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Chapter Text

"Omega, how do you justify your sins before the Northern Courts of Musutafu?"

Izuku blinks, the sentence sounds foreign to him. Truthfully, everything feels foreign to him, he has been veiled and he can't even see who is talking to him. So long as it isn't that loanshark guy, I'm good, he thinks but there's something seriously wrong with his senses.

They feel sharper.

"With nothing to claim, Omega, your silence will be taken against your favour," the loud voice decides, pausing, "Your crime for poisoning the tea of your eldest brother—"

Izuku blinks, is this guy talking to him? He removes the troublesome veil out of his face to see where on Earth has he landed. He's greeted with a wave of surprised gasps and he sees other people dressed in strange clothes.

Did he accidentally enter an anime simulation game or something? Why do they look like that?

Then, he remembers, that this is a court of some kind, is someone in a trial? He realises that he's the only one in the centre of the Courts, wait a minute, he considers, is it me?

No, can't be, shouldn't be, am I still drunk? It had been New Year, he went into his favourite ramen shop. He met someone odd and familiar at the same time, Izuku spent the night talking about his miserable life to that person.

He remembers that person smiling at him. The stranger had brought a red hourglass for a watch, and Izuku remembers that odd conversation—

"You know, you remind me of a character in my novel," the stranger grins at him and Izuku thinks that's the reason he was approached.

"Really, who?" He asks in good humour.

"The magicless middle brother of the royal family in the northern kingdom. In fact, the novel starts with him."

Interested, Izuku takes a sip of the broth from his ramen, "What's his role?"

"He is blinded and publicly executed on the first page of the first chapter."

"!!!!" Izuku screeches in his head at the last detail he recalls which was the novelist wishing him good luck. What sort of a cruel, practical joke is this?! What past life crime had amounted to him facing this right now?

"Does the Omega offender have no words for his crime?"

Izuku still blinks in utter confusion and confoundment, "wait, stop!" he says, his voice sounds dry and his throat is dryer.

What had been his crime? Some poisoning of tea, and why is he being referred to as an omega? First things first, Izuku thinks, if this is really the novel, then, my death is supposed to be a plot progression point for Beta Shouto, prince of the central Kingdom, to launch an investigation into this kingdom.

Unfortunate for everyone involved that Izuku didn't survive most of his adulthood to die as cannon fodder!

"Well, what objection do you keep, Lord?"

"I, err, ask for a more thorough investigation into this trial, " he states, standing to his feet, he's wearing robes, sheer and silks which is an interesting choice of clothing for a criminal.

The Court stares at Izuku and Izuku stares back at the Court before the judge who leers at him, "And why shall the Court consider that?"

He needs time that's why! Izuku swallows, composing himself in regal airs, "Well, it wouldn't be very judicious of the Courts of," Izuku stares at the big N on the compass symbol behind the judge's table, "North to simply hand over a death sentence without looking deeper into the matter."

"I believe," Izuku says with the confidence of a transmigrated man who has been randomly brought to another world, "that I am being framed for this attempt."

He isn't wrong either, he does remember that the murder was unlawful which is why Prince Shouto must have felt the need to investigate this place. He remembered the Empire of Musutafu being divided and at the moment, there are two powerful blocs. The Northerners and the Southerners, apart from the directions, he isn't sure why they are the way they are.

"The Court shall take into account the request of Omegan Lord, second son to King Muscular shall be relieved until three moons from today."

Izuku sighs, he's only evaded this now but anyhow what he needs is time. Izuku awakes to his feet, bowing to the Court before he's taken away by armed men, he's led into another room and is left to sit there.

Is this really a simulation? He questions, still giddy in his head, or am I really here like those cliche transmigration novels? Last night, what happened? After the ramen shop, he remembers being chased by loan sharks and then, he fell into the ocean.

Izuku stumbles at the realisation, hold on, am I dead?

In conclusion, he died once and got transmigrated into a novel's cannon fodder? How is it that his death is more complicated than his life? Do the Gods really despise him that much? Also, the character he's recreating dies in the first chapter, which means he hasn't really escaped his circumstance.

Is this seriously happening? Like right now?

He hears the door open.

"You really have some nerve disobeying us like, stupid little whore!"

Izuku, who has heard nicer words from the loansharks that chase him, stares at the woman spitting them out at him. He blinks at how he should be complying but obviously doesn't. He's not the owner of this body, speaking of which, where is the owner? Did they die as well?

Great, another question. He needs to stay here longer, be more alert to more details to figure out an answer.

"Don't you feel ashamed, you slut? Dishonouring the Imperial family's name! Do you think the Courts will stand by your word against ours?"

Madam, who are you?! Izuku cries out inwardly, he looks at her clothes, she seems to be a maid. Which makes things confusing because what right does a maid have to insult a prince here?

"Don't you understand you have no magic?!" she screeches, grabbing his jaw to painfully squeezing it, "Why would you shame the family name, even more, little rascal?!" there's something in her voice that makes Izuku fearful, something in the air, is it a smell? God, it feels like it's throttling him.

"Nobody even cares for you, omega," she sneers, her long red hair suddenly sharpening to knives against his neck, "in fact, if I killed you now, nobody would even come looking for you!"

"Maiden Hasaki, I think that's enough," another butler says, "if the Courts are provided with enough money, they will turn a blind eye and execute him three days later anyway, no matter what the case. We need to report back to Lord Nine."

The mention of Lord Nine has the head maid straightening herself with a narrowed glare set on Izuku.

"You might have allayed an imminent danger but your execution will happen, Third Lord," she spits out, "and I will personally see to it."

Turning on her, she leaves and the butler raises a brow at Izuku as if he's supposed to come along. "Leave him, Head Butler, he doesn't need to be escorted to a carriage. He'll be locked up in his basement until the execution."

Izuku takes a deep breath. He's curious about what the owner of this body has done to earn the wrath of that long red-haired woman but decides it's none of his business. Though, he wonders if it's something relevant to being magicless.

Also, how unfair is that? The one time that Izuku is in a world where one has magic, he ends up being magicless.

Not the time! Izuku chides himself, he has things to worry about, his imminent death for one. And what on earth do people mean when they call him an omega? Gods, he is never touching alcohol again! He didn't even hear what that novelist had to offer.

Even now, he vaguely remembers, that this novel has a major war coming up, a clash between Northerners and Southerners. Doesn't that happen in Chapter eight? Or seven? The same either way.

And he knows nearly nothing about this world.

Izuku walks out, navigating himself with little difficulty and a carriage of silver and blue await him.

"Afternoon, Third Lord, shall we leave?"

"Wait, can I—" Izuku coughs out, trying to sound royal and courteous which comes naturally to him, "please, take me to the nearest library."

"As you wish, Third Lord."

Izuku sits in the carriage, it is extensively regal and for someone who had several debts incurred, it's a bit blinding. The journey to the library is quiet, there aren't many people out on the streets so he doesn't have much magic to see.

When the carriage stops, he doesn't wait for the door to be opened, rather he simply lands on his feet and rushes in.

"My Lord," the man bows, eyeing him, "what has brought you to the Royal Library?"

"Er," Izuku stops, he can't just ask a book on the worldbuilding of this place and be done with, "books on omega, magic," he says unsurely, "and maps of all empires."

"As in scriptures for the secondary genders, the art of magical nuances and a navigational map of Musutafu?"

"Ah, yes," Izuku says, no idea what either of that means, he's given the tools but staggers when he wonders if he'll be able to understand the language written. Luckily, he does, it seems like a placatory item for being granted into this hell.

Apart from being assigned either male or female, people are given a secondary gender, that is alpha, beta and omega. Izuku had already guessed this might be related to the wolf hierarchy. 

Other than that, there are things about his body that is hard to understand, for the lack of a better word. The particular phrase 'Omega males can be mothers,' throws him off when he learns about the more biological side. It takes him quite some time to understand what is written in the scriptures because though his mind understands the complex language, it still buffers for a minute.

Plus, the scriptures aren't upfront. They are written by puritans who seem to be writing it as if they were justifying sex to children, the entire stork shebang.

Apparently, during heats, a self-lubricating valve opens in the anal canal to a makeshift uterus of some kind.

Izuku pauses; looks down at his body, then, looks at the book. He does it three times more before thinking, what the fuck? What kind of worldbuilding was the author doing?! Wait, this is still not my problem, I can care about my body once I'm done escaping death.

Izuku stops, if he has a uterus, no matter how make-shift it's described as, does that mean he'll have periods? His blood runs a little cold at that. Come to find out, no, no that does not happen because male omegas biology is wired differently with the magic agenda going on. His heats are just going to be worse than the ones faced by non-male omega.

'—Only an alpha can satisfy the burning desire of an omega during heats, in their core, is the yearning for a knot of an alpha to be dominated,' and Izuku shuts the book, something about the whole paragraph makes him feel sexist. On the other hand, omegas tended to recognise the presence of fellow omegas or alphas better because they are more sensitive to scents.

Scents is a whole other business, apparently, they can give away what a person presently feels. And Heats are where he'll be yearning for a knot, whatever that means, it's apparently, very painful without the aid of an alpha.

Two hours later, he has everything he needs to know about the dynamics of this world, which has the most questionable form of worldbuilding but Izuku is going to be quiet about it. Omegas face a certain extent of discrimination and they are treated very similarly to the way women have been treated in his original world.

Which gives Izuku a whole better grounding on how he should act.

On the other hand, Northerners and Southerners are in a bitter rivalry. Several centuries ago, there had been a grand ceremony to honour the Gods. On that day, a tragedy occurred. An omegan Duchess of the Northern Kingdom had been kidnapped by the Southern barbarians who rode on Dragons and made deals with Goblins.

People said the Duchess was a beauty worth dying for.

Obviously, the North went to war with their Southern counterpart, the war was long and bloody and no longer did anyone truly care for the omegan Duchess. As the war went on, she had become a symbol of something unattainable, to both sides.

At the end of it, the Duchess killed herself than be the woman on someone's throne.

The Gods took pity on her, turned her corpse into a Fountain of Youth, a chalice of wine that overflows with prosperity.

The history books sound partial. He's not sure if this can truly be the reason. On top of that, they only list a set of attacks that have been employed on the Northern Kingdom, various skirmishes. Izuku wonders if their books are being partial and guess that it's the truth.

He finally sits down with a scroll and a quill, his body seems to know how to write with it. Muscle memory? Izuku wonders. Alright, what he does know is that he needs to make sure Beta Prince Shouto of the Central kingdom would have to come to investigate but that would happen only after the Third Lord's death.

Izuku stops at that, is that my job? Izuku thinks about it, no matter what he does, this world might follow the novel's plotline.

His death is merely an event that can be replaced, the plot progression point is that it brings Prince Shouto to the Northern Kingdoms.

Even if the novel's plot did change, does it really concern Izuku directly?

In his past life, he had been indebted, lived in an unstable house, always him against the world and their cruel lot. Now, he's given a second chance at a debtless life, is he really going to let it slip away? He hadn't asked much from life, he didn't mind hard work but hard work is suffocating if there's debt involved.

Maybe he'd get a bamboo house upon some desolate hill, a life where he isn't threatened. He needs only little to be happy.

And at the moment, little amounts to not dying.

He scratches out his grand plans of sending a letter to Prince Todoroki or helping to prevent the imminent war. The main agenda instead becomes, ensuring his own survival, trust him to start bothering about other people before thinking for himself.

No one cares about the Third Lord, and the royal family is very powerful in its magic but in-breeding has led to some abnormalities where people would be more magicless. These people would instead carry articles of magic which could be anything, a locket, a sword or a ring that is charmed.

I can have a sword? Izuku's eyes twinkle a bit like a child receiving a treat.

All members of the royal family receive a tattoo on their upper back to enhance their magic. Since the Third Lord didn't have magic, it would instead enhance any magical article that Izuku comes to possess.

But it is a great shame to be without magic, in fact, it is a taboo no one talks about.

This may be why no one cares for the Third Lord. To the point that the Third Lord doesn't even have a name.

A nameless entity growing to simply be executed because they were a stain on the family. At least Izuku had his fair share of friends, he hadn't been alone, he had his mother who adored him to the Moon and back before her death, his father tried his best to be there. But couldn't.

This Third Lord seems to have gone through cruel, forgotten fate.

His spirit is renewed and Izuku looks through the maps, he marks the library. At the moment, going to the Central Kingdom would probably be advisable and if in case, the Third Prince is considered that much of a stain, they won't take a second glance to forget about his existence.

Alright, Izuku thinks. So it turns out, anyone can travel domestically. It is beyond the Bridge of Kaichai at the borders leading to the Central kingdom that they will require an identity token. His royal identity token is possibly at the home of the Third Lord. If he goes back, he isn't sure if he would be let out so that's a huge no.

He'll have to find a way to escape now.

Maybe, it's better just to see how he could travel to Bridge of Kaichai and then, he could decide what to do.

