Mirko said.

"Okay...now I'm seeing it," Miss Joke said. 

"You're a great fit for the League," Spinner said. 

Mirko snorted. "I'm going to take that as a compliment from you, Donnie."

"I was surprised to see you take a few swings in there, Shine," Miss Joke said.

"I actually like fighting too," Shine said. "I like the excitement, the challenge...not the blood and sweat part so much. I could do without that...not that brawling is my cup of tea. But I had to back up all of you. I mean...it not wrong, right? As long as it doesn't go too far."

"I knew there was a reason I liked you," Mirko said.

"And this is the Christian..." Aizawa said.

"Or you're just a buzzkill," Mirko said.

"Hawk Girl loves brawling too," Wally reflected. [There's always one member of these hero teams who just likes fighting, right?]

* * *

https://youtu.be/yrJ7CVeiFvo

Hawks took Fuyumi home since it didn't look like he was going to get a chance to talk to the others anyway. He'd just have to wait till after the wedding.

Fuyumi was kind of quiet at first, but finally she asked, "Are you all right?"

Hawks shook his head. "I wish I'd gotten a chance to talk with the DJs more about the League. They're the only ones Mirko listens to."

Fuyumi hesitated, but then with her family's bluntness, "Uh...Mirko told me you two aren't...you know, together--"

"Oh, h--- no!" Hawks said vehemently.

"Yes, but you sure seemed concerned about her as more than just a casual friend. Is there a reason for that?" Fuyumi asked.

Hawks slowed down, just hovering now. "Well...maybe it's guilt. Or maybe I'm just trying to save her. I couldn't save Endeavor or any of the other people who got hurt in those attacks. I failed. Rumi is my last shot, but she won't let me help her. The more I try to tell her this is a bad idea, the more she pushes for it. She's an idiot, but the worst of it is, I could swear she has feelings for that--that--person."

He sounded like he wanted to say something a lot worse than "person."

"You mean Mr. Shigaraki?" Fuyumi said.

"Ugh, please don't call him Mister...and that means you noticed it too."

"I noticed more than just her feelings," Fuyumi said meaningfully. "I spoke to him. Because of Touya, I feel like maybe he's not so hostile to me, and I'm not very good at this, but even I think there's something there... I don't know if it's anything like romance--but some kind of care or connection."

Hawks made a face. "Ew...that'd be so weird."

"Well, just because you don't like him doesn't mean she doesn't," Fuyumi said. "Some things are just taste, aren't they?"

"A washed out shrimp like that?" Hawks said. "But then again..." He knew people simped for Ectoplasm, who was a human-looking skeleton, so...

"Of course you don't like that he's the head of the LOV," Fuyumi said, "but he's not such a bad person, I don't think. Maybe he was pushed into villainy."

"Yeah, from what I know, he's been more like trained into it," Hawks said.

"I feel bad for him, then," Fuyumi said.

"Oh, granted, it's sad." Hawks wasn't heartless. "I get that. If he was just someone I heard about on the news, I'd feel bad for him. But, I mean, I wouldn't support a total stranger getting with someone like that, let alone a friend and colleague of mine with a rep, not to mention her own life to think of. I don't think it's smart."

"I suppose, but as I understand it, love is not always a smart thing," Fuyumi said. It would be nice to see it, she thought. Her father and mother's relationship had been calculated and cold...but even so, her dad knew her mom's favorite flower and felt bad for how he treated her... Maybe it wasn't love like how she wanted, but some love might take root even in a bad situation...and if that was the case, ruling out a Villain and Hero falling for each other seemed unfair.

"But it shouldn't be life threatening," Hawks said, "and, no offense to him, but I doubt he's capable of love. And if it's just about a weak attraction--which, okay, we both know, she's easy on the eyes, so I could, as a man, sort of see that maybe being a possibility, though I never pegged him for the type."

Fuyumi reddened.

"But that's not love," Hawks said, "and, in fact, complications like that only make it worse. She could get seriously hurt. She doesn't seem like the fragile type, but I'm not sure that's true for stuff like this. Who's really tough about love?"

"No one." Fuyumi at least understood this. "But you're so willing to rule out it being real? I mean, I don't know them that well, but I don't know if I'd assume it's impossible. Why are you so sure?"

