Bluejay leaned against the blank wall beside the warehouse door, head tilted, straining to catch anything from inside. The heat of midday pressed down on them, sunlight glaring off the metal siding and baking the air around the group.

  "Sir, don't we need to rush inside?" Tokoyami asked. His tone was steady at first, but the sharper edges of panic bled through.

  Bluejay lifted a hand sharply to quiet him and glanced at his phone. "The warrant is almost here. We're still not allowed to go in yet."

  The air around the group carried a heavy anxious silence, taut as a wire. Even Bluejay wasn't immune. His practiced authority faltered at the edges. In his head, he was running through excuses, forcing himself to believe this wasn't reckless. He hadn't put students in danger. Not yet.

  But his chest tightened as his eyes slid to Shoda's wrist monitor. The glowing dot that marked Robinn hadn't shifted in far too long. Still. Unmoving. His stomach knotted tighter. Hawks wasn't here. It was just him and three kids. And he'd let Robinn run in alone. Predictable. He should've seen it coming.

  His jaw tightened. "Let's prepare to breach."

  Tokoyami frowned, his doubt plain. "But sir, the warrant-"

  "The police are a block or two away," Bluejay cut in, already extending his arm against the door. The metallic rings along his arm shifted, clicking into place like gears. "Everyone ready for a fight?" His attempt at a smile pulled crookedly across his face, more strained than confident.

  The rings recoiled up his arm in a rippling wave, stacking tightly against his shoulder. Then, with a violent crash, they slammed forward into the door. The impact echoed like a cannon shot, and the reinforced door buckled under the blow and slammed inward with a screech of torn hinges.

  Bluejay moved instantly, rushing through the jagged threshold. Tokoyami hesitated only a heartbeat before following, Dark Shadow unfurling into the fluorescent-lit interior with a hiss.

  Inside, the warehouse was wide and plain, bare concrete floors, high rafters, a few grimy windows filtering sunlight. The stale scent of cigarettes and cheap alcohol clung to the air. At the far end, a group of rough-looking men hunched around a scratched plastic table, their heads snapping up in unison at the intrusion. Their surprise hardened into anger as hands reached instinctively for weapons.

  Pony and Shoda held their ground at the entrance. Pony's horns popped loose and hovered before her, the polished tips catching the light. Shoda tapped each with his fist, a simple but deliberate strike. They'd practiced this at X-Less' agency. Combining his quirk with her projectiles for raw, unpredictable power.

  She guided the horns forward, sharp and steady, aiming them at two of the startled thugs.

  Bluejay and Tokoyami were already charging. One villain swung up a knife, another brandished a thick pipe, their movements clumsy but dangerous. Dark Shadow surged forward in a jagged sweep, swatting the knife clean out of its wielder's hand. Bluejay's rings uncoiled in rapid-fire bursts, battering down the second thug's guard until both men hit the floor hard, their weapons clattering uselessly away.

  At the entrance, Shoda's voice was low and steady despite the chaos. "Tell me when to say it." His gaze never left the fight, but his quirk markers on his wrist blinked, two dots for Pony's horns, a third deeper in the warehouse.

  Pony narrowed her eyes, recalibrating her aim. The two remaining thugs rushed forward with fresh weapons, blades glinting under the lights. "Fire, Shoda!" she called, nerves sending her words tumbling out in English.

  Shoda answered simply, "Fire."

  The horns shot forward with explosive force, faster and harder than anything Pony could've achieved alone. The impact smashed into the villains' weapons, sending steel fragments scattering across the concrete.

  Robinn was glaring at Buzzsaw, her mind racing for any possible way out. Every muscle in her body screamed to move, to lash out, to let the anger take over, but she didn't dare. Not now. Not while the girl was still under his blade. She forced her body still, tense with restraint. Surrendering... compliance... felt like the best option. She could endure cuffs, chains, whatever he threw at her. She'd break free later, when the hostage wasn't in reach. Yes, that was it. The only way forward. She gave herself a curt internal nod.

  "Hey Buzzsaw." Her voice came low, deliberate, her lips parting to continue. "I'm ready to-"

  The words cut short. Something slammed invisibly into her wrist, jerking her forward. Her balance faltered, weight shifting against her will. She moved.

  Twin Impact? Or... had her own hand betrayed her? She couldn't even process the thought before Buzzsaw reacted.

  He snapped into motion, saw-arm rising instinctively to guard while his other arm swung down, fulfilling his threat without hesitation.

  The saw screeched, and then it bit.

  The sound was hideous, brief yet endless in her ears. The moment stretched as Robinn scrambled to regain her footing, watching blood spray in a cruel arc from the girl's throat.

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  Her chest constricted, but instinct carried her forward. Steel surged through her fist as she hardened it, driving it toward Buzzsaw in a brutal swing. He barely dodged, forced back, the motion pulling his blade just enough to halt further cutting.

  Blood dripped from his hand in slow, obscene drops, and his grin widened with manic glee.

  "Look what you made me do, little hero. Shame. Girls aren't as enjoyable when they're dead."

  That line ripped logic away from her. Nothing else mattered but breaking his jaw clean off his face.

  She struck again, her steel fist colliding with his blocking arm. Sparks tore through the room as metal screamed against metal. His saw shuddered, teeth snapping, the fractured blade scattering like shrapnel as her momentum crashed through. Her punch slammed into his chest, a full-body impact that launched him back across the room. He hit the far wall under the wide window, the crack of contact echoing.

  Robinn advanced without hesitation, each step a promise of violence.

  Buzzsaw looked up from the floor, eyes flickering with something that didn't belong on his face. Doubt. Fear. Blood seeped from cuts left by his own broken weapon as he struggled to push himself upright.