Izuku steps out to realise his carriage had already left without him. Do they really not care about a criminal at loose? Goes to show how much I definitely didn't poison someone. Damn it, it's dangerous for him to be around, why do all the streets look the same? He takes a deep breath, for all he knew, he might have ended up on a red light street.

Given his luck, it's not really that unimaginable.

"Unmarked omega for an imprint, unmarked omega for an imprint!" a person called out, as if searching for patrons, "The Lady will reward you handsomely! Anything you ask for within reason! Will be yours to keep! Do come now itself if you are an unmarked omega and are ready for an imprint."

Izuku lifted his veil to check the deal out, the person seemed to be rich, could this be a scam? He thought but perhaps, the money is really enough. Then again, why aren't other people approaching them? Still, he needs the money and he needs it today.

Tough luck, he thinks to himself approaching the man.

"Excuse me," he calls out to the man.

"Yes, young Lord, are you willing to offer your services?"

"What exactly does an imprint entail?" He inquires.

"It's a mark of a temporary claim that an alpha puts over an omega, you may have affected heats and attraction towards the alpha who marks you but it is temporary."

"Temporary until when?" Izuku questions.

"Until the alpha marks another omega, then the imprint bond is broken and the omega is free of the mark."

That feels like a solid deal, Izuku presumes but cautiously says, "Alright, will I be provided with anything I ask? No matter how long the list is?"

"Yes, of course, the Lady's estates are huge, anything, within reasonable means."

Izuku thinks he can probably use their family's identity token, it wouldn't even leave a trace if it meant going under the farce of another noble family. But Izuku needs to evaluate everything, to make sure his dumbass isn't going to be sold at some slave market which is something the author made a mention of.

"Alright, take me to your Lady."

"Thank you so much for your understanding," he says signalling a carriage to come forward and Izuku eyes the family insignia on top of the carriage. So now that's definitely a noble family, and Izuku can understand why they might be making an underhand deal, it's probably because the circumstance is too shameful.

He is led inside the carriage and lifts his veil to see a rather beautiful woman, dressed exquisitely with jewels of gold and flowing purple robes.

"Hello, I am Lady Setsuna Tokage," she says not recognising him which might partly be because the royal family always tried to hide him, "may I please check your neck to ascertain if you are truly unmarked?"

"Ah," Izuku bends for her to inspect under the candlelight.

"Alright, then, I shall tell you the details of what this is, I am to go through an imprint ceremony, with an alpha from another kingdom," she pauses, serious in her tone, "but instead of me, you will take my place, the imprint will not last for long as I will soon break off the engagement with that alpha."

She looks up to him, "do you accept this?"

Izuku meets her eyes, "Shall we please talk about my requirements as well?"

The Lady is a little taken aback, "of course. What is it that you want?"

"I need a family token to pass the bridge of Kaichai. A carriage to endorse my trip until the central kingdoms and a significant sum of money withal," he says, as upfront as he can and the Lady frowns.

"Is that all?"

Did I shoot my shot too low? He questions himself, should've asked for more.

"Yes, " and then, Izuku realises how suspicious his demands sound to criminals on the run which he technically is under false charges so he concocts a different story. Lucky for Izuku who has had experience with lying to loansharks, this is a walk in the park.

"There's an alpha who is in pursuit of me, she threatens my life and I have nowhere to go," it's not really a lie, that red-haired maid is an alpha, she did threaten his life and he really does have nowhere to go. "I must leave to the central kingdoms as soon as I can."

"Ah, I see, but are you from a noble family?" She questions, surveying his clothes.

"Well, of sorts," he says, "please, I need this money as much as you need me."

"Alright then, that clears some things up," Setsuna sighs in plenty of relief, "and would you like for me to send knights to beat up this alpha in pursuit of you?"

How kind of you, Izuku judges, feeling a little worse for taking advantage of her, "No, it is fine, I simply want to escape."

"Alright, the arrangements will be made—"

"My Lady," Izuku interrupts, still finding it surreal that he's actually here, in another world, "is there anything about the alpha that I must know?"

Setsuna wavers. Izuku wishes it isn't someone twice his age or someone overly creepy, but of course, Setsuna ends up saying, "He's a Southerner but don't worry, he is of royal calibre, handsome too," she narrows her eyes, " only has a slight temper I've heard."

Honestly, Izuku's acceptance rate of red flags in a relationship had way more range than that. He is pretty sure he's covered here, "Heard? You haven't met him?"

Setsuna composes herself, "well, it is a thing of convenience. Not all of us have a choice for love, do we?"

Izuku remains quiet at that and Setsuna smiles at him, "do we have an accord?" she offers her hand which Izuku shakes. He is taken to a Hall, in secrecy by the door at the back, there are robes of red kept for him, it's strange to see that Northerners go to these extents only because of some long rivalry.

But hey, who is Izuku to question? He has no reason to be affected, he just needs the cash.

It's also the first time he sees a mirror and is entirely surprised. That author wasn't kidding when he told Izuku strongly resembled the character because in the mirror is his carbon copy. Apart from that, he notices bruises, purple and blue, they still hurt and Izuku feels sorry.

This Third Lord might have just been him from another life.

Well, it's not nice to know he lives miserably in all his lives. Surely though, this version of him probably got the much bitter end of the straw here. The clothes have been engulfed in Setsuna's scent, military-grade scent neutralisers are given to Izuku to make sure he smells the same.

It's a bit ticklish at the back of his neck, and some part of his instinct says it should be shielded a little more.

Setsuna enters, looking him over, satisfied after her mental criticism, "You will be with him for an hour, so you will have to be friendly to him because my family needs his business alliance for the next month."

"Won't he recognise my voice is different to a woman's?"

"Yes, you're quick to catch up, so this is my maid, Itsuka Kendo, who will be voicing your responses written on a sheet of paper," Setsuna says introducing an orange maiden who bows to him, she's an alpha and she bows to Izuku who bows back.

"Also, the alpha who will imprint you is strong, it's not something I should say but his mere imprint may drive away other alphas," Setsuna adds and that's really not Izuku's concern but if people stopped looking at him like he's a piece of meat than maybe, this is for the better.

"Remember be friendly to him."

"Okay," Izuku says, giving a thumbs-up.

He is taken into a room, seated on the grand chair, there's a curtain divider in the room and on the other side, is probably the alpha. He wonders if this whole thing is a secret because Northerners aren't supposed to have any relations with Southerners.

Izuku knows when the alpha enters on the other side, not because of the heavy door opening but because of his sense suddenly sharpening. It's ridiculous how clear his sight becomes with the betterment of scent detection, it's caramel, drops of caramel on his favourite dessert after working hard the whole day, it isn't overpowering just overall lovely.

Like if he could, he'd swim in that scent.

But good things last only so long and the alpha's scent is good only until he opens his mouth.

"Hope I didn't keep you waiting," the tone comes off condescendingly, "heard the ones up North are a real stickler for time."

That doesn't sound like an apology if Izuku heard one. Jerk. But Izuku goes on to smile and write for Itsuka to answer, "not at all, Alpha, we were waiting for your presence patiently."

"Sure," the guy from the other side replies, uninterested and bored.

How do I become friendly to someone like him? Izuku questions, maybe he should just pretend to be interested.

He writes on the sheet for Itsuka to read it out, "how was your journey, Alpha? Do you wish for anything?"

"Silence."

Izuku chuckles nervously. Still, he takes another sheet and writes, "do you really not want to know your imprint-to-be?"

"We both know the reasons we're doing this so leave your goddamn formalities at the door."

Izuku wonders if he should press in one more time or if this guy is a ticking bomb that'll explode, "But alpha, does that mean we need to be difficult and unpleasant? For however little, I would like to know you."

"For what?" Comes the reply from the other side.

Izuku writes into the sheet, "must there truly be a reason?"

"If you're an uptight Northerner and I'm a bastard of a Southerner as they call me here, then, yes."

"You may be right but that doesn't mean we need to be exactly as they expect us to be."

"Oh really?" The alpha throws in a jibe, "so then, why don't you take this curtain out and stop asking your maid to voice you out."

Izuku frowns, how on Earth did he know that? Didn't Setsuna mention they hadn't ever met before? He removes a bit of his veil to see Itsuka just as surprised as him.

"What? The cat got your tongue?"

Izuku scribbles his reply, "it's only that my parents wish for this to be done, the Northerner as I am, we're conservative of our traditions."

"Like I can't see that."

Izuku smiles, wondering if he can give this person a piece of his mind but for obvious reasons, doesn't, "Then, why don't you tell me about how it would be done in your nation?"

He hears a chuckle from the other end, "My people are fierce, they don't find meaning in stupid traditions like this."

Izuku takes another sheet, "so you despise the traditions of my land simply because they are different than yours?"

"Why would you sit an hour for an imprint ceremony when it could be done within less than a quarter an hour?"

Izuku breathes in, giving in his own interpretation from what Setsuna has told, "but surely you do know that we have never seen each other."

"So?"

"So," Izuku writes in italics and exclamations for Itsuka to emphasize, "it would be odd to imprint someone you don't even know, the hour is given for us to familiarise with our thoughts so it wouldn't be too sudden for us to imprint."

"Isn't it better to get it done with if our imprint is going to last only this long?"

Izuku stops, confused before writing and giving it to Itsuka who raises a brow at it, yet voices it out, "But, don't you deserve to be treated gently?"

"...treat me gently? For what?"

"Because you're a person?"

There's silence for a long time before an answer is heard, "The Lady of Tokage family is soft for a Northerner."

"Is it wrong to be soft? I think being soft has its own merits."

"Does it?" the Alpha challenges, "pray tell, what merit would being soft have in a battlefield?"

"Something that those who fight impulsively wouldn't have."

The alpha growls, he seems to ever angry at some or the other thing, "Are you calling me impulsive?"

"Well, are you calling being soft a weakness?"

There's a silence pulled out for a longer time, Izuku thinks he's won this one so he pleasantly writes to ask, "What do people in the Southern tribes do?"

"...we braid the hair of our imprint with beads that we carve ourselves."

"Oh," Izuku writes in reply and his curiosity takes over, "what if they are bald?"

"Fuck no, there isn't anyone who is bald in my tribe, are you insulting me?!" And whatever threats he has dies halfway, seemingly because he remembers he's in the middle of enemy quarters. Izuku takes in his response and guesses that people must value their hair.

Something like the Edo era? Izuku thinks, then realising he's probably angered the alpha off.

"Apologies, I wasn't aware that it was a sensitive topic," he hastily writes, "it's just that it's a little different from where I come."

"I thought the Northerners treasure their hair as well."

Crap, Izuku curses his shortsightedness. He should have considered similarities in tradition, but writes, "we do, just not as much," when is an hour going to be over?

"Alpha—"

"The ceremony commences now," the elders intervene and Izuku stiffens a bit, just how are they going to accomplish preventing that guy from being suspicious is beyond him. The curtain is lifted and Izuku can't see for much because the veil is pretty blinding.

"Alpha Vows," the priest announces and a growl answers him which makes Izuku think the other guy is not savvy with it at all.

"Maybe I'll do that after I can see my omega."

A part of Izuku is happy when he hears the word my, and that part feels very primal. Good alpha, protector, will take care of us, a part of him coos. It takes the restraints of a thousand chains to remind himself that the important thing to gain here is his life and not the worldbuilding.

He'd probably have a long chat with the author if he ever met him again.

"You cannot see him, Your Highness," the priest says in defence.

Izuku stops at the royal title in shock. What level of royalty is he even dealing with here? A king? No, a prince? Shit, are they scamming a Royal prince? Wait a minute, if this alpha does get to know about the false nature of this entire ceremony then, the first head he's gonna chop off is probably Izuku's.

Which is sort of counterproductive to his plans.

Izuku nudges the sleeve of Itsuka who bends to listen, "Please tell him, it's a part of my traditions," Izuku feels bad for lying and deceiving the alpha but he's sure he can live it down. Interestingly, the alpha doesn't protest more after being Itsuka relays Izuku's message.

"Whatever," he clicks his tongue out. The alpha reaches out to Izuku's hands, holding them as a red thread ties their pinky fingers together. It's adorable, Izuku thinks the idea is very predetermined, fate and all.

"I will protect you," the alpha says and Izuku's shoulders slacken, it's a silly detail but it gives him the first sense of comfort. "You will never face a danger without me standing by your side, my Lady."

Ah well. The dedication in his voice makes Izuku's heart heavier, a wishful part of him could only hope that perhaps, he could find someone who offers him this. Someone this sincere shouldn't be left unanswered, Izuku thinks.

Pausing, the alpha finishes his vow, "have faith in me," Izuku tugs the hands he holds, a little sweaty but he pulls with enough force to bring them inside the veil.

The alpha wears a silver and a red gem is engraved upon it, it has a wolf insignia engraved on the centre of the gem. A family heirloom, obviously.

Izuku frees one of his hands to write with his finger.