"To be honest," Hawks said, "I'd really prefer not to think it's real." He looked dark. "Don't you get it? Real, fake, it won't matter. The LOV has to be taken down and soon. The other threats are gone. I could take them down now if I knew where they were. And Rumi does. She's not doing her job as a Hero. In fact, she's already chosen them over her clear duty. If no one finds out, maybe she won't lose her career. But if she's really involved, she's going to get her heart broken, but she'll have to allow it, or she'll become a Villain. And either choice is bad."

"Oh...my..." Fuyumi began to see his point. "How awful."

"Yeah." Hawks looked a little dead eyed. "And I'd have to side against her if she does."

He shook his head. "Uh...I hate my job sometimes."

Fuyumi was shocked...not really that he hated it, but that he said it.

Hawks was shocked too. "Uh...oh, sorry, I shouldn't put this on you."

"No, it's fine," Fuyumi said. She looked down. "Uh, can we set down though?"

Hawks lowered onto a roof. "Better?"

Fuyumi stood up. "Yeah...I guess I'm still not used
to flying."

"It's different if you have wings."

"I'm sure... But about what you said, I think it makes sense. I hate it when I have to punish students. No one's job is always fun," Fuyumi said.

"But they won't see as betrayal, will they?" Hawks said sadly.

"They might."

"It would be... I mean...at this point it doesn't even feel like the right thing anymore, but it hasn't felt right for a long time. I did those things anyway...and I have to again..." He drew a deep breath. "I swore I would protect people no matter what. Even if they hate me for it."

Fuyumi looked at him sadly. "And...it's worth it to have everyone hate you? Just for that?"

"What could be more important than that?" Hawks said.

Fuyumi thought, then she said, "Well...I mean, I think doing the right thing, it is important. But protecting people by going against what they want, putting them in an impossible position...it sounds wrong to me." 

"But what would you do?" Hawks said dully. "If you were me?"

"I...I think..." Fuyumi thought. "I'd want to give the LOV a chance. Maybe they'll decide to do the right thing. It seems like what you're doing will prevent them from that. And I'd think, if I do understand what you're saying, they might blame Mirko and kill her or hurt her over it."

"They already did blame her for before," Hawks reflected, "because I showed up...heh." He laughed bitterly. "When you put it that way, I really do just make everything worse..." He looked at his feet dejectedly.

Fuyumi's heart hurt to see anyone that upset.

"I don't mean that you don't mean well," she tried.

"I just can't not frick things up," Hawks said flatly. "I mean, you're right. That probably would happen. I never think before I do stuff though, do I? Just like before, I just automatically make the wrong choice.... What is wrong with me, huh?"

"I think you just rush to help people," Fuyumi said, "but not always the way they need it... I do the same thing. I'm trying to let my family do what they need to do now." She pushed up her glasses. "Don't feel so bad, Hawks. It's normal to make mistakes."

"All I do is wrong," Hawks said. "That's the problem." He sounded so stiff...but Fuyumi knew this tone--like Touya and her father...just...so done with himself.

Maybe she reacted on instinct because of that.

She put a hand on his shoulder. "Hawks, please, you can't be so hard on yourself. You do plenty of things right. I mean, you've really helped my dad with his work, and you've helped us a lot of times, my whole family, really, and Mirko too. She just doesn't notice it. You do a lot right."

"You don't have to say that to make me feel better."

"But it's true," Fuyumi insisted. "I mean it." She looked him right in the eye. "We're grateful, really. And I think you're best when you're just doing what you would do if you wanted to. You're very helpful when you're like that. You don't need to try so hard the rest of the time, that's all."

Hawks didn't think he'd really react at all when she started talking, but sometimes emotions hit us when we think we're calm, and all at once the tears were just coming without his knowledge beforehand.

Fuyumi was surprised for a moment, but then recognized this emotion as one she'd seen before and just patted his arm.

Hawks felt ridiculous for crying in front of her, but he couldn't stop once he'd started. It wasn't loud or dramatic, but it just kept going and his voice was thick. 

"I...don't normally get like this," he tried to brush it off.

