Chapter Text
"Don't tell me you're the League's recruiter," a tall man with long, black hair sneered. It was a cool, clear night with the half-moon and a flickering streetlight illuminating the dark alley where two figures had met. "If Shigaraki was going to send an omega to see me, he should have at least sent a pretty one. Does he think this is a joke?" The scent of irritation hung heavy in the air.
"Well, if you can't take orders from an omega, I don't think you'd be a good fit regardless."
"Don't be a bitch. You could at least try to hide your scent if you're going to be bossing around your biological superiors. I could kill you, you kno-"
Blue flames lit up the alley brighter than the old streetlight ever had. The man never got to finish his thought. Dabi sighed as he watched his fire fizzle out. There wasn't much that his cremation wouldn't reduce to ash, so at least he never had to hide a body. Where were these low-rate thugs even getting his contact? Sure, he was supposed to be recruiting. The League needed numbers, but Tomura also wanted quality from their members. Quality included people who at least sort-of agreed with Stain's philosophy. Unfortunately, people tended to be really fucking stupid sometimes. Most of the time, actually.
"What a pain," Dabi said as he pulled a pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket. Stain's speech was infamous. The man had pointed out some of the major flaws in hero society after taking down multiple pros and had died a legend. Yet, there were still people who seemed to only agree with half of what he had and still thought they could join the LoV. Stain was an omega himself and had mentioned the disproportionate amount of alphas in power during his speech. Calling most heroes "disgusting alpha pigs with no respect or care for the common man" should have been enough of an indicator that Stain did not stand for omega discrimination. The new society the League wanted to build would not rely so heavily on the dynamic roles their current society just couldn't seem to shake. Their high standards did make finding new members of the league incredibly difficult, though. This was the third one Dabi had to burn tonight alone.
There was a process that people had to follow in order to even get to meet with Dabi. First, they had to reach him through his burner. Dabi himself wasn’t one of the ones spreading the word that the League of Villains was looking to expand. That was someone else’s job. Dabi’s role was to pass judgement on the individual after they reached out to him. They’d set up a meeting point, a time, and Dabi would determine if they were made of the right stuff, essentially. It was usually pretty obvious that the candidates were garbage. There was a certain look to people who were dangerous. They carried themselves a certain way. Dabi had never met a formidable foe that underestimated him on account of him being an omega. Someone that had any amount of training knew that quirks did not care about someone’s dynamic. That had been an argument back when they first made it legal for omegas to become pro heroes.
It had only been less than a decade since that law had passed, and Dabi had to admit that it had been a benefit to society. Omegas were very slowly gaining more respect since the public got to witness omega pro heroes obliterate their competition. On top of that, several “beta” pro heroes had come forward and said that they had been omegas this entire time and had their licenses changed to reflect their true dynamic. It was a real step in the right direction. It didn’t solve everything, though. Society as a whole still tended to view omegas as weak. Claiming an omega still gave an alpha legal power over their mates. Claimed omegas had even less rights than unmated ones. It didn’t matter if the claim was forced or even accidental, though those rarely stuck. The only way out of a claim was death or legal abandonment and an expensive surgery to have the entire scent gland removed. It was a lot of paperwork. Omegas were not allowed to initiate separation, nor were they allowed to be claimed more than once at a time. However, alphas could take on as many mates as they wanted to. A claimed omega couldn’t even buy scent blockers, heat suppressants, or birth control without written or verbal consent from their alpha. There was an incredibly long way this society would have to go before Dabi would feel equal to an alpha. Better to just burn it down and rebuild it entirely.
Dabi was half tempted to just go back to the league’s hideout. It was dingy and falling apart, but Dabi would be lying if he said it didn’t feel safe. He’d taken the basement area as his bedroom originally because it was one of the only doors that already had a lock on it. Now that they were all more comfortable around each other, Dabi stayed in the basement because it was cold. Even when it was warm outside and the AC was out, at least the basement was a little cooler than the upstairs and due to the nature of Dabi’s quirk, he was prone to heat strokes. Besides, the rest of his pack often complained about their shitty heater during the winter months. They would hate having to trade with Dabi and freeze at night.