"I do," he says earnestly, writing it on his wrist, "so be well, alpha."

It takes some time but when Izuku finishes, there's silence, he worries if he understood. The hand slips away from his and the alpha reaches out to his face. For a moment, Izuku panics that he is removing the veil but the alpha only touches his jaw.

His hands are rough but warm.

Izuku blinks, wondering what he should do before he lets his face rest in the palm of the alpha's hand, it oddly smells like caramel. The hand holding him shivers before withdrawing, the Alpha clears his throat, "we should continue."

The back of the veil is lifted by Itsuka and Izuku senses a moment of tension.

"Back off," the alpha says, haughty in his anger and Itsuka is mid-way a protest before Izuku waves her away. A steadying arm loosely wraps around Izuku's shoulders from the back, he probably trains a lot, Izuku thinks, fuzzy in his head as absent-minded fingers trace the muscles in his arm. Alpha, our alpha, protector, his excitement pipes up and it's sort of strange to be an omega.

It's like having a biological narrator in your head that is a completely separate entity from your own thoughts.

Apart from the bone-touching cringe, it's pretty cool. Honestly, the scientists belonging to where Izuku's from would have a field day with this.

"Oi," he hears close enough to straighten his back, "you got something to say then don't mumble."

" 'm sorry," Izuku whispers as low as he can.

"Didn't say it was a bad thing," the alpha grumbled, groans accompanying a second later, "fuck, did I scare you? I'm not good with this and—fuck," Izuku frowns when he senses frustration oozing out from his scent.

I know, Izuku squeezes his arm and brushes his thumb lightly, hoping it would get the message across. "You're doing good, alpha."

The praise strikes a cord, a low growl radiates, peculiarly, it's voiceless but Izuku can pick it up, the vibrations flicker over Izuku's skin. His ears brim in redness and Izuku doesn't think he should be this affected, it's the damned body, he tells himself.

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you," the alpha tells Izuku who realises the stiffness in his body remains. He takes a deep breath, letting it out. But it's nice, having someone notice that, Izuku knows his case is arguing for the bare minimum but this isn't something people did for him. Hence, gratitude comes naturally.

He hums when the alpha finger brushes against his nape. He feels his breath stutter in his lungs when the alpha licks the glands there, there's a hint of teeth and Izuku's mind blanks out when they pierce his skin. It's incredible. Izuku's senses sharpen to a T, all of them devote themselves to the alpha, his scent, his touch, it grounds him in the flurry of feelings that sweeps him of his feet.

There's a sheer joy, contentment and Izuku's head is filled with feelings so strong, he could cry.

He sniffles, why is this making him so happy? The alpha withdraws when he's done, "hey," he whispers, "are you alright?"

No, I want to cry but I don't know what to do, he shudders and the alpha, so damn sweet that he is, pulls Izuku to his chest, scent engulfing as the alpha murmurs, "Easy there, omega, take it bit by bit."

That worsens things because now, Izuku wants to ugly sob due to the considerations his alpha provides him with. He would have prepared himself if it took such an emotionally powerful toll, he feels like a baby, Izuku leans into the touch. So comforting, it feels like warm summer light on his face, it's amazing, he could stay like this forever.

Itsuka clears her throat as the priests announce, "the ceremony of the imprint is done."

They stay like that until Izuku floats down from whatever high he's feeling. He's never done drugs but this is the closest he's got to psychedelics. The alpha leaves his hold, and when the emotions run down, Izuku becomes aware that he's still seen as a criminal. With which, the rest of his responsibilities come simmering up to a boil.

Izuku waves at the alpha. Probably won't see him again, Izuku assumes as he is taken out of the room. 

"Well, how did it go?" Setsuna asks as Itsuka gives her reports and she is impressed with Izuku's performance.

"My, my, it seems like you were a little too friendly," Setsuna remarks and Izuku shrugs.

"I was just following orders," is what Izuku wants to say but that feels wrong so instead, he says, "I think every person deserves to be treated kindly, irrespective of intentions."

"Even if the intention is false?" Setsuna questions, raising a brow.

It makes him feel like he's done a bad turn to someone unsuspecting, Izuku should feel guilty but he pushes it aside in favour of concentrating on more important matters. Like his life status.

"Even then," Izuku replies and Setsuna gives him a charming smile.

"I see, you sure are a wonder aren't you?" She says conversationally before turning business-like, "all the things you asked for are provided, though, if you're an omega, you will require an attendant to cross the Kaichai bridge. We can't help you there as you had wished to keep your anonymity. The carriage master too is not from my family now, my question is will you be able to find an attendant for yourself?"

It should be easy, right? Izuku shrugs.

"Well, then, that's good. I apologise for putting you with that alpha, it must have been suffocating."

"He wasn't," Izuku pauses, tasting the word before he says it, "bad, maybe a little misguided, he doesn't seem like someone who would do harm without being provoked."

"Misguided? Misguided is what you'd call a child who isn't taught properly," Setsuna snorts, rolling her eyes, "that alpha you met isn't a child neither is he misguided. On contrary, you couldn't fool him if you tried."

"I might have believed you," Izuku replies, "if not for the fact that we just did that. I am sorry that he has to be lied to but you're right, this," he takes a deep drag of courage, it feels a little heavy in his chest, "is none of my concern. I shall leave tonight by the carriage, I wish you luck, my Lady."

Setsuna frowns, exclaiming, "my word, you do know he is a Southerner, right?"

Izuku remains silent, not bothering as he's given a large sum which is kept in a magical pocket. It's an article that has endless space. Hence, obviously, Izuku questions the limits of it by asking if he can fit a mountain in it and Setsuna replies that he could, but he probably shouldn't try.

"Lord, may I gift you another thing? A token of luck if you would?"

Izuku leans forward to receive a long sword, "it's magical," Setsuna assures, "made of rare Drumedian steel, the same that All Might had once used, I think it's an odd gift to give away, especially to an omega of all people but—"

She looks at Izuku, "but you're not particularly conventional either, are you?"

"Would it be alright? Izuku asks, doubtful of what might come with the sword, "to give something as precious as this?" he isn't sure what Drumedian steel means, he can only imagine it's of high importance.

"A sword needs to find a master, pair with a shield or vambrace," she smiles, "and it'll serve you well."

Izuku ties the sword to himself, it is light on his back. If he learnt it the right way which is something that excites the sword geek in him, he might actually be a good swordsperson. He thanks her for her gratitude and grace before being secretly put into a carriage.

A little time before he leaves, he hears rumours that the youngest of the Todoroki princes has arrived here from the commoners. Izuku sits, deep in thought.

By now, in the actual novel, Izuku would have been executed, his letter would have been sent, this is just proof that the novel follows the main plotline, his death really isn't necessary.

But then, a world doesn't necessarily follow the novel completely. Sometimes, the world forms details on its own, like evolution, it doesn't really go as per the novelist's wants even if they are the God of the world they created. Mainly because characters once they have a mind of their own, it becomes hard to mould them to your purpose.

Free will, Izuku supposes and that's a beautiful thing really.

The sights change and a whole day later, Izuku had been given a sort of bread and spread. He figures searching for an attendant in the village nearest to the borders would be fine and sets aside one gold coin as a reward. He's still to learn about the currency and finances that are followed by this place but pushes it on the back burner for the time being.

"A slave for sale! A slave for sale!" A seller harps on, and Izuku's mood takes a turn for the worse. He remembers this part of the story from ramen shop night. The novelist had told him that the war in chapter eight happened because some Southerners had been taken as slaves.

Slavery was banned everywhere regardless, but underhand trafficking is still a deal.

It offended the South vastly.

Not that either the North or South needed reasons to start a war. There just seems to be an abundance of animosity to promote conflict between the two. But this War in chapter eight is supposed to solidify the Empire. The South and Central kingdoms end up merging, the capital comes under the Todoroki royal family while the crown prince of the Southern tribes becomes the Grand Premier of the capital.

Both of those powerful positions divide the Northern kingdom and peace reigns upon the land with which the novel ends. To Izuku, that's a pretty basic plot for sure but there's still a problem, even when Izuku survives this execution, he can't deny a simple fact.

That the war in chapter eight is going to be devastating. Utterly so. Therefore, he needs to make sure that he's either far, far away from the war. Or, that he is well-sheltered from it.

He's not sure how much time he has and that makes him want to hurry past the slave dealers but Izuku stops. Sure, the bill of human rights which is a serious deal in the place he is from can't be applied here. Despite it, Izuku stills feels his stomach gutted at the sight of selling and buying people.

Izuku fishes a sum of five gold coins and gives it to the carriage master, requesting him to arrive with the slave.

The entire process makes Izuku feel bad, he hasn't really broken the cycle, in fact, he's probably perpetuating it. There'll be more slaves to replace this one. Izuku stares at the slave brought in his carriage, the carriage master enlightens him that the slave is even covered in an Occult cloth with runes drawn to prevent his escape.

The occult cloth will compel him to listen to whatever commands the master would have.

"I was told by the seller that he has claws," the carriage master says in warning, "so obviously, we shouldn't remove the cloth—"

With a flare, Izuku snatches the cloth away, the slave is dressed in tattered rags and stares at him with wide eyes. "Would you like some water or food?" Izuku looks at the carriage master, gesturing him to go get some supper.

The slave seems to sport bruises but he is sharp and sentient. Izuku chooses to ask the Carriage master to bring some medicine as well.

"Food?" Izuku says, folding the occult cloth, it might definitely come in use later, he pushes a plate of hot broth and fruits. "Would you like some?"

"You'd have better luck asking me to do whatever it is that's on your mind," the slave says, golden eyes brighter in suspicion, it reminds Izuku of an eagle, "than play a double-edged sword, Sweetheart."

Izuku blinks, tilting his head before pointing, "but I want you to eat food."

"That's not what I meant—"

"And your wounds? Would you want some clothes as well?" and by the end of it, the slave is dressed in appropriate articles of clothing after having his wounds attended to and belly filled with food and wine.

"Perhaps, sweetheart," the slave says, unaccustomed to upright behaviour, "would you just tell me what you want? You don't need to go this far."

"You're free to leave if you wish so," Izuku says and the slave chuckles.

"If that was really the case, you would have uncollared me with the key given to you."

"Oh, I didn't know that," Izuku says, he had been wondering what that steel chatelain of five keys is meant for. Closing the distance between them, Izuku winds all the five keys into their keyholes until he hears a click and the collar comes off.

The slave is an omega, Izuku can tell, and hopes the guy hadn't gone through a merciless fate.

"There, is that better—" Izuku stops when he sees colossal red wings attached to the back of the man. Surely, whenever the man walked, they would drag behind his back. Izuku is a little too fascinated in seeing them up close but tries to curb that in.

Izuku smiles comfortably at him before he opens the door. "Go on."

"Just like that?"

"Oh, would you like some food with you to survive—"

"Hey," he cuts in, annoyed at Izuku for displaying the unnamed courtesy, "what's your name?"

"Uh," Izuku sort of stops, realising he doesn't really have a name. He'll just put the same one, it's got a nice ring to it. Though, he isn't sure it's something he wants to reveal with carriage master overhearing everything they talk about.

"Is that necessary?"

The slave narrows his eyes, "right, uh, the name is Hawks, I can't sense any weapons around and you have twice the reason to not treat me kindly."

"Why?"

Hawks stares at him like Izuku has charmed surprise into this man. Something tells Izuku it's a feat so instead, the green-haired omega decides to set his record straight.

"I just freed you because I could, I have no ulterior motive as such," Izuku says, hoping the guy can just believe him, "but I do have work to do so either decide if you're going stay or we can get a move on it."

"No ulterior motive and you freed me because you," Hawks arches a brow, "felt like it?"

"I don't think a person should be enslaved."

"Do you now?" there's a bit of underhanded, casual mockery there but Izuku doesn't let himself be affected by it.

"Look, whether you believe it or not, I don't think anyone can be owned or sold as if they were worse than a piece of land or cattle," Izuku says in his defence, "other than that, I really need to find someone so please make your decision with haste."

The words roll off naturally on his tongue, that way of language, words of nobility and his accent. All of these habits seem very natural, it's a bit more than muscle memory.

Now that he is born in actual royalty, Izuku feels like his thoughts exist in cursive of the Spenserian script as compared to Izuku from the loanshark era who had the vocabulary of a humble Comic Sans. He's not even going to lie, the impostor syndrome here is strong. Plus, Izuku can't deny it, for he is technically an impostor in this body.

"Your scent doesn't lie, kid," Hawks sighs, running a hand through his unkempt, dirty hair, he chuckles, "I really just got hit by a do-gooder, didn't I? Well, then, I gotta return it, you did save my life."

"Oh, please don't feel indebted to me," Izuku waves with nonchalance to what should be common decency.

"A good turn always receives another. I'm probably a lot of things in the wicked pot, but being in someone's debt hasn't ever been thrown in," Hawks shrugs, his wings mimic his movements, it is actually very interesting to watch to Izuku, "Where are you heading for?"