  She closed the distance and her shadow fell over him.

  Then her foot pressed into his shoulder, pinning him flat. His groan turned into a sharp hiss.

  "You're a tough one, aren't ya?" His voice was strained.

  Her response was merciless. Her kick snapped across his jaw, teeth cracking loose. He coughed blood, head whipping sideways.

  Her fist rose again, steel clenched, aimed at his skull. The end was seconds away.

  Then the window shattered.

  Glass burst across the room as crimson feathers sliced through, pinning her before she could blink. They drove into her sleeves and collar, fastening her against the wall. She lost concentration, her arms reverting as her body stilled.

  Her gaze shot upward. Hawks flew in through the broken window, wings stretched, hands tucked casually in his pockets.

  Feathers lashed out, binding Buzzsaw before he could even lift a finger. Hawks landed lightly, eyes sweeping the room with a disinterested calm.

  "Let me go!" Robinn barked, straining against the feathers, fabric tearing at her sleeves.

  Hawks spared her only a glance. "Only if you don't do anything rash. You're lucky I showed up. Otherwise, this could've gone bad for you."

  She froze, exhaling hard, only now realizing how shallow her breaths had become. "I... I won't."

  Hawks stopped by the table, feathers retracting from Robinn's clothes in one fluid motion. "Not convincing," he muttered, "but I'll stop you if you try anything."

  Robinn took a halting step toward the table. "Will she survive?" Her voice cracked despite her effort.

  Hawks bent closer, expression darkening. "Barely alive. Even if we rushed her to a hospital, she wouldn't make it."

  Her feet rooted. Blood dripped steadily from the edge of the table, pooling beneath.

  "It's not your fault," Hawks added after a long pause, his eyes finding hers.

  She didn't react. Didn't speak. Her face stayed rigid, gaze locked on the motionless figure sprawled across the table.

  Hawks slipped his phone from his pocket, thumbs moving as he typed. "I'm telling Blue that I handled it. Got you out safe." He straightened, heading for the door. "Go meet back up with the others. I'll finish up here. We'll talk later at the agency."

  "But I-"

  "Please go." His voice was steady and final.

  She wavered. Part of her wanted to stay, to give the dying girl something, anything. But another part obeyed without question. She nodded once, moving toward the door.

  "By the way, Robinn." His voice carried behind her as she passed him. "Don't tell them about this. The official story is that I took Buzzsaw down before you got here. Understood?"

  She hesitated, eyes narrowing slightly, then gave a slow nod. The door closed behind her with a heavy click.

  At the base of the stairs, the noise of the world rushed back. Her classmates already had the stragglers pinned, police streaming into the warehouse.

  Her eyes found Bluejay, mid-conversation with an officer. As he turned and spotted her, her lips lifted automatically into that practiced, soft smile.

  She walked over.

  "Robinn! I'm so glad you're okay... Hawks, huh? Always swooping in at the last second," Bluejay said, his relief obvious even through the grin.

  Her hand moved to scratch the back of her neck. "Yeah, surprised me too. Sorry for rushing in. I think it was instinct."

  His smile wavered. "I was going to scold you for that. But you're probably already beating yourself up. Just don't do it again, alright?"

  She nodded. Moving past him with her usual composure, her eyes met Tokoyami's for a moment. He stood with the Class B kids, arms crossed.

  "Robinn... you shouldn't have improvised," he said firmly.

  She nodded again, barely listening. His words dissolved into background noise as her mind replayed every second. Hawks handling everything so effortlessly. His demand for silence. The girl's lifeless eyes.

  A hand settled on her shoulder, grounding her back. She turned to see Bluejay, gesturing the group to move.

  The walk back was quiet. She barely spoke during goodbyes to Class B, smiling faintly, waving, keeping her mask intact.

  At the agency, she retreated to her room, closing the door behind her. She sat heavily on the bed, hands loose in her lap, the silence pressing in.

  She didn’t move for hours. Even as the sun dipped lower and cast long shadows across the room, her body remained still. The warm orange light sliding through the window might as well have been invisible to her. Her thoughts churned but gave her no clarity. What was it she was feeling?

  Feelings she hadn’t touched in a long while pressed at her, strange and unwelcome. She couldn’t name them, couldn’t separate them, only drown quietly in their weight.

  A knock at the door cut through her stillness. She blinked, turning toward it, and for once her voice came soft, almost uncertain.

  "Come in."

  The door eased open. Hawks leaned lazily against the frame, his figure outlined by the hall light behind him. He gave her a wave, casual as ever.

  "C’mon, let’s go. We can’t talk in here."

  She stood automatically, following a few steps behind. Her eyes drifted down to his wings as they moved, their feathers shifting with each stride.

  "What did y-"

  Her question was cut short. He raised a finger to his lips, glancing over his shoulder. His expression was sharper than usual, eyes narrowed with quiet warning.

  She clamped her mouth shut, falling silent.

  They entered the elevator. Hawks pressed the top floor’s button, a place she hadn’t seen once during her stay at the agency. The hum of the elevator filled the silence as they ascended. Robinn glanced at him from the corner of her eye. He looked almost too casual, like this was routine, like this wasn’t hiding something important.

  When the doors opened, she found herself in his office. Plain. Barely touched. A clean desk, pale walls, and a balcony beyond the glass. No personal details at all. The lack of warmth was oddly familiar, like stepping into a space that mirrored her own habits. In its emptiness, she felt strangely at home.

  Hawks shut the door behind them and turned, leaning back against his desk, wings shifting slightly in the still air.

  "So," he said, watching her with that unreadable calm, "what were you so eager to ask me?"