Normally, three candidates in one night was a lot and Dabi would be done. However, the last person that he was supposed to meet had caught his eye. It was just a few days ago when Dabi had received a message from a potential recruit that admittedly had him curious.
I need to talk to the Phoenix.
-Unknown
It wasn’t very creative, but it was the passcode that new recruits were given to alert Dabi that they intended to join. That way there was less risk if the wrong person got a hold of Dabi’s burner number.
you can meet the recruiter this week probably friday
-Dabi
Yeah, I can meet with the recruiter whenever. But I should probably warn you that Im probably not the typical recruit…
-Unknown
ok? how so? and give me a name to save you under
-Dabi
Hawks. But I do agree with what your group is trying to do! You’re right. The current hero system is flawed and it needs to change. I can be more useful to you guys than most of the others you’ve been recruiting, anyway.
-Hawks
how am I supposed to believe that ? if you are hawks then youre either really stupid or trying to arrest us if you thought it was a good idea to lie bout bein a hero then ill just light you on fire the second I see you in person
-Dabi
I’ll bring a peace offering. Intel on the HPSC. And you can pat me down, too. I won’t wear a wire, I won’t bring back up. I’ll just have to meet you at night when I’m not on patrol and nobody can see me. I’m 100% serious about this. Besides, like you said if I am lying about my identity, you'll just burn me on sight and it wont be your problem anymore. If I wanted an arrest, it'd be a better career move to take you down in a massive fight and capitalize on the good PR anyways. Undercover work doesn't pay as well when you put all this effort into branding.
-Hawks
sure. meet me on Wednesday tho. midnight. At the address 3457 W Grey Drive. ill be behind the building and the second i see hear or smell backup youre gonna be roast chicken. I find a wire youre fried. You attack? Fried. ill rip those wings off your back by hand if I have to. Youre lucky im curious.
-Dabi
Understood. I’ll see you then. No backup, no wire, no bullshit, scout’s honor!
-Hawks
The idea of a successful pro hero like Hawks wanting to join their group was almost bizarre. Hawks was in the Top Ten. He was probably rolling in money, fame, and influence. People wrote fanfictions about him, put him posters and magazine covers and shirts. They sold Hawks merchandise and everyone knew that he was the most sought-after alpha in the country. Large, alpha fangs were visible every time the man smiled and although heroes were required to wear heavy duty scent blockers on the job, there were entire internet forums dedicated to theorizing what the guy smelled like. Actually, that last part was a bit creepy. Still, why would someone actively benefiting from the system seek to change it?
It was a trap. It had to be. There was no other explanation. So, why did Dabi feel so compelled to hear the man out? Perhaps it was the novelty of it all. Or that Hawks genuinely could be useful if they played their cards rights. Or maybe, Dabi really was like every other omega in the world and wanted to meet the wealthy, attractive alpha one on one. Who knows.
Dabi was surprised by how short the pro hero was. Of course, it was obvious that Hawks was not the largest alpha out there. Hawks was only a few inches taller than Dabi. The alpha hadn’t given Dabi some grand entrance with wings outstretched and puffed out to make himself look bigger. Instead, Hawks had walked up to him with an air of manufactured confidence. His eyes gave him away. The calculating look in those bird-like eyes would have been missed by someone less skilled.
“Where’s the wire, bird?” Touya asked.
Hawks blinked at him before he flashed a grin and took off his jacket. The fangs weren’t photoshopped. They were large, glisteningly white and dangerous- the teeth of a carnivore-, teeth that had tasted human flesh before. Dabi knew the craving for human flesh all too well. It didn't go away easy. Like the burn of cheap whiskey in the back of the throat or the smell of a cigarette straight out of a prison sentence. Some people could have one taste of it and move on with their life, perhaps even forgetting about it while other fought the craving like how a wild animal fought starvation. This wasn't some domesticated song bird he was dealing with. Hawks were birds of prey and Dabi was not going to allow himself to become a little white rabbit caught in sharp talons. After all, he too had felt the urge to sink his fangs into a little white rabbit and revel in the metallic taste of fresh blood.