Fuyumi nodded. "It's fine. You should just let it out if you need to." She sounded just like Shoto there.

Hawks thought he'd stop--but instead just redoubled the tears.

[Been there.]

https://youtu.be/2ZFka5_8itM

He ended up putting his head on her shoulder, while she patted his back like he was a kid.

Fuyumi wasn't bothered though. She was kind of glad to have had some effect at all. At home she often didn't know if anyone really listened to her or took anything she said to heart, and someone crying in front of her was rare. Maybe she felt just a little bit trusted because of it.

And this was the real Hawks, not the public figure, not the fly boy, confident Hero he tried to come off as to the bad guys, and not the easy going friend he tried to be to Endeavor. This was just Hawks, the person who never really felt good enough no matter what he did and who had been lost for such a long time, he didn't even know it bothered him anymore.

She knew that feeling.

"You know, we're kind of the same," she said aloud, after a bit. "I mean, we're both the type to want to do so much for other people but not to know what to do. I feel like I fall too short all the time...so really, I don't look down on you at all, I just...understand it... Sometimes, I wish I could just cry and tell my family what I feel like, but I don't think they could handle any more problems right now..."

She kind of choked up there... Shoot, she was supposed to be the one staying calm here. She couldn't start crying now.

But Hawks looked up with this huge expression of relief, like he felt less awkward if she was upset too.

"I think they'd like to know if you felt that way," he said.

Fuyumi tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "I..." She sounded emotional now. "I don't know."

"Maybe we are a little alike," Hawks said, "because I never feel like people need to hear about what my problems are either."

"Feel like it's a burden, even right now?" Fuyumi guessed, trying to smile not very successfully.

"Pretty much." Hawks shrugged lackadaisically. 

"Yeah," Fuyumi agreed. "It feels selfish. I'm mean, I'm okay most of the time."

"So am I," Hawks said. "And we're both liars, aren't we?"

"Yes..." Fuyumi said suddenly. She wiped her eyes. "Sorry, this was about you, not me."

"Oh, no, this is helping actually," Hawks said. "I didn't think anyone would get it, but you do, don't you? I knew there was a reason I liked you."

"You--what?" Fuyumi said.

"I mean, uh..." Hawks faltered.

Then he stopped and looked at her a little differently this time.

Fuyumi swallowed... No one had ever looked at her that way before.

She looked down.

"Terrible time to make that slip up, huh?" Hawks finally said. "Sorry, you don't have to acknowledge it. I guess denying it would be bad, though."

"What?" Fuyumi looked up, now shocked. "You...you mean...like that?"

Hawks shook his head. "It's bad, right? I mean, after the crap I pulled with Endeavor and Dabi, and even now, I don't deserve it. I guess I just want what I can't have. I didn't mean to ever admit it though. It just slipped out. You were being really understanding and I forgot... Sorry. Like I said, all I do is screw up."

"I..." Fuyumi fumbled. "It's..."

"You don't have to say that." Hawks flapped his wings. 

Fuyumi finally got a hold of herself. "Hawks, wait, that's not what I mean. I was surprised... I mean, I would have never thought... Uh, I mean Mirko said it, but I didn't believe it..."

"She did what?" Hawks forgot his embarrassment for a second. "That little snitch! Wait--I never told her! I didn't think she noticed stuff like that... Leave it to that woman to only be sharp when it's inconvenient for me!"

Fuyumi hadn't given much thought to it. She'd pushed aside what Mirko said, too embarrassed.

But now that it was out...she didn't feel as awkward as she expected.

It was just Hawks, right? Nothing really different about it?

Much like Shoto, Fuyumi tended to overthink things more before they happened, and when they actually did, she wasn't as inept at handling them as she thought she'd be.

"I just... Why me?" she said oddly. "There're so many more interesting people than me."

Hawks recovered a bit from his embarrassment at that. It would be like him to feel less strained once someone else was putting themselves down. 

"If you mean people with more drama, then that's not even true. You're just more...proactive, I guess? I don't know, I just kind of like that, even with how weird your family is, you're trying to make the best of it, even enough to forgive someone like me for being a colossal idiot. I wouldn't have dreamed of asking you out, though. I mean, how could I? But I thought I could maybe try to be a good friend as much as I could, to make up for it. I guess I just can't hide it anyway."