"Kaichai bridge at the borders," Izuku says before recalling, "Oh I do recall, I am in need of an attendant, would you be interested in playing the part?"

Hawks tilts his head, "why not? It's been a while since I have been hired by the nobility," he sits cross-legged, wings comfortably settled.

"Alright then, that solves it," Izuku blocks his relief for a moment before he goes to clarify, "you were hired by the nobility as a slave?"

"Ah, no."

"Oh, so what were you hired as?"

Cunning by his own scent, Hawks smiles, teeth showing, Izuku doesn't have a good feeling when the blond omega twirls a feather. Izuku's eyes widen when he realises, the end of the long, red feather has Izuku's magical pocket which had been secured to his hip.

"As a thief, of course. Have you really not heard of me, my Lord?"

Chapter Text

Lucky for Izuku, Hawks does give the magical pocket back even if the whole interaction had spooked Izuku's heart out of its cage. They pass by Kaichai bridge with less than a hiccup and Izuku sighs with relief. He decides to buy clothes meant for commoners to blend in, and perhaps sell his own clothes to keep that extra money.

Izuku gets a good price for the silk and velvets, the jewels might come in handy later so he figures not selling it. The bruises are healing, he is mid-way putting on a grey tunic that he wonders if it is alright in the mirror, he ties the sword back in its position.

"You know, even if you change your clothes, your nobility doesn't disappear with it," he hears Hawks remark and frowns.

"I thought you left."

"I should have, right?" Hawks muses.

"Then, why didn't you?"

"I have work in the Central kingdoms too," the bird replies, hands lodged behind his head, "and since you're here, might as well."

Izuku looks at him with a suspicious glance, "you are not going to rob me right?" at which Hawks chuckles before it falls into a half-hearted laugh and with a bounce of his shoulder, he shakes his head.

"I don't know which noble family has kept you this sheltered," Hawks says, still having an afterglow of merry, "but I'm telling you a thief will never admit he's going to rob you."

"Some might," Izuku points out, "depends on the thief."

Hawks gives him a curious glance, some patch of respect that Izuku has earned in the bird's eyes. Hawks half-heartedly agrees, "depends on the thief, indeed," he bends over his shoulder, "come along, I think your noble face might make someone give you a free ride."

Izuku blinks, confusedly touching his supposedly noble face. It does end up gaining the kindness of a bullock cart owner who is travelling to the nearest civilisation. There is a pile of haystacks put on the cart, providing a good cushion for Hawks' wings while Izuku brings out a map to decide his next moves.

"So which part are you travelling to?"

"I think the Eastern part of the Central Kingdoms?" he says reading it, and Hawks leans his head to the side.

"Sweetheart, were you born yesterday?"

For a split second, Izuku considers telling the truth before he nervously smiles and says, "well, let's just say I am truly sheltered."

"I can tell," Hawks waves in.

"Think of the Central kingdom in halves," he says, "one of them is righteous, the other isn't," he takes a feather to make a division on the map, and taps at the East of it.

"This side has criminals, looters and killers while the respectful halves consisting of people such as yourself starts all the way here," he points to the near centre of the map.

"Okay," Izuku says, he isn't even remotely sure if he has money to sustain that long. Or if he could even stay off without being robbed considering he had just been easily robbed.

"Think you can make it that far?"

"I could try."

"Try at what, Sweetheart? Death?" Hawks expresses, his chin on the palm of his hand as he raises a brow, "God knows you have the self-preservation of a hatchling. Unless your magic is specially ordained by the Gods, I don't see how you're going to make it."

"Then," Izuku leans back to collapse on the haystack, "what do you think I should do?"

Green eyes glance up to the skies, they are really blue, wonderfully pretty, Izuku likes them. Meanwhile, Hawks observes how even-tempered the noble is.

Whatever the affairs at home might have been, it was terrible enough to throw this man out in the wild.

Honestly, Hawks shouldn't even be going to the Central Kingdoms, he has three black pearls on his name for crying out loud.

But then again, Hawks has a black pearl on his name in a lot of other places, he guesses he's going there because nothing else to do. The East of the Central Kingdom is usually a good point to start, he probably also has a Black pearl issued on his name there as well, he can't remember.

He had been accused of robbing a royal sceptre from the Central Kingdom which he, for the record, hadn't. But the bounty issued on his head had pushed him into reluctantly joining as a slave. If there is one network of people that couldn't be touched by royalty, then, that was the slave network.

It is underhanded and usually had a lot of powerful people that royalty couldn't offend.

Think of it this way, so long as you didn't fly it in someone's face, slavery can be committed.

The worst sort of blessing that came with it was safety. Hawks had been desperate enough to stay under the radar until he's forgotten. Besides, the rescind chains would have hidden his wings and magic for as long as he was a slave.

He would have been sold to the Imperial Palace of the Northern kingdom.

Honest from the heart, Hawks actually hadn't planned to get out this early, least of all expected a noble gentleman to have bought him.

"Hawks?"

"Hmm? Oh, sweetheart, did I leave you unanswered? Right," Hawks detaches and recalls the conversation beforehand.

"The way you take depends on how desperate you are. The quickest way is through the East, the safest way would be around the East, which would be," he circles the mountainous path and draw a line involving arches and slanting lines before reaching the capital.

"That would take long wouldn't it?" Izuku questions, furrowing brows that are common to people who doubted they had the sustenance to afford their travel.

"If you don't have money, take a job or something, plenty enough for tedious work," Hawks suggests, extending his arms out in some similar rendition to a cat.

"Say Hawks, imagine this."

"Hmm."

"If a person was, say, not normal."

"Mhmm."

"They didn't have the particular skill set, what I mean is a magical skillset, then, what should that person do?"

"...go looking for a job that requires their magic in particular?"

"Right. I wasn't clear. What if they didn't have any magical skillset?"

Hawks blinks at the meaning, slowly turning to Izuku with near disbelief. He takes a moment before saying, "they are a miracle on the wrong side of the town."

Izuku snorts, "bottom of the barrel is more like it."

"No, you don't understand this. It is physically impossible to not have magic," Hawks insists, stern in his words but mellow in his tone, "you're a crack in the pattern is all, learn your way around it."

"Well, that's easier said than done," Izuku argues, reaching his hand out to the cloud that's shaped a little like a sea turtle, did sea turtles exist here?

"Magic is a tricky thing, sweetheart," Hawks says, being unduly optimistic for someone of his kind, "but it's not everything there is to a person. Some people might have powerful magic, but that's just a tool at the end of the day. The question remains on how well you use it."

Izuku stops, turning to the bird, "Are you trying to cheer me up?"

"Is it working?"

"That's kind of you, Hawks."

Which earns a speculative glance from Hawks who has been described with many words that are inverse to that compliment. He shakes his head, "I wouldn't recommend getting used to it, sweetheart."

Izuku pauses and smiles, "sure thing. I'm curious about something," Hawks' silence is taken is placid consent, and Izuku peeks at the road they are leaving behind, "since you're free now, where would you go?"

"Don't know, I haven't thought that far. What about you?"

Izuku hums, "I want to make a bamboo house on top of a hill with no interaction with the outside world for the next four years."

"That is oddly specific," Hawks muses, a lazy smile dawning in as his scent before he jokes, "do you know something I don't?"

Izuku doesn't deliver an answer, instead searches into his magical pocket for any food he might have kept there. Finding a dozen of dumplings wrapped in Bamboo paper, he offers some to Hawks and eats them himself.

"I could get you a job," Hawks offers, "it won't be from a place your kind would frequent but it will get you money quick."

"Even for someone who is magicless?"

"I'm sure there's one job that requires wit above magic. You've got a decent head above your shoulders. Use it."

Izuku is conflicted, questioning if he should doubt the kindness given to him.

His omega requests him to trust another but that sounds groundless to him.

But he has run out of ideas.

The notion of being somewhere in the Central East that is known for its criminality just doesn't gel well with Izuku. He realises the irony of Hawks being a criminal too and guesses it's really a choice between two potential evils.

Well, he shrugs in his mind, better the devil you know than the devil you don't.

He just hopes this doesn't come and bite him back in the near future. Please, he prays, hoping the novelist listens as he lays on the haystack. The sky twists and turns, the afternoon beams in a halo of amethyst and green clouds, it keeps changing on its own caprice and if Izuku gazes too long, this feels like what people would describe an acid trip.

"We should get down now," Hawks reveals, getting down from the cart and Izuku blinks at where they are.

"Here?"

"Yes, on your feet now, Sweetheart," he says, hand extending as they helped Izuku from the cart, they thank the owner who merrily goes his own way. Izuku reckons his surrounding, he doesn't see a shred of civilisation or the living even at a long distance from them.

"Hawks, why are we here?"

"There, there, have some faith," Hawks says, searching for something that must have been hidden in plain sight, turns out to be a small rock.

"This will do," he tells himself and brings his arm back like a baseball pitcher going in for it and throws the stone in front of them.

Izuku stares, jaw slackened as he figures out what on Earth is going on.

"Come along, sweetheart," the bird says waiting and Izuku for the life of him can't see what's changed but co-operates quietly. As he goes to the winged omega, everything around him alters immediately.

Rather than having dead land beneath him, he has golden bricks forming wherever he steps and he is mid-air. In Izuku's mind which is still very human and non-magical, he nearly suffers a stroke but only cries out, "Hawks. Hand, please?"

"Hmm? My, you won't fall, sweetheart, it's a pretty illusion," to demonstrate Hawks dances and golden bricks form wherever he swirls his feet too.

Hesitant as a fraidy cat, Izuku swallows but lets his feet touch another step, his heart rejoices when he doesn't fall through and falls when he takes another step.

Understanding leads to wonders. Izuku sees a short and small wave of golden, glimmering dust from the bricks wheel around his ankles as he steps.

"You really should get out more often."

Izuku pretends to have not heard him as they go on steps, leading to the door.

Hawks enlightens him that they can't reach the Speakeasy of Nevlow's will without having been there once before. That's the strangest way of finding a place but Izuku is told that it's because Speakeasies are neutral territories since they are illicit. It's an unsaid rule that no one harms the other and hence, is difficult to find.

Hawks is about to knock before he delays, and then gives a tentative review to it before skimming a glimpse at Izuku, "It's better if you do it. They won't let me in."

"Why won't they let you in?"

"Reasons," Hawks chimes in and Izuku gives him a look before knocking.

He hears a noise on the other side before the sounds of steel sliding strung out and a peephole appears.

A pair of golden shades stare at Izuku, friendly scents swaying above.

"Oh, a new customer," the voice grins, "that's unusual, who do you have there with you?" the door opens only a little before Hawks' wings pushes it back in full force, slipping both himself and Izuku inside.

"Hello there, present Mic, it's been a while," Hawks greets, walking in with Izuku close in his arm.

The beta with blonde hair braided high into a pony, gapes at Hawks, "you're not supposed to be here, no wait," Present mic pauses as if correcting himself, "no, you're supposed to be dead, you have more than ten Black pearls on your name in ten different places!"

"But I'm not," Hawks defies, taking a cup of barley wine to offer Izuku who shakes his head profusely in refusal.

Hawks keeps it back, "you know if I wasn't this thrilled to see you, present Mic," he grins, "I would be sorry for your disappointments," and Izuku isn't too sure if the blond beta is disappointed, he thinks he's annoyed.

His eyes dart around and hears a cheer of boisterous laughter quietening down as they see Hawks. Tables filled with emptied cups of honey apple ale and fellowship stories of whatever legends they have been through proceeds in other tables but they too quieten down.

Call him unreasonable but Izuku has an uncanny feeling that the omegan bird holding him is very popular among criminals.

"Yamada, why is it—" a black-haired man shuts up when he sees Hawks, and doesn't waste his time asking why he's alive, "why are you here, Hawks?"

"I am sure we can all settle that during a drink—"

"No, you're going to disturb other customers—"

"Hey now, Eraserhead, rude of you to turn away potential customers—"

The black-haired alpha gives him a blank stare, eyes turning a lighter shade of red, "Not if they are you."

"Now, that's the point, it's not me," Hawks says, hands up in surrender before they pull Izuku. Who is a blinking omega with brighter eyes that don't belong around here, "but he is, don't refuse a customer, isn't it? According to your own laws too!"

Aizawa Shoto takes one glance up and down of Izuku and decides, "have you kidnapped him from some aristocracy?"

"Can we all please settle down and not assume the worst of me? I have a reputation to keep, I don't steal people," Hawks defends, slightly affronted by their views before he mellows down to a cheeky smile, "their possessions on the other hand is a talk for another day."

"Right," Aizawa notes, staring at the bird who is responsible for half the embezzlements years ago that earned him several titles. All of them being barely respectable.

Hawks nudges Izuku who blinks before he stands before the omega. Izuku feels protective of the omega he's formed a bond with. He doesn't stop to take that into account and looks politely at the alpha.