“Ya know, you can pat me down if you’d like. I’d even take off my flight suit, but I’m not sure if our relationship is quite there yet,” Hawks said as he turned his pockets inside out. A receipt, a set of apartment keys, and a flash drive fell out. He proceeded to fully take off his coat just to reveal the skin-tight flight suit underneath that left no room for a wire. Dabi rolled his eyes. “I came alone, patchwork. Promise.”
“Alright. I’ll play along,” Dabi took a couple steps forward as Hawks fixed his pockets and put his coat back on. “You said you’d bring a peace offering. Something on the hero commission, yeah? Let’s see it.”
Hawks grabbed the red flash drive from his pocket and handed it over. “It’s all on this. It isn’t malware, either, but I’m assuming you’d be using a burner laptop to look it over anyway. You have multiple members of your team that could easily destroy it if you think it’s tracking you and I doubt you’d use it in your headquarters anyway. Look it over, it’s all good information on some hero agencies. Their security measures, reported HPSC violations, which pros and sidekicks are registered through it, and some personal information on some of the staff. I could get you so much more, though. This is just the low level stuff. If it’ll help the cause, I can find out just about anything you’d want.”
Dabi pocketed the flash drive and let out a small hum. It sounded like a good deal. At the very least, he’d be able to get something out of the hero. He’d leave the final say up to Tomura, though. If Tomura wanted to accept Hawks into their pack, then Dabi would allow it. All else fails and Dabi could just torch the guy.
“About that. Why do you care about our cause? You benefit the most from society as it is, lets be honest here. You’re a wealthy alpha pro hero, why are you wanting to betray your own kind?” There was a moment of silence that followed Dabi’s question. Hawks’s red feathers sharpened a bit as if the question had him feeling defensive. It wasn’t as if Dabi was trying to be nice.
“You know, some of us do care about other people, Dabi.” Hawks spoke slowly, like he was trying to come up with the right thing to say, like he didn’t want to say more than he had to. “Stain had a point. A hero shouldn’t be a hero just for money, fame or power. Our current system is set up to where it breeds corruption. Being a hero isn’t easy, but it’s even harder when your coworkers are accepting bribes and being shady in the background. I’m not saying that I’ve never been shady, either. I’m done with it, honestly. I work directly under the HPSC, ya know? I’ve seen the corruption first hand and its not right.”
“There’s more to the story, isn’t there?” Dabi raised an eyebrow at Hawks. “You may have wings, but you sure as Hell aren’t an angel. Why do you really want to join?” Hawks’s eyes widened for a brief moment. He swallowed. Dabi could see the conflict in his eyes.
“The Commission basically owns me. They trained me and they hold that over my head every day. I want to be free from them. More than anything. As much as wild birds don’t want to be caged.” He was telling the truth. That level of sincerity in his eyes was impossible to fake. Whether or not Hawks agreed with them was still debatable, but it was clear that he did want his freedom. It was a good enough reason for Dabi.
“Okay. I’ll pass this all along to Shigaraki. It’ll be his decision whether we actually strike up a deal or not, though. I’ll reach out to the same number you used to contact me if I want to see you again.” Blue eyes analyzed Hawks for a moment. “Do you have any questions for me? I may not answer, but you can ask.”
“Is Shigaraki your alpha? Ah, sorry! I guess that’s pretty personal! I can smell the claim mark and it kinda caught me off guard…”
“My alpha abandoned me,” Dabi held his tongue. He shouldn’t have. If Hawks wanted his whole story, then Dabi should just tell him every gruesome detail about it. It was impressive that the alpha could pick up on the scent of his claim mark, though. So much time had passed since he’d last even seen the man that claimed him that the scent was extremely faint to say the least. “And Shigaraki Tomura isn’t even an alpha.”
“Oh. I’m sorry. Wait, Shigaraki’s not an alpha? A beta is leading the League of Villains?”
“Don’t be sorry, birdbrain, just don’t ask stupid questions. Shigaraki’s an omega. He’s not hiding it, either,” Dabi explained as Hawks nodded.