Fuyumi drew a deep breath. "I've never been in this position before."

"Which is surprising, honestly," Hawks said, "seeing as how you're super cute and nice, but I guess Endeavor scares off most guys, huh?"

"Hawks!" Fuyumi reddened, though it was too dark to really see. "Saying this so casually, I mean, aren't you...embarrassed?"

"No, complimenting people isn't really awkward for me." Hawks shrugged. "Just...being honest with them is, I guess."

"That's sort of honest," Fuyumi said. "I mean, I wish I was better at that... I can't really say what I mean...but, uh...it's not that I don't like you."

"But it's not like that," Hawks said.

Fuyumi hesitated.

"I wouldn't go that far."

Hawks had been resigned up till now, but his whole demeanor changed to total shock--and maybe the faintest ray of hope that he immediately tried to squash. "How far would you go--I mean, emotionally?"

Fuyumi luckily was as dense as Shoto and didn't notice.

"I...I never thought you'd feel that way," she said, "and the truth is, I've never had a boyfriend, so it just didn't occur to me to think it would ever end up that way. But I do like you...and...I don't really care about all that stuff you did before. I mean, it seems a little late to care about the past. And as far as I'm concerned, it's about if you want to change...so it's not that I'd say no because of that, it's that I ...have no idea how to do this. Or how serious you are... We have some things in common, but I feel like you could do better, honestly."

"Better than you?" Hawks looked incredulous. "I'd say you're too good for me, actually."

"I guess we do disagree about that, then," Fuyumi said. 

"But, you see, I'm all messed up," Hawks said.

"So am I," Fuyumi said.

Silence while Hawks seemed to realize that, at least from an outsider's perspective, that was probably true.

"But I kind of like that," he said. "Not in a 'I'm glad you have problems' way, but in a 'someone can have issues and still be a good person' kind of way."

"Perhaps I could say the same about you. At least you're trying," Fuyumi said. "I've had enough of leaving things the same way. I mean, you did something about the situation. I kind of admire that. I just let it simmer for years."

"But you're also the fastest to forgive and let it go. That's not nothing."

"I wish I felt like it was more," Fuyumi said.

"Wow, we are alike," Hawks said. He laughed dryly. "So maybe it's not...such a bad idea... I mean, I've gotten this far. I might as well just finish it: You interested in going out?"

Fuyumi almost choked.

"Uh..." she hesitated, "for real?"

"I mean, try it a couple times," Hawks said. "I'll probably mess it up right away, but..."

"You shouldn't say that," Fuyumi said. 

She shook her head. "I'd be okay with a few dates, I guess. I still think you'll change your mind about me. I'm not really that interesting...but it'd be nice to try something new."

"I can't tell who's self esteem is worse, yours or mine," Hawks said dryly. "Here I think you'll dump me right off, and you think I'll dump you, and I know you're not faking even though I think it makes no sense. Weird, right?"

Fuyumi finally laughed. "It is when you put it like that..."

"Yeah, but, fine. It couldn't hurt, right?" Hawks said. "Only...uh...if I could ask you not to tell your dad...at least at first...because if you do dump me, I'd rather not get charbroiled also..."

Fuyumi wasn't sure how her dad would take it--but maybe she was just enough like Shoto, Touya, and Natsuo to be a little more anxious to try it just because of that. She wasn't wholly free of rebellion.

"I won't say anything," she said.

Hawks smiled. "You know, this isn't how I thought this would end."

"Me neither," Fuyumi admitted.

Not necessarily unpleasant though.

Hawks picked her back up to fly her the rest of the way home. It wasn't that far, and he set her down at her window.

Maybe he was feeling a little braver after all that, because he risked a quick peck on the lips.

Fuyumi was startled but not angry. She just turned very red and said, "Good night," a little too quickly and shut the window before her dad could hear her.

She prayed Natsuo wasn't up listening for her either, but no one came in, so she seemed to be safe.

[And chalk up one more ship for me. This has to be some kind of record for how many rare ships can be fit into one story.

And this marks the end of this pre-finale arc. Next arc is going to be the first half of the finale. 
Ready for it? I'm not.]