"Hello, sir, my name is Izuku Midoriya, may I please have the pleasure of knowing yours?"

Aizawa estimates this behaviour might be of a much upper class. They are screwed if this is omegan royalty they're dealing with, "Err, Aizawa Shoto."

"Alpha Aizawa, my friend here," he points at Hawks and everyone in an earshot of the conversation, face a dilemma of imagining that but Izuku doesn't let himself be bothered, "and I have come in search of a job, is there a possibility that we could go over them?"

"Your friend," Aizawa emphasizes, "is a man showered with Black pearls everywhere, including this part of the kingdom."

"A black pearl?" Izuku questions.

"A kill on sight, a bounty, a price on his head," Present mic defines elaborately.

Izuku scrunches his brows at the bird behind him who has the smile of an angel. Of course, Izuku knows better than to trust it but he hadn't known that it would be this bad.

"Well, umm, that may be so but," Izuku says, understanding and he is thankful for his memory in speech and language because he knows exactly how to convey his feelings.

"Is this not an establishment of neutral territory? Wouldn't you be offending the status you hold if you were to remove two customers who haven't given you any reason to do so?"

That seals everything and quashes away whatever complaints Aizawa has of Hawks' ongoing existence in his speakeasy.

"One speck of an argument you rouse," he says to Hawks, more like threatens according to Izuku, "and I'll kick you out quicker than you can steal something."

"Sure thing," the blond omega chirps behind Izuku as if unaware of the darkening alphan aura around Aizawa, "now, jobs, please."

Present mic or rather Yamada as Izuku is later informed leads them to a corner until a table opens up for them. Hawks examines Izuku, "so that's your name?"

"Yes, I didn't wish to tell you then because the carriage master would have heard us," Izuku says, shifting his feet nervously, he feels someone rustling his hair.

"It's alright, kid," he hears Hawks tell, a blemish of fondness engaged in his voice. Izuku's omega purrs happily in his mind, tells him he's doing something good, like getting a friend. Izuku has to mentally sit down for this. This time, instead of cringing away from it, Izuku tries recognising it, he needs to integrate himself with part of it.

Or else he would be going to be engaging in cognitive dissonance everytime this happens.

The sensation passes away swiftly and it isn't really like swallowing a bitter tonic, leaves too much of a sweet aftertaste for that.

Soon, both of them are handed over a fairly long scroll of jobs.

"Alright, listen here, sweetheart," Hawks says, laying down ground rules for jobs. Unless one is a powerful magic user, solo missions are not a smart choice. Secondly, contract making; to always involves the binding penalty clause.

"The binding penalty clause is," Hawks says, "is a very important clause for contracts during group missions," he continues, eating from a peanut bowl, "which states if any member is unlawfully killed by the others in the same group or robbed from their designated prize of the mission, the rest of the group will be blacklisted from any jobs and their reward will be half the price."

"This," Izuku discerns, "is to avoid treachery, isn't it?"

"Back-stabbing, yes," Hawks concedes, "if you are a job-taker, always keep one eye on the reward and the other on the contract."

"Hawks," Izuku cuts in between before scrutinising the list, "why don't you come with me on a job?"

The question is thrown out of the blue. It stills Hawks who had been rummaging through the bowl for hidden peanuts, "why do you ask?"

"Do you have anywhere to be?"

"No."

"Is there anyone waiting for you?"

Hawks didn't seem to have got an imprint or a bonding mark to hint at a mate. But then, he had been a slave and Izuku doesn't like the idea of being anything but overly sensitive to the omega.

"Not unless you're counting people waiting for my head only."

"So would you please come along with me and show me the ropes, of course," Izuku stammers in his approach, "if you are alright with it and are free enough to," Izuku smiles, a little optimistic, "err, show me the ropes."

Hawks gives him a long look, he really doesn't have anything to do. There hasn't been anything amongst the nobility or the rich that he has been keeping an eye out for. Nor does he really want to bother with any big heist at the moment. Even if there is, Hawks isn't sure he'd go for it.

A bamboo house on top of a hill sounds just about right, maybe he is tired of flying around. He didn't think the urge to settle down would come by this early but maybe he should go somewhere and make a place to go back just so he knows he can.

Besides, it's going to be a tiresome chore searching for a place in this world that's searching for his head instead.

"Fine then," Hawks relents, not having anything to lose but above that, when he glimpses at Izuku, there's a sentiment in his head that he's doing the right thing, staying by his side.

Hawks pauses, is this me being maternal? Because he hasn't had an omegan instinct in a long while but Izuku looks like a young hatchling, a practical newborn. Hawks could just imagine the guy being eaten up in the wild forests with nothing to protect himself with except for that sword.

Though, being as sheltered omegas are, Hawks can bet a good chunk of money and say that Izuku probably doesn't know sword fighting either.

"That's great, thank you so much!" Izuku beams and Hawks looks away to not be blinded.

"Sure, sure. What are you going to take?"

Izuku moves to the bottom of the scroll.

A job request with there being a symbol of an infinity under the reward.

Hawks reads it out, "Find the chalice of the Fountain of Youth? Reward being anything we'd ask for," Hawks raises a brow up to Izuku, "you do know that this is a hoax right? That's a myth, it never happened."

"Correct, but if we go to this location, we can claim the Law of Fallacy," Izuku points out, the Law of Fallacies, a little-known protective clause.

It happened in cases where a job request had been based on erroneous grounds. Hence, you would instead get a small amount of compensation for doing practically nothing.

Hawks is impressed as he tries to find an error in that reasoning and can't.

"But, on the other hand," Izuku continues, "if this job request is actually true—"

"It can't be, sweetheart," Hawks shrugs, "I have been a thief long enough to hear tales of people trying to find evidence of that Omegan Duchess' existence. There's no real truth there, it was just a fancy, romantic pretext to start a war."

Izuku would like to believe Hawks. But the thing is, if someone had told Izuku that he would be transmigrated into a novel setting of all things a month ago, he wouldn't be a believer either. So let's just say he's willing to go on a bit of faith here in keeping his expectations unbiased.

"But, it says here that we need another member," Izuku taps at the requirements column having '3 or more', under the job request.

"We'll find them," Hawks waves, "I'll go and book this request, and then, we'll go over our prospects for a third member," he looks at Izuku sternly, "you, stay put here," Hawks pauses, removing a feather from his wings, "hold on to this if anything happens, give it two strokes."

"Alright," Izuku says after giving Hawks a gold coin to buy whatever he considers would be nice enough for an empty stomach.

Meanwhile, Izuku lets his gaze wander around the faintly lit speakeasy, shrouded figures with their own little wicked deed, overused tables and the humidity in the air. Some use their magic for amusements, others are gambling with cards that fib. All in all, it's a rather interesting place but not interesting enough for Izuku to keep observing as he waits for Hawks.

It wouldn't hurt if he sat down for a bit, would it? He has the feather anyhow and a sword, he might not know his way around a sword but surely he could manage more than thoughtless swings.

He searches for a table that isn't completely full and finds one that has only a single customer.

The customer in question has flames dancing on his fingertips, he has a lean figure and a cloaked hood covering his face but Izuku sees a part of the burnt skin.

It doesn't make him flinch away and by the scent of it, he seems to be an alpha.

"Is it alright if I could sit here for a bit?"

"Be my guest," the alpha replies, letting his flames dance on his fingers, kinda reminds Izuku of how Hawks plays with his feathers. "But you're a new face around here, and not an expected one."

"Ah, yes," Izuku says, continuing the conversation with the stranger, "I'm here on business, and what about yourself, sir?" Izuku seeks out, comfortably seated but his hand is always at the end of the feather.

"I'm here on business too, imperial business at that."

"Oh," Izuku exclaims, "are you a representative of the Central Kingdoms?" and Izuku frowns, there shouldn't be any of them here, should they? He does try to take a look at the stranger who sports white hair, he isn't sure if the guy is old or young. But his voice made Izuku suppose he's a little older than him.

"Representative of the Central Kingdoms, huh," the stranger hums as if it had been an interesting question, the flames on his hand evolve into a picture. A pride of mountain lions which Izuku recalls is a symbol native to the royal family of Todorokis. "Yeah, something like that."

The stranger receives no answer from Izuku. He lifts his cloak to see Izuku with shimmering eyes and it's not a reflection of the dimly lit candles around.

"I apologise," Izuku says, absolutely star-struck with the flames, "but your magic is really incredible."

"....believe it or not, you're one among the few," the stranger stops, in reconsideration, "you are the only one who has told me that in a long while," and Izuku catches a look at his face.

It's burnt up bad and Izuku comes across the realisation that it might have been due to his magic.

"...did I offend you, sir?" He asks, not having meant it.

What if the magic this person got was at a price and Izuku had just been listlessly praising something that harmed him?

"No, don't bother," the stranger replies, uninterested as he continues to drink from his cup, "it's rare for someone to be looking at the bright side of this thing."

"I suppose it's all about perspective," Izuku says, recalling what Hawks told him earlier, really did strike a chord in him, "a fire is only a fire, whether it warms you or scorches you depends on the distance you keep from it."

"That is one way of saying I should be isolated from people—"

"I didn't mean it that way," Izuku cuts in, "I meant that in reference to you and your magic, not you and the people around you."

The man leans back in his chair as he takes another swig, blue eyes that regard him with amusement over the rim of the cup.

"They call me Dabi," he introduces and Izuku smiles exchanging his own name.

"You're not from around here, are you?"

"Not really," Izuku says.

"Figures. Normally, people have a different reaction to hearing my name."

Izuku blinks, it sounds like he should know this man.

Well, can he catch a break? He had been a near introvert in his own world, how is he supposed to know people from this world that he's only had a handful of days to explore?

"I guess I'm not as normal."

"Clearly."

Izuku frowns, hasn't it been a long time? Where on Earth is Hawks? Wait, is this Earth? What is this world even called? Izuku shakes his head, realising he is mumbling, not the point right now. He pauses the conversation to search for a glimpse of red wings, it's conspicuous enough to be spotted in a crowd, "I'm so sorry, I just lost sight of a friend. We were supposed to go over prospects."

The last part comes out as a mutter.

Dabi entertains a question, "prospects, eh."

"A job request, we need a third member," Izuku pauses, that feels like an oncoming headache, and then, he looks at Dabi with speculation on his mind, "would you volunteer? There isn't much to be done, honestly. Oh wait," he remembers, regarding the alpha, "you still have your official work to finish, don't you?"

Dabi, who has nearly a well-put catalogue of motivations chronologically listing why he should not stay home, raises a brow, "humour me, you never know—"

"Sweetheart," a berating voice comes behind him, "I did tell you to stay put, and who," Hawks' tongue suffers an immediate halt when he sees Dabi sitting across Izuku.

Dabi, for his part, raises both his brows, surprise and something else glittering in his blue eyes.

"You're still alive. Shocker."

"Sweetheart, I leave you for one moment," Hawks pins down on Izuku, his omegan scent becomes protective, "and you're fraternising with a war criminal?

A what now? Izuku says in his mind before he looks at Dabi. This world had already suffered wars? It must have been recent for a war criminal to be this young which puts things into a dance of perspectives, are wars a regularity in this world?

"I'm guessing this birdie here is your friend," Dabi says as if the choice of word is fascinating, "in which case, he is already fraternising with the so-called Grand Thief, why is it so surprising that he is here with me? So much for keeping up pretences, eh?"

"Pretences," Hawks says in a mock of curiosity, "you would know all about it, wouldn't you? How is the Palace life treating you?"

"Son of a—"

"Oh, wow," Izuku exclaims loudly, gaining both of their attention as he came in between. His scent brings in some form of pacifying impact, "I didn't know you both knew each other but I am sure we can talk this through like civilised people."

"I don't think there's a reason we should bother with that, Sweetheart," Hawks claims, and Izuku thinks they really should.

"Actually," he says, unsure of how he can put this in a way that doesn't offend the fellow omega, "I was thinking of introducing him as the third member of our group for the job request."

"God, no, he's horrid," Hawks says, immediate and genuinely horrified.

Dabi smiles, "Could say the same about you, featherhead."

They sound like two children who pushed each other down in a sandbox and have carried that grudge into adulthood. Izuku smiles, deciding that he needs to be the responsible one here, and he gently pushes them both down.

"Now, Hawks," he advocates to the omega, "Dabi here has powerful magic if things do go awry, and Dabi," he turns to him, "it's a fairly short job request, I don't think it'll take much of your time."

"Sweetheart," Hawks smiles, taking Izuku's hand, "I could find so many better contenders who are much powerful compared to this," he gives a once over to Dabi, "person."

"Oh really," Dabi sings in, "do introduce me, I'd like a match."

"Moving on," Hawks emphasizes to Izuku, his smile somehow remains throughout. "Sweetheart, he and I would probably kill each other—"

"Do you really not want me to come that bad?" Dabi queries, interest flickering and Hawks gives him an obvious brow raise.