“Right. That makes sense. You’ll reach out to me soon, then?”
“Don’t push your luck. It’s not my call. But yeah. If Shigaraki wants more from you, I’ll message you. If the info you gave turns out fucked up, next time you see me will be right before your death. I’m assuming nights fit your schedule best?” Hawks nodded. Dabi continued, “Alright. It’s late. I’ll call you.”
“I sure hope so. Can’t believe that I’ve had a pretty omega’s phone number and didn’t even know it,” Hawks said with that stupid-looking grin of his. Was he really flirting with Dabi right now? What was his angle?
“Flattery won’t get you far with me, Hawks. I’m not impressed by short alphas.”
“Ouch.” That grin was still there. “I’ve been nothing but honest with you, doll. It’s not just flattery.” Hawks was messing with him and Dabi did not appreciate it.
“Fuck off or I’ll roast you right now.” The steady calm of his raspy voice was more threatening than if Dabi were to yell at Hawks. He wasn't speaking purely out of anger or annoyance. Dabi could do it. He would do it. He had done it before. There was absolutely no logical reason that he couldn't do it again.
“Alright, alright.” Hawks threw up his hands in surrender. “I’m expecting a call, though!” With that, Hawks was flying off.
“Asshole,” Dabi muttered as he waited until Hawks was out of his sight. On the walk back to the hideout, he couldn’t stop thinking about their interaction. Hawks was one of the most wanted alphas in the entire country. A string of beautiful, supermodel-level omegas were probably just dying for his knot, even for just a night. Even if Dabi wasn’t claimed and didn’t have the ugly scars covering his body, if he had access to regular meals that filled out his frame with the right amount of fat in the right places, there was no logical way that Hawks would be interested in him. It shouldn’t bother Dabi that Hawks had lied to him about his appearance, but it did. Maybe it was more of a sore-spot than he initially thought.
Something else bothered him even more than Hawks trying to flirt. Why had he brought up the old claim? The reminder of its existence was enough to leave a sour taste in Dabi’s mouth. Hawks shouldn’t have even been able to tell there was a claim there. Usually, it took people several meetings with Dabi before they noticed the scar that was hidden amongst the purple discoloration on his neck, or the very faint scent of an alpha that stubbornly clung to Dabi’s soul no matter how badly he wanted to snuff it out. He hated it. Thinking about it only made Dabi hungrier. The thirst for revenge had kept him going for so long that he knew once his mission was complete, he would burn out, too. Every alpha that had made Dabi into what he was now would know pain. They would die by his own hands, or Dabi would die trying. Still, he really hated that his mate still had this much of an effect on his physiology. Dabi needed to find an underground doctor to remove his scent gland as soon as he had the funds to.
Underground doctors were a lucrative market. There was more money in fixing up villains than actual villainy most of the time. They didn’t come without their risks, however. It was highly illegal, and oftentimes underground doctors would be made examples of when they were caught. Anytime you went under their knife, there was a risk that the doctor would take a body part. The market for underground organ transplants was always profitable, as was the market for omega-specific procedures. Unfortunately, the law prevented omegas from receiving various kinds of care without an alpha’s permission. Unmated omegas were allowed heat suppressants, scent blockers, and birth control, but as soon as there was a claim mark, the alpha’s explicit permission was necessary. Scent gland removals, abortions, and sterilization always needed an alpha’s permission regardless of the situation. Anybody who needed one of these procedures and didn’t have an alpha willing to sign off on them around would be stuck having to decide between the risk of an underground doctor and the risk of leaving their issue untreated.
The base was relatively quiet when Dabi arrived home. Normally, there was some level of organized chaos throughout the building. Tonight was a little different, though. With it being Tomura’s heat, everyone was a little bit on edge. In most packs, an omega in heat was a big deal. Their mate, or the pack leader would be the one helping them through it, if they weren’t being helped by every alpha in the pack. Traditionally, it would be only the omega’s mate and other omegas that would be allowed to see the omega in heat, but modern times have dictated that packs were close and therefore an omega wasn’t a whore if they slept with their whole pack. As long as it was just their pack. Omegas in the league got to choose who was allowed to spend their heats with them, if they even wanted anybody to. Normally, Dabi chose to spend his heats alone. Tomura, apparently, had taken Spinner into his nest for this heat and didn’t want to see anybody else.
