NeonHorizon: Part one of Hawks' plan. Part two will be in chapter 20.

Four days. It had been four days since she left Hawks and she was conflicted about the decision. Kaere felt guilty about leaving him, but she felt glad to be back so she could help her friends. However, things were not the way that they had been before she went with Hawks.

Sitting on the floor in the temporary hideout, Kaere was curled up in a ball and nervously chewing at the skin around her nails until she tasted blood. Her quirk would seal up the wounds, but they were soon chewed open again. Standing beside her, like a silent threat, was Dabi.

Ever since her return, he refused to let her out of his sight. She got very little sleep because she could hear him outside of her bedroom door. If she did doze off, she would snap awake to find her door sitting open with him standing in the doorway. Watching her and smirking when she noticed him.

Hawks wants me to quit the League. He could help me. I know that he could. And…I don't like this. I don't like it that Dabi is staying so close to me. He burned my Endeavor photo album when I came home. He…doesn't leave me alone. He's treating me like…like I'm not an actual member, but…like a hostage.

"Kae-chan! Welcome back! Where've you been, Kae-chan?! I was worried sick! Did you have fun with your boyfriend?" Twice fell onto his knees in front of her and grabbed the girl into a tight hug.

Her glasses were knocked askew and she awkwardly hugged back with one arm, her face burning pink from the attention. "It…it was fun," she mumbled.

"You're so cute when you blush, Kae-chan." Toga crouched down on her left side and grinned. "So? Did you take any pictures? I wanna know what he looks like!"

"No, I'm sorry. Um…I didn't really take any pictures." She saw Toga glance at Twice, who tilted his head and hugged a little bit tighter. "Maybe next time?"

"No fair! When's that gonna be?! Awww! It's okay, Kae-chan!"

"Hey. We're leaving. Get up." Dabi met Toga's glare with one of his own. "What? You wanna play with her? I'm taking her home. Meeting's over and I'm getting bored. Besides." He put a hand on top of Kaere's head, his fingers digging into her dark brown hair. "You don't wanna hang out with them anyway, right, Kae?"

She could feel the heat of his fingertips against her scalp. A wordless threat to do as he said or risk suffering the consequences. Kaere bit her lower lip and felt him push her head down a little. "I-I want to hang out with my friends," she argued, raising her voice.

Toga beamed and leaned in, wrapping her arms around Kaere and Twice. "See? Come on. Let Kae-chan have some fun. You're not the boss of her, Dabi."

"You want me to get him?" the burned villain growled. "Leader agrees with me. He doesn't want her to get snatched up by some hero."

Kaere made the mistake of lifting her face and her eyes met Dabi's. She could see him losing patience quickly and it sent a shiver down her spine. "F-fine." The girl quietly apologized to her two friends and received another hug from Twice before Dabi gripped her wrist and pulled her away from them.

She stumbled as she tried to keep up with him as he left the hideout, wincing at the burning heat of his hand wrapped around her wrist. "You're…going to burn me," she warned.

He looked at her over his shoulder and smirked. "What's the matter, Kae? You don't want me to give you a nice little bracelet scar?" The dark-haired villain tugged sharply to bring her next to him.

The girl was silent for most of the walk back to her apartment. Head bowed, teeth chewing at her lower lip and heart pounding in her chest. I don't like this. She saw his lips curling into a scowl and her heart sank. I really…don't like this. What is he going to do?

Her hands trembled as she unlocked her door. She tensed when she saw him lean against the wall on her left. Staring down at her with narrowed eyes and his arms crossed. Kaere's heart was beating so fast that she worried it might burst.

The door opened and she slipped inside with him right behind her. Goose bumps rose on her skin and Kaere's instincts told her to run. She sprinted forward a few steps, in the direction of her room, before an arm went around her waist. Kaere was swept off her feet and her back hit the couch cushions.

Tears of shock ran down the sides of her face as she stared up at the villain now straddling her waist. She struggled; thrashing and kicking at empty air behind him, pushing his chest with both hands to try to keep him back. Both of her wrists were gripped by his right hand and he pinned them down above her head. "Don't-!"

"I go out of my way to guard you and that's how you're gonna repay me, huh? So what? You really think they're your friends?" Dabi leaned down so his face was inches above hers, his lips pulling back into a grin. "Just gonna run off like a little mouse with your friends. That's what you wanted, right? What were you gonna do with them anyway?"

"Just…just let go of me! I didn't! I didn't go with them; I came with you! Just like you wanted! I did what you wanted!"

"They're not gonna care if you disappear," he hissed. His left hand gripped her jaw, forcing her to look up at him when she tried to turn away. Pressing down harder on her hips, he tightened his hold on her wrists. "I'm the only one that'd even look for you if you went missing."

"Why-?" Kaere was cut off by the sound of a cellphone chiming. She watched him lean back, releasing her wrists but staying on her waist. A disposable cellphone was pulled from his pocket and he spoke into it, his expression turning sour again.

"Yeah, yeah. Same time. You're just too early." He looked down at Kaere once more and he smirked. "Just a little distraction. I'll be there in a few."

Dabi put his phone away and his hand left her jaw in favor of gripping her neck. He leaned down further, bringing his lips next to her ear. "I'm gonna go out. You know better, right? You run and I'll make you suffer." He started to lean back, but paused with his face close to hers again. "Got it, Kae?"

Shift P.O.V

Okay. So that part's taken care of. Hawks ran a gloved hand through his hair as he crouched on the rooftop. He felt a nervous sort of squirming in his stomach as he looked at his phone's contact list. Scrolling to "Kaere", he could feel a faint warmth rising to his face and he sank down a bit behind the collar of his jacket.