Pointing his finger at his own face that carries an expression of disgust, Hawks asks, "Does this look like the face of a person who wants you near?"

"Alright," Dabi says pettiness and finality ringing in his voice, "I'm in, it doesn't matter what the job says."

That was relatively easy, Izuku feels before looking over to Hawks, who looks both indignant and flabbergasted.

Izuku urges him, "it's going to be a short while, isn't it, Hawks? We will be fine, after all, we can add the binding penalty clause as well," which Izuku guesses are made for situations exactly like this.

Hawks probably regrets teaching him this.

The omegan bird assumes a deep breath of perseverance, having even forgotten why he's here in the first place. Izuku believes he'll get over it, he's a quick bird and a little too pragmatic for his own good.

Hawks begrudgingly takes them to the room behind the counter.

Aizawa sits on an old stool with a messy surrounding. He had been preparing their contract scroll for the orders Hawks had drawn in earlier.

"Right, so did you find your third member?" He asks before looking up at the omega who looks sullen and stops when he sees the alpha behind him. They make the contract with three members, and the little, green omega adds:

"Could you add a clause that prevents these two from robbing and killing unless absolutely necessary?" And then he spares a glance to the both of them, "it is wrong to do either."

Aizawa isn't sure but takes an account of it.

So far, they have a Grand thief with a price on his head, a war criminal who has nothing to his name and a noble who has probably run away from home making a rag-tag team of people for the strangest request Aizawa has ever received.

How that sort of thing will manage, Aizawa doesn't know.

Izuku has his thumb pricked first, watches as the other two are done with it, and a potion of their blood is made. Aizawa carefully spills it all over the scroll, letters and runes binding the three in a contract. Like all magical things, it's so mystical to just watch it. Dabi looks over the job request before Izuku explains it concisely. Then, Izuku remembers.

"Hawks, food."

"Ah," Hawks rummages through his wings, gives him a package of still-warm food, "there you go, sweetheart, we need to find an inn for the night," he gives a side glance to Dabi.

"Are you sure your father is going to be fine with this?" Hawks inquiries, "what if he sends guards after us? Or better yet, imperial knights?"

Izuku frowns, "why would he send guards after us?"

"Well, technically, he is the first prince, war criminal or not," Hawks flicks his wrist at Dabi, "and his father is the King, a real miser of a King but that's just an opinion."

Wait a minute, Izuku presumes, connecting the dots, "your brother is Shouto Todoroki?" 

"Youngest of my siblings," he says with some measure of discomfort that is soon replaced with a laid-back stance. "I threatened to kill him in the previous war. Anyhow, the job request is not long enough to make my old man notice. This place," he looks at the location hinted at Witcher's Willow, "is nearby."

"That's decided," Hawks says, clapping his hands, "now, we need to find the inn."

"Let me check if we have enough money," Izuku says, opening his magical pocket, and Hawks closes it.

"There's no need to spend money, just tell them the First prince is with us and to send the bill to the Imperial family," he waves and Dabi narrows his eyes.

"I didn't consent to that—"

"Oh my," Hawks muses, the omega in him seems to have a sheer thing for theatrics, "looks like stealing will have to be absolutely necessary."

Sighing, Izuku glances at Dabi with a sheepish smile, "please?"

The alpha rolls his eyes and agrees. Dabi has a strange, instinctive premonition that this won't be the first instance of these two bossing over him.

The Bard's Inn does the job fairly nice and Izuku spends little time getting into the warm bath arranged for him. It's small but he's not going to nitpick, it's been one heck of a day, and he just wants to relax.

So that's a development of things, he needs to look at the map once to figure out where he's going to go. Maybe a place where he could see the open skies and water nearby but he needs to make he doesn't die before it. He has no plot armour protecting him, he's literally a red shirt, and he needs to keep an eye on Shouto Todoroki's movements.

By the way, Izuku probes, why would Shouto Todoroki come to investigate my execution? Were we friends or something? Had the Third Prince in the original reality helped him in some way? But how would he even meet him seeing as the guy was sheltered or rather isolated from his own people for years? Why would he be able to meet a prince from another kingdom?

Whatever be the case, at this moment, the Central Kingdoms would be making an alliance with the Southern Kingdoms sooner after Todoroki had returned. Izuku frowns, he's missing a lot of important pieces, never mind that he was drunk then, but just what was the name of the crown prince of the Southern Tribe?

A powerful alpha with a beast of magic, a threat that could not be overlooked whether he had an army or came alone. Izuku regards the information with a squint eye, why does he remember the descriptions but not the name?

How the heck is he supposed to identify this person? Never mind, Izuku thinks, it's not like I'm going to run into him or something.

His fingers go over to the back of his neck, tracing the imprint and strangely enough, that comforts him. He had put a scent neutralising bandage over it, just to avoid questions on whose imprint is.

That alpha, the unnamed one who has imprinted on him, Izuku wonders how he is. He seems to have been nervous then, he's got a gorgeous scent though. Izuku brings his knees to his chest, cheek resting on his knees as he ponders.

He was really sweet too. Izuku pauses, taking in the flurry of warmth in his chest.

Did he develop a crush on a man he doesn't even know?

And he says to himself, no, that cannot be the case even if his omega tells him differently. That would be so weird. Liking a person he didn't even know. That would be stupid, yes, Izuku nods a little too quickly, that would definitely be stupid.

Still, he hopes the alpha is faring well.

Izuku flexes his fingers out as he dries himself, wearing a pair of comfortable pants. He takes the magical pouch, opening it to take a bunch of medicines out, he takes the salves and continues to put it on the bruises. They still hurt and it seems like some scars won't heal up at all, Izuku winces, just how far had they gone?

"Sweetheart, I've knocked three times, I'm just going to—"

Hawks walks in with a hot cup of tea to drink before bed. He comes to a stop as he looks at Izuku, "...I am going to keep this cup on the table, sweetheart. Will you call me later if needed?"

"Yes, thank you," Izuku says, understanding the bruises raise questions, thankful that Hawks hadn't seen his tattoo on the upper back. Izuku doesn't want to face the reality of being the third prince. He really isn't that guy.

He hasn't even had time to process half the things that he has gone through. Take it easy, he thinks to himself, looking at his surroundings to ground himself, bit by bit. His omega does a pretty good job at making a fluffy bed. He isn't sure what that behaviour is called but that paired with the lavender tea Hawks had brought him douses him to a comfortable nap.

Morning finds Izuku stretching himself out of bed. Hawks had knocked once to wake him and come down to the inn for breakfast. Cracking his neck, Izuku dresses decently enough to go down the stairs. He's a little lost until he reaches the table where Dabi and Hawks sit across each other.

The tension seems bad enough for people to avoid their side entirely. Izuku watches a waitress walk over to take their orders. The poor thing must have thought Dabi and Hawks are quarrelling mates because she greets them with a:

"My, what would a beautiful couple such as yourselves like this morning?"

Dabi chuckles, considering Hawks who is taking a sip of his tea, "if he was my omega," he gestures, frank to the bone, "I would put poison in his tea."

"If you were my alpha," Hawks says, deliberately taking another sip before continuing, "I'd drink it."

They really do start the mornings with death threats, Izuku reflects, pacing quickly to put the overly nervous waitress from her misery.

"I think we will take a moment, please," he smiles, sending her an apologetic look. He sits down, curious as he looks at the pair of them, wondering why they dislike each other.

"Did you have a good sleep, sweetheart?"

Izuku nods, and Dabi brings the map to the location out, "Eraserhead sent a message out last night," he says, "told we should take the South way up to the tower of the Witcher's Willow. The normal way can't be used."

"Magical traps. Baited magical traps," Hawks corrects himself, "South up would take more hours than usual."

"And he warned that the tower's witch, well," Dabi looks at the tower from where the request had come from, "she's unhinged, sees a little too well."

"Divinations?" Lips pursed together, Hawks considers, "I thought witches didn't deal with fortune-telling."

"Told ya, she's unhinged, who knows what else she is."

"Did he give a name?" Hawks prods and the entire interaction raises the most confusing overview of their relationship. Izuku isn't sure if this is them being professional or them having something more than just hate.

"You're certain, both of you," Izuku goes over the request, "that this myth of the omegan Duchess," he repeats, "is really false," because there's something strange in a person sending repetitive requests.

Even if it had been for shits and giggles, to be this vigilant sounds bizarre.

"It is," Dabi speaks up, recalling the topic coming up once during a dinner. Where his dear brother Natsuo had been going through what his mother would humbly put as an exploratory search. "The so-called Dukedom ruled by this Duchess lies in the East, it's surrounded by the oceans on one hand, and conflicts on the other."

"Sea trade?" Izuku perks up.

"Among other things. The place is hoarded for how valuable it is," the alpha states, playing with a candle, "Since it's popularly coveted for, it's been declared no man's land."

"It's still a point of contention between the North and South though," Hawks reveals, leaning back on his chair to a degree that makes Izuku nervous, "but the pith of the matter is, there is no Duchess."

"And it's stupid, pray tell," Dabi realises a flame too big while bringing it back to a smaller size, "even if there was a Duchess, how did an entire Duchy disappear with its people? Where did it go? And not leaving any trace of any magic behind?"

"As I said, Sweetheart," Hawks reminds as their breakfast arrive, "a fancy, romantic pretext for a war."

Finishing breakfast, they set off for the tower that's on the South of the forest. Izuku realises, from the loanshark era, he has third wheeled a fair deal, between friends who seemed as promising partners but were too shy or people who just wanted him there to ease tensions.

But this? Izuku had never considered that he would be third-wheeling with people who hate each other.

He isn't sure if that's a new high or low that he's reached.

"Say, I've been curious," Hawks begins, flying over them so he doesn't come in Dabi's exact line of fire as they trekked up the forest, "did Shigaraki really just barter you to your family to suffer lesser reparations from the war?"

He gracefully avoids an upward blast of fire that meanwhile scares the living daylights out of Izuku. And then, has the nerve to continue, "I heard he tied you to a ship with Rescind chains to make sure you were given back."

This time around the fire nearly causes a forest fire. Other than the obvious bickering, mostly from Dabi's side now, the forest ferns are told to be grey in every weather and no flowers grow there.

Izuku runs into Dabi's back when he stops walking and Hawks comes down from the skies. The alpha clicks his tongue, and Hawks narrows his eyes to golden slits at whatever invisible thing it is because Izuku's eyes can't see it.

"Imposition runes," Hawks says, noticing his confusion, "we can't use our magic beyond this point."

"Hey, are you any good with the sword?" Dabi inquires, pointedly staring at the Draumedian steel.

"No."

"Lend it to me if we run into trouble," Dabi says and Izuku's ears perk up.

"Are you good with swords?"

"Kinda."

Izuku commits that detail to memory, not sure if he could ask for lessons, he'd rather wait a little longer than go for it. "So exactly where is this tower supposed to be?" Hawks asks, "walking is tiring, how you manage is beyond me."

"It's what normal people do, you obviously, are a chicken."

"Chickens walk as well you know," Izuku adds and Dabi gives it a thought.

"He's an insult to his kind," he shrugs.

Izuku speedwalks ahead of them to avoid whatever bickering that comes forth. In his doing so, Izuku raises his head to see a tower in plain sight, he blinks, that was painless to find.

He might have just jinxed his luck then.

"Hey," Izuku turns back only to realise Hawks and Dabi are no longer there replaced with an entirely too quiet silence.

Then, the ground beneath him swallows him, very literally, the grass moves and becomes a mouth. Teeth of soil chew him in, a tongue wraps around his waist and brings him further in though he doesn't feel anything. That tops his worst nightmare and short circuits Izuku's brain to only have the thought, huh?

He's brought into a wobbly grey space with Dabi and Hawks who detach from each other.

"What just—"

"There you are," a loud voice ushers in as they are vacuumed into a living room. Spread with soft carpets, a burning hearth, scattered potions and puppets on the floor to the wall. All three of them are sitting on a mismatch patterned sofa that perfectly fits them in.

There's a woman to whom the voice belongs. A beta, pink flowing deadlocks with an assertive aura and clearly doesn't register any speck of horror or bafflement reflecting on either of their faces.

"Give me your hand," she says before taking Dabi's hand, green and yellow eyes blazing cheers.

"My, my, what a bright boy, wouldn't you know his fright? Besides that cabinet is dark! Too small for a little child to hide. Oh, you should have sent a messenger to confide," and she stumbles there, seeing something greater, she nearly has tears in her eyes, "a tangerine's delight is sweet only after having tried."

She drops Dabi's hand who still looks like the sky kind of cracked open.

Hawks recovers quick, refrains from giving his hand, "Uh, hey, Lady—" but doesn't stand a chance to whatever iron grip the beta has.