The only person at the bar tonight was Kurogiri. His neutral, beta scent reminding Dabi of cotton and it rarely seemed to grow irritated or upset. Kurogiri had to have been some kind of saint or monk in a past life with the amount of patience it took to tend to Tomura on a daily basis. Kurogiri looked up from where he was wiping down the already clean bar.
“Welcome back, Dabi. Was today’s recruitment successful?” Kurogiri asked politely.
“I met someone interesting. There’s promise there, but I think he’s a liability, too. Is Tomura still in heat? I’ll let him make the call on this guy,” Dabi explained. Kurogiri confirmed that Tomura was in heat, so Dabi let himself stretch. It was better to forget about Hawks for now, anyway. “Then I guess I’m going to bed.”
“Dabi, have you had anything to eat today?” The question shouldn’t have caught him so off-guard. The league was a pack and they did care for one another despite their funding being particularly low. More than once, Dabi had seen the limited food supply and decided to forego a meal or two to make sure Toga ate more instead. She was a growing, young alpha who actually needed the nutrients. It wasn’t just her, either. The others needed to eat and Dabi would rather go hungry himself than see his packmates starve. Kurogiri’s observant nature meant that he’d likely have noticed Dabi running off of nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine more than anything substantial. Apparently, his silence was enough of an answer for the beta.
“Here,” Kurogiri pulled out a sandwich from somewhere behind the bar. “You should try this. The bar has been playing with the idea of serving food to our actual customers. Tell me what you think.”
Part of Dabi was tempted to decline. His empty stomach was enough to convince him to accept the meal. He took a seat on one of the old barstools and pulled the plate closer to himself. After the first bite, it was like his body reminded him that cigarettes did not make a good dinner. It was probably only about five minutes before Dabi had devoured the ham and cheese sandwich. Kurogiri slid a glass of water his way, which Dabi was also grateful to gulp down.
“Thanks,” Dabi mumbled. He didn’t miss the way Kurogiri was watching him as he finally put actual nutrients in his body. Kurogiri refilled his glass with water and Dabi didn’t mention it as he drank it a little bit slower this time.
“You’re very welcome, Dabi. Please get some rest. Tomura is scheduled to finish heat soon and he’ll likely have a task for you regarding this interesting new recruit.” He was right. Whether Tomura decided he wanted Hawks in their pack or not, Dabi would likely be doing something about it. Something potentially dangerous. With one omega vulnerable, Kurogiri was likely feeling more protective than usual over the other omega in the pack. Not that Dabi was complaining. He did feel better after his meal.
“Goodnight,” Dabi told Kurogiri before he made his way to the basement area of the hideout. The cool air of his sanctuary had Dabi sighing in relief. It smelled like him down here, sweet and smokey and distinctly omega. This was his area, his territory and Dabi couldn't help but to be comforted by that fact. The layout of his basement prevented his scent from going far when he was in heat on top of helping him stay cool. As much as he trusted his pack, he valued his privacy. Besides, his heats as a claimed omega were intense. Without an alpha around, they were extremely painful, and Dabi didn’t exactly like wasting time nesting or doing anything else that might make them less Hellish. In fact, he took suppressants as often as he could, even if they were the sketchy kind that wreaked havoc on the reproductive system. Anything was better than to be in heat around another person.
As Dabi lay in bed, he wrapped himself up in the torn blankets he had been using. He was grateful for the fitted sheet on his mattress and the pillowcase on his pillows, at least. Any more bedding than this and Dabi would be at risk of wanting to nest. It wasn’t like they could afford much in the way of nesting materials. Whatever Tomura was planning, Dabi was starting to hope that he hurried up and found some sponsors or something. He could really use some better bedding, and he was sure the rest of the league felt similarly.