He and Dabi were set to meet up that day. It was set up by Dabi because the League was having a meeting earlier in the day. The hero toyed with his headphones for a moment as he contemplated his next few moves. Two more calls had to be made so that everything would be set up.

Calling Dabi was the easy part. It's the other two that might be difficult. Hawks stretched his wings beneath the warm sunlight, trying to psyche himself up for what had to be done. If he wanted to protect Kaere, if he wanted to save her from the League, he would have to really work for it. This was going to take all of his skills of persuasion and all of his charisma.

The second call was made and he felt exhausted by the end of it, but as he made the third call, he felt his heart starting to race. "Hey, Kaere! What're you doing right now?"

"H-Hawks? Um…I'm in my room," she answered.

"Cool, cool. So here's the thing. I got kind of messed up in a fight." He smiled sadly at the lie and heard her ask what happened. There was panic in her voice already. "I mean, it's probably not life-threatening. Probably. But do you think you could take a look? I lost some skin-"

"Of course! Ah…well, where are you, though? Dabi just left and I…I don't know when he'll be back," the girl replied.

"I'm in front of this book store right now. Think you can meet me there?" Hawks stood up and extended his wings out to the sides, preparing himself for takeoff. "I promise it won't take long. I'm fast, remember? I'll take you home before he even knows you're gone." The lie was making guilt settle in the pit of his stomach, but he told himself it would be alright. The lies were necessary if he wanted to save her.

She agreed to meet him, but she was very obviously terrified by the idea of Dabi finding out. Hawks tucked his phone away before taking flight, his smile gone and replaced with a frown. Everything's going to be alright, he told himself as he flew. She'll be in good hands until I can pick her up and she'll thank me for this later. I just wish it didn't have to be this way; I wish she never left.

Talking with Dabi, he somehow managed to keep his composure. Although, every time he looked at the villain's face, all he could think about was the voicemail on his phone. The cold way that Dabi referred to Kaere and the way she was crying in the background.

The villain was definitely in a rush, though. He seemed irritated when Hawks asked questions and finally just said, "I've gotta cut this short."

"What's up? You have plans? Got a date or something?" Hawks tried to joke. He flashed him a half-grin that was, unsettlingly, met with a smirk.

"Just can't leave our little healer alone," he taunted.

"Right." He felt a chill run down his spine when he saw Dabi turn away from him. "Hey. So what's with you two? You live together, right? What is she to you?"

Dabi paused in his steps and casually looked over his shoulder as his smirk became a grin. "She's mine. I've got a use for her and I'm not gonna let her disappear on us again. That's all you need to know."

Hawks tilted his head and smiled back. "Yeah? Well, fair enough."

Shift P.O.V

This is it…isn't it? Kaere's heart was racing as she stared down at her phone screen and then glanced up at the sign above the book store. Where is he? What if he's really hurt? He said it wasn't too serious, but…didn't he say the same thing when he lost all of his feathers?

She pushed up her glasses and tugged at her hoodie a bit, trying to put her face further into shadow. When Kaere left the apartment, she put on a plain black hoodie over her smiling ramen t-shirt. She was both excited to see Hawks again and also terrified of being spotted by someone.

I have to just be careful, she told herself. As long as no one recognizes me, everything should be okay. And…no one ever notices me so-!

"Naoru. Isn't it?"

The deep voice came from her right and made her jump a little. Kaere glanced over briefly before lowering her head to try to hide how intensely red her face was turning. "Um…th-that's right. H-hello, Endeavor-san."

The hero looked her up and down for a moment, taking in her baggy hoodie, and frowned in obvious disapproval. "Are you here alone?" he asked as he crossed his arms.

She pushed her phone into her pocket and lowered her head again, fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve. "Y-yes. Kind of. I was…supposed to meet Hawks here, but-" Kaere glanced up at him again over the rim of her glasses as he released a frustrated sigh.

"That irresponsible boy. Running late."

"He's…probably just busy. He told me…um…that he got hurt," she protested. "I was going to help him…"

"You're a doctor?"

"I'm just a freelance medic," Kaere answered. It sounded so much better than "villain medic" and saying it made her heart feel fluttery. "My quirk…it helps me heal people quickly."

"I see." Endeavor stood there for a long moment, just staring down the sidewalk, until his phone started to ring. He answered it and his eyebrow immediately knit together in irritation. "Where are you? You said that you have something important to discuss. And that girl Naoru is here waiting for you."

Kaere shrank in on herself a little, fidgeting more. She could hear him argue for a while until he said "I guess you have a point". The girl checked her phone, hoping to find a message from Hawks, but there was nothing.

"Fine, but make it quick," he finally concluded.

As soon as Endeavor's call ended, a message popped up on her screen from Hawks. Walk with…Endeavor-san? But I can't. I'm not a hero, she thought as she glanced over at the fiery hero. I'm just a fan. And…I'm in the League, technically. But where is Hawks?

"You're coming with me. You said that you're a fan, didn't you? Walk with me until he shows up. It will benefit both of us." He started walking off down the sidewalk, the flames on his costume wavering and making passerby give him more space. The man paused to look back at her in a way that everyone else seemed to find menacing.

"Ah. O-okay. Thank you, Endeavor-san." Kaere jogged to catch up to him and walked alongside her second favorite hero with a timid little smile. Hawks. He wanted me to be able to spend more time with Endeavor, right? Because he knows what a big fan I am. He's…so sweet.

A large hand reached over to pull her hood back, making her flinch, and the hero frowned. "You look like a punk with your hood up. If you're going to walk next to me, you need to look more respectable."