"Marauding for the fame!" She silences him, a little too close for the omega's likeness, "to tame that sand on your edge but don't you let them afoot that bridge! The shore's soot is better than the desert's dread," she smiles then, stumbling again, sighing then, "his tent is the one in red."

Like clockwork, she heads to Izuku but her eyes don't gleam and she gazes at him, lost and forlorn.

"I can see nothing," she says but that doesn't faze her. Instead, she grows to have the most content smiles Izuku has truly seen in a while.

"Are you okay?"

"Of course," she beams, it's more tear-stained but Izuku simply looks at her curiously. "Well, then," she claps her hands, "you lot should get going, I hope you brought warm coats, the rains are merciless."

"I am so sorry, darling," Hawks says, polite and sweet to the details, "but rains happening where again?"

"Oh, the places you will go for searching the chalice," she says, bending her neck, "you didn't think it was a fib, did you?"

"No," Hawks says, quite like a liar, must have come with the profession, "But you mean to say that the Fountain of Youth exists? As in the corpse of the unnamed omegan Duchess?"

"Yes? The story varies from the common narrative," she says, straightforwardly. The three of them fumble uncomfortably as the witch elaborates on her shreds of evidence.

It would seem, the Duchess had created a magical sphere so humongous in her last few moments that it engulfed her entire Duchy and froze its people in time.

Izuku flicks his wrist as if asking for logic, "but why would she do that?"

"To protect her Dukedom and her people, from the Wars," Hawks says, having come around surprisingly quick to the idea that he was wrong, "I'm guessing that magic cost her, her life."

"So it did."

"Why didn't she seek aid from the North?," Izuku brings up humbly, "she was a Duchess of the North—"

"No, she was not," the woman, Mei Hatsume as they've learned, states, a little vigour in her voice, "she belonged to no one and neither did her people, the Duchy of the East has always been sovereign of the North and South."

"Oh, so you mean to say," Izuku understands because there are lengths of war poetics written on the damage that had incurred to the Duchess, "she was dragged into a fight with no rhyme or reason?"

"Yes."

Izuku deems it critically.

Even if they are to go on the job to find the chalice and essentially, revive this frozen in time kingdom, is now really a good time to do so? He doesn't know which chapter of the novel is spinning out, how close are they to inevitable war? Especially since the Duchy had already been vied for.

What if it becomes a major instigator?

"How is it," Dabi's voice rises then, almost incredulous in its manner, "that I am the only one thinking about how incredibly stuck we are here?"

Izuku's jaw locks in place as he recognises they don't have a choice. The measly contract laws stated to finish the job, a blood oath significantly bound them to finish it fully no matter what be the case.

On top of that, this kind of job sounded like it would have an abundance of death-on-site opportunities.

"Is it really that bad though?" Hawks muses.

"Ever the optimist, aren't you?" Dabi says, the mockery is a little too toned for the conversation they are having, "What silver lining do you bring to us today, pretty bird?"

Suddenly, this feels a lot heavier than the recent banter the two have shared. But Hawks doesn't give in to it, probably on account of Izuku, "well, for one, no one deserves to be in a cage, and being frozen in time is the worst rendition I have heard of it."

"It's not like we have a choice either."

They really don't.

It indicates Hatsume to continue but she probably already saw that coming.

The story she gives entails that the Duchess drank a poison in order to fill the chalice with enough magic to protect her kingdom. It is called the Fountain of Youth because her corpse has frozen the kingdom, swept away by the waves of time.

The chalice had to be returned to its origin to undo the spell of time.

Hatsume briefs them that every time they found one of the parts, they will also find a marble which they are required to touch.

The marble is supposed to help them tornado-shift to their next location, and that name is honestly very sketchy to Izuku. It still won't transport them to the exact location. It would seem they would have to travel a bit sometimes, Hatsume isn't too clear about it.

"The chalice that you are to find," Hatsume provide a hologram style of an image, "is divided into three parts — the base, the stem and the cup," she says, stalling for a moment before shrugging, "I can give the first location of the place."

"What should we do after finding the chalice?" Izuku questions.

Hatsume, bless her heart, but with a smile nearly as creepily cryptic as the words, says, "You'll know."

That sentiment one feels when they aren't given a small part of an information? And that small part ends up being very vital?

That obscure dread of an impending threat? Yes, he feels it.

Izuku judges he's being a little absurd but his omega part biology tells him otherwise. Hatsume doesn't relent to offering any other information and asks Hawks to follow her, without question, on the pretext of bringing pastries.

Izuku takes in the air of nonchalance surrounding Dabi who is deep in thought.

"Is everything alright, Dabi?"

"Peachy," he replies, trying to summon a flame before recalling he can't.

That decidedly sets him in a much worse mood, Izuku can't read people but thankfully, his omega can. Fear, it conveys to Izuku, picking out the pheromones that Dabi can't have control over.

"Do you mind that this is unfair to you?" Izuku seeks, sympathetic as he reaches a hand over his shoulder.

Dabi snaps, movements quick and irritation on the tips of his gaze when he directs it to Izuku immediate jumping back on the couch, a little too sharply to be an ordinary reaction. Izuku's brain lags on what just happened, that was a startle response, Izuku identifies, why is he startled? He looks up to Dabi who appears far more surprised as if he realises something that flies over Izuku's head.

"Did I scare you, little leaf?"

Scare—oh, Izuku supposes he should have known. This time around, he even has a memory vision to go with, canes and burns, red blood spot on the carpet and the coldness of a white-haired man. He's an alpha and Izuku feels like he should be scared.

"No, no, it's nothing," Izuku smiles, diverging the flow back to Dabi and pushing this for later reflections, "tell me," he says earnestly, "Is this really a thorn on your side?"

Dabi takes a short time to forget the small lapse there, he glances away, "ain't a good idea to be seen with me."

"Why would you say that?"

Dabi doesn't talk, his eyes are fixed on the burning hearth. It has a lovely fire singing and licking the bricks, probably leading up to the chimney. It needs cleaning though, Izuku think absent-mindedly, how would a fire survive with so many ashes around? Couldn't keep the warmth up for long.

But to be seen with him? Dabi is a war criminal, and Izuku isn't particularly bothered which is a problem he should look into. Maybe he doesn't feel the need to be very judgemental in this world because he doesn't think he's a part of it. Yet, the case is glaringly different for Dabi, he's a prince, possibly a black sheep in the family, tried to nearly kill his brother, was bartered like a piece of land by a friend nonetheless.

"I don't mind being seen with you," Izuku speaks out, "I am sure Hawks doesn't either—"

Dabi snorts, "Debatable."

"No, actually," Izuku considers it because Hawks isn't someone who goes provoking people on a whim. He doesn't seem that kind of person, rather the sort that likes keeping themselves private. The fact that he goes the extra mile (Izuku would argue that it's an extra mountain at this point but he digresses) for Dabi is an interesting turn of events.

"I think he wants you around too."

Dabi's movement hitches, a teeny, tiny moment of hope.

It cements the doubts Izuku has been having.

There you have it, people, he absorbs. Among many other things, Izuku has now been granted audience to a complicated romance trope that has nothing to do with him. Neat.

"Not for long."

Izuku frowns, this feels very familiar and he remembers this analogy from his previous life. "You know, I do not know what you've done, or where you've been but I think you are trying a little too hard to be both of them," he says, understanding he has basically no right or virtue to even be talking about this, "you're not a box, Dabi."

".....anyone else saying that would have been burnt."

Izuku giggles, shyly, bearing cross-fingers, "And I'm hoping you won't do that because you're a nice person?"

"I've killed people," Dabi drawls.

"Okay, because I'm a nice person?"

Dabi chuckles, shoulders slightly rolling as he glances at Izuku, "you're a leafy, little shit," and Izuku assumes that's a compliment coming from the alpha, wafting a smoky scent and Hawks comes back with pastries.

Izuku doesn't suppose he enjoyed his time with Hatsume. That is entirely understandable.

"Alright then," Hatsume starts, "I shall tell you the location of the base," she has a melting pot, it's sentient, way different than the sort Izuku has seen. Muttering the language of God-knows-what, the pot tries to run away but Hatsume ties it down. She pours in a seemingly ancient potion and a piece of her own hair.

"Oh," she says as Izuku drinks the tea.

"Where the Mother of Lions smiles."

Izuku doesn't know where that is but when he sees the frozen statue Dabi becomes, he has a little hunch.

Hawks finishes savouring his cake, a smile hiding as he finishes, "well, that should be easy enough for a lion, shouldn't it?"

Dabi groans, glares at the witch.

"Do you know how big that place is?"

Hatsume shrugs, hardly bothered. For the second time today, Dabi becomes the incarnation of a vindictive man who can't use his magic to burn the witch down.

"Well," Hawks states, underestimating his own knowledge, "just how big can a library be?"

Oh, Izuku says in his mind, picking up on all the hints to guesswork his way through.

The place is probably the royal library of the Imperial Central kingdoms. Izuku has seen his share of big libraries and resolves a magical one might be more or less complicated. The moment they are done with their food, Hatsume kicks them all out the same way they came in, only grabbing Izuku for a moment, asking him to send her a note when they are done.

"Do not forget to tell them, third prince," she whispers. Izuku's eyes widen at the random suggestion before he gets sucked into a vacuum, it's a process of reversal and Izuku gets to live his nightmare twice on a backtrack. The ground spits them out as if it didn't like the taste they provided and they are back where they had been. It's still noon, not even a minute has changed.

What a warped concept of time.

"Aizawa said she was unhinged huh?" Hawks ponders, hands crossed behind his head, "Jeez, was he underestimating it?"

Dabi rolls his eyes, determined to get past the imposition runes, "crazy fucking hag, I'm getting out of here."

Smiling at the pair, Izuku follows. It occurs to none of them that they hadn't concerned themselves in asking for what reward they would be getting.

The point of getting to the Palace is nearly as difficult as trying to hide Hawks. Dabi decides, in the end, to bring Izuku as a friend of sorts as they travel in the carriage and Hawks would fly far above them.

Meanwhile, Izuku learns to put the Draumedian sword to good use, not before he practices with a wooden one. From the loanshark era, he had to keep up with a good running profile and workouts to make sure he could parkour his way away from loan sharks who didn't where he lived.

Hence, while he is spiritually used to the harsh training Dabi mercilessly puts him through, his body is still unaccustomed.

It drives Izuku to degrees of frustration, he requires minutes to remind himself that his body is probably just an effect of the worldbuilding. He could have had it much worse.

Somewhere along the lines, he tells Dabi he is magicless and Dabi tells him he's a fool if Izuku thought he hadn't figured that out. Along the travelling stops, Hawks' feathers dispatch letters of unpredictable lengths, usually dedicating a paragraph to simply convey his insults to Dabi before asking after Izuku's health.

You'd think Dabi would simply forego being around but Izuku thinks he makes a concentrated effort of actually being there.

Izuku gets better with the sword, he's at the bottom line, the sword might literally be all he needs to survive. The tattoo on his back bothers him because he has come in touch with many a magical article but he still can't enhance the capacities of what he touches.

That becomes another reason to visit the royal library.

It takes months to even cover half the distance, Dabi is a quiet person, a man of deviant and strange interests. Sometimes touched by random, nameless strokes of kindness that Izuku commits. So when Izuku calls him a friend, he doesn't say much and tells him he might have found a better one in his brother instead.

On the same day, Dabi talks about the war.

Turns out though, that King Shigaraki of the West used to be his friend. Tomura is a man of many loyalties but obviously thought it sensible to put his kingdom before friendship.

Tough spot to be in, Izuku does not envy it at all.

Their conversation suffers an immediate halt when Hawks letter comes in one word; Heat. Which means he won't be responding for a week, and obviously expects them to continue the journey through. Though Izuku hopes the omega had everything he needed whenever he got his heats.

He doesn't even register how strange it is to have heats. The part of him that's weirded out by it has somehow censored it enough to be hidden from conscious or he just doesn't care. No matter which, it keeps Izuku delusionally happy.

But Dabi has an intriguing reaction to the letter, it's some parts of resentment mixed with purer forms of rage.

Overall bad vibes if you asked Izuku.

"Do you hate him?" Izuku questions, during supper which is free, everything is free because it's taken from the royal treasury. Izuku feels like he should be ashamed but he decides to pay Dabi back soon.

The response to his question comes long after it's asked but Izuku knows it's an answer when he hears the 'No,' resounding in the carriage.

"Are you waiting on someone?" Dabi finally says when they finish the sword practice for the day.

"Waiting on someone?"

"Feels like it," Dabi offers, the omega is too dedicated and Dabi has gauged Izuku's consideration to other alphas. He isn't disturbed in the least by any of their scents, no matter how overpowering.

Granted, Dabi has met a good shade of omegas who don't wish for a partner. But their omegan scents do not carry content in this way.

Izuku looks up to the night sky, he's forgotten the voice of the alpha, the scent remains the same in his memory. How many days has it been? He should be over it, and so he replies, "Maybe, I am."

"Hope he's a good one."

"That sounds like a threat, Dabi."

"I am only saying it, Birdbrain will go ahead with it," Dabi says, and Izuku laughs.

"Hawks wouldn't hurt someone on my account."

Dabi gives him a very elaborate look that in its utmost core asks him to reconsider his evaluations.

Hawks' letter comes again a week after, telling him everything has been fine and asking if Dabi has finally kicked the bucket when he can fully see their carriage going about.

Izuku feels like he's witnessing an Enemies to Lovers rom-com.

"Sweetheart, it's been so long!" Hawks announces, pulling Izuku into a hug when they have finally reached the capital. He gives Dabi a plate of barbed ignorance before remembering, "oh, also, Hatsume darling seems to have forgotten to mention a certain something."

"What would that be?"

"We can't talk about the job or communicate any part of it to anyone who isn't listed in the contract."

"Can't?" Dabi narrows his eyes before Izuku blinks. He knew this, he read it in those scrolls and scriptures of magical nuances.

"Silencing charms and the Vow of secrecy," he says and Hawks nods.

The Vow of secrecy mainly ensured that they won't be able to speak about the secret. If they tried to write it down or any other method, their body will either freeze for the same time or just be put to sleep. Hawks who had been trying to buy a pair of coats while making a friendly conversation learnt it the hard way.

Izuku goes back to the time in that tower, they must have eaten it. No wonder, Hatsume didn't seem like a hostess who is mindful of social conventions.

"I should have killed her."

"Don't be foolish," Hawks rebukes the alpha, "The contract doesn't allow it, remember?" And the fact that it is the only limitation that's holding either of them from committing heinous crimes is both terrifying and astounding.

In the near distance, the Imperial palace shines like a dream unfulfilled, it's a large, imposing thing where power lives and thrives.

Hold up, Izuku stops mid-way of a step, what if someone recognises him? Also, did he forget he is a criminal as well? He hasn't heard anything about himself in months.

So tiring, can there please be a moment when he's not worrying about something?

They are plotting in a dark alley when Dabi takes a hold of Hawks' wrist, "Third corridor, first door to the left."

"I know."

Flying out, Hawks hides in the lower clouds as Dabi travels with Izuku. This gives Izuku a sound opportunity to quietly watch the functioning of the Central Kingdom's Imperial Palace.

It has a eccentric duality of temperature, Izuku is conflicted with whether he requires a coat or needs to shed a layer down. People, mainly maidservants, give him an extension of looks and Izuku realises, a little dumbly and a bit too late.

Dabi is an alpha, an alpha who likely doesn't bring in friends here, let alone those who are omegas. So if he actually brought an omega, they are probably are inclined to think that something is up in a non-platonic manner.

He leads him through flowering patios and ornate corridors before stopping over at the entrance of his room.

"Stay here for a bit, I need to meet a brother and get a few things."

"How many siblings do you have?"

"Three."

Izuku pauses, what a handful. Dabi is the eldest of them all but the maidservants don't treat him as so. They usually stay off his path. Izuku understands why, they probably didn't want to associate themselves with a war criminal. That probably feels lonely. Not knowing any better, Izuku reviews the interior designs he sees, the corridor is well-ordered, floating chandeliers in the ceiling seems to be a thing, in fact, a whole lot of floating—

"Who are you?"

Freezing his thoughts, Izuku turns in the direction of the sound to see a tall, buff man, alpha obviously, he has red hair and a crown neatly secured over it. It's still the blue eyes that give him away, rather than the obvious crown because Izuku focuses on the too tiny details.

"I greet his Highness, the Emperor of the Imperial Central," he bows, choosing his words very carefully and guarding his scent closely, "I am here under the orders of the First Prince."

"Touya brought someone?" The king looks surprised and he steps closer to investigate, Izuku curses his luck and from the nearby window, Hawks catches a glance of the scenes, eyes widening.

His feathers immediately write 'stay alive,' mid-air as if Izuku hasn't been doing that. And so Hawks moves away, probably to bring Dabi out quicker.

He swerves to the window on the other end, watching Natsuo pass by Dabi who headed to his own quarters. Hawks takes another turn to the balcony, "hey—" he is met with a blast of fire and nearly escapes death by the skin of the teeth.

"Can you please not do that?!"

"Don't enter my room through the balcony unannounced, chicken," Dabi grabs a coat and a few other spares of clothes, he could probably keep it in that magical pocket Izuku carries around.

"Hey, listen now—"

"Why are you going along?" Dabi cuts in, halting Hawks as he stares.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I'm talking about, Hawks."

Wings fold back as Hawks leans on the pillar, it's not that hard to see. That both Dabi and Hawks had not been born into the crimes they have done but were pushed to it since they were children. For Dabi, it would be atoning to crimes of one war by freeing the effects of another. He still doesn't believe it exists and will speak for the Duchy only when he sees it.

The silence stays longer in their company until instead of the emotional fireworks, Hawks pouts, "I have no other work to do."

"....are you serious?"

"Yeah."

"How do you live with yourself?" Dabi asks and Hawks stretches out, having a distant feeling like he's forgetting something.

Though the question doesn't ask for an answer but Hawks gives it, "with the reputation of a good thief and the guilt of the world crashing down on me?" Hawks grins, "Easily," it cause Dabi to roll his eyes, sighing with less than a shred of fondness.

"That kid," Hawks continues, earning a pointed glance.

"He deserves a bamboo house, and besides," he sheepishly smiles and there's the personality that Dabi knows him for, "I need a place where I'm not pinned with black pearls too, you know."

"That kid wants a bamboo house?" Dabi asks, what a strangely simply thing to ask for when you can get so much more.

"That kid," Hawks trails off, remembering, "is with your father right now!"

"My— you should have told that in the beginning, you idiot," Dabi says, hurrying to leave to the front door and of course, Izuku isn't there. Shit, he thinks before Izuku walks back into the corridor led by a few of his father's personnel. They bow to the first prince and leave Izuku who doesn't slacken his shoulders until they leave, and Dabi feels a slight dread, the familiarity of it returns him to places he thought he had left behind.

"Your father invited me for tea," Izuku says, looking around once before stating to prevent committing treason against the King, "he's a very complicated man."

Which is honestly putting it lightly. Enji Todoroki does not know the difference between being a King and a father, a modern-day therapist from where Izuku is would throw riots on him but it isn't that he doesn't want to make a difference in how he perceives his son. As Izuku said, he is a complicated man.

Being pulled into family drama had been the last thing on his mind but why not engage a sub-plot while the main plot plays out. People deserve a chance at their redemption arcs, don't they?

He melts the thoughts away in favour of entering the Imperial library. Silver hues and glass chandelier, shelves that kept changing and glass marble beneath them. There's a reason it's called Where the Mother of Lions smiles, it is said that Omegan Queen Rei Todoroki had been married in unpleasant times. Political alliances and all. After the most recent war, the King built her a library.

Whenever she returns from her Palace in the West, this is where she stays.

A wall-sized portrait of her attracts Izuku's attention, attired in the satin of hyacinth blues, holding an autumn bellflower. Of course, with a smile and it's a pretty one. The library has no one around, cleaning day of some sort and Izuku treads ahead, they have work to do.

"I stand corrected," Hawks slips in, avoiding the magical restraints of the library before staring at the Halls and the number of floors, "just how big is this library?"

"We're supposed to find the base here," Izuku recalls, the golden base of the chalice that the Duchess drank her poison from. He feels sympathy for her but he can see himself doing the same if he had been granted the title to protect his Duchy. Good thing he isn't.

"Yeah, well, the base," Hawks puts air quotes, "is a little too small in a library as big."

"We don't have much time until they come back," Dabi counsels, splitting the library into three sections to be searched by each of them. Even then, Izuku doubts they can do so, Hawks' feathers help but at the end of three hours, Izuku's omega calls forfeit as he sits down on a chair to rest.

"I never knew libraries were this immense to search," Hawks confesses, his feathers are still around, hunting for the silver base through touch.

"You've never visited one before?"

"Unless I was meant to borrow something from there."

"Borrow?" Izuku questions, shaking his head, "I think you mean steal."

"No, I mean borrow," Hawks waves, "see now, stealing," he indicates with one feather, "and borrowing something with the purpose of giving it back," he indicates with another feather, "are two different things. You'll be a happy man if you live that way."

Izuku considers it, well, it is different but that doesn't make it any more ethical. Though, he has a reasonable ground to believe that Hawks probably doesn't care about ethicality.

"Hey, you two," Dabi reproaches, jumping from the third floor with ease, "we don't have time, stop lounging around like you own this place."

"Maybe, it's hidden, you know in plain sight," Hawks says, stretching out on the sofa, sinking into the fluffiness of the surface without a bother in the world. Izuku crosses his legs, his finger stroking his chin as he thought about it, so Hatsume did tell them the place they'll find the chalice is where the Mother of Lions smiles.

How literal or metaphorical was she being?

Could go either way honestly considering it's Hatsume. Maybe there is a specific location where Rei Todoroki smiles or perhaps—

"Uh. Sweetheart," Hawks intervenes, interrupting his thought process, "you're mumbling again," he expresses before introspecting on it himself, "though, that's worth a coin. It could be that portrait in the beginning."

Worth a shot, Izuku supposes as they go to the entrance of the library where lay the wall-size portrait of Rei Todoroki.

Hawks whistles smoothly, "gorgeous as always," he gives a gremlin smile, "hey, Todoroki, is your mother looking for a second husband?"

"Imagine that," the omega says, keen to dig his grave deeper, "I'd be your father—"

"Hawks," Izuku warns.

He turns to look at Dabi loops an arm around Hawks' shoulder, fire burning up around the alpha's hand. "And a part of my family," the flames rise threateningly and Dabi smiles, sweet as the one in the portrait, Hawks giggles, anxiously eyeing the flames, "Still wanna be my father?"

Hawks revises, "On second thought—"

"Dabi, Hawks," Izuku calls out, voice leaving little room for arguments, "stop bickering with each other, would you? Help me with this."

The alpha drags himself, Hawks walking behind as he looks at the portrait, the silver encasing had carvings of mountain lions and autumn bells. "Maybe it's behind the portrait, we'll have to move it."

Izuku hesitates, looking at Dabi, "we have to be mindful with it, this has taken a lot of work for completion right?"

Dabi clearly recalls his father scouring for the best painters and sculptors throughout the lands, seven careful years of dedication and hardwork.

"Don't bother," he replies, helping Izuku to pick it up and putting it to the side with little care. Nothing happens to the portrait itself but the encasing might be compromised.

Izuku winces when he sees the dents in the corner. Dabi's nonchalance however consoles him in the nastiest way possible and Izuku looks, right at the centre, there's a small aumbry embedded in the wall. Golden and white and it emits a great deal of magic, Izuku can even feel embers of it, soft and gentle rays of the Sun.

"A locked door," Hawks says with interest, removing one of his best feathers, sliding it into the keyhole, willing it to take whatever shape as he opens the door. He takes the base out and smiles at them, "ain't that a good thing? To have somewhat of a thief on your side?"

"Somewhat he says," Dabi repeats but before either of them can move, they hear a piercing scream. A maid pointing at them with pure horror, and more so at Hawks who has probably given many a reason to gain that reaction.

"Fuck," Dabi grunts when she runs out, the alpha snaps his head in their direction, "Hey, isn't there a teleportation ball that crazy hag spoke about?"

"The marble," Izuku says, as Hawks hurries to search but comes out empty-handed. They can hear the footsteps of the soldiers, and Hawks clicks his tongue.

"Doesn't matter, we'll need to leave anyhow—"

"No, the protective wards around this library might have been automatically strengthened, unless you wanna end up deformed, don't fucking try it."

Izuku scurries to search, and he sees it then. On the portraits' frame, at the centre, a pearly aureate ball sparkling like a crow's wet dream. Izuku grabs both Dabi and Hawks, earning a squeal and squeak from both of them and touches the ball with his foot.

What happens next is a little blurry.

But every inch of Izuku feels it acutely. His insides twist and turn in the process, limbs and heads detaching into a glob of human existence.

The closest Izuku will ever get to describing tornado shifting is to imagine putting a human in a mixer grinder at the highest speed but rather than being dead, they are teleported over great distances and are very much alive.

It is disconcerting and just plain awful, Izuku wouldn't wish it on his worst enemy.

"Ugh," Dabi groans, barfing on the side of the tree. It isn't like Izuku is any better, but he isn't having the magical impression of motion sickness, "I'm going to kill that hag," and that makes it the seventh declaration so far. Izuku has kept count for no reason.

"Gross," Hawks says, eyeing Dabi before his gaze darts at Izuku, "Sweetheart, do you want water? Anything that would make you feel better perhaps?"

"I think Dabi needs water."

"He won't die."

Izuku gives Hawks a look and the omega clicks his tongue, "Fine," he procures a waterskin from his wings and gives it to Dabi who snatches it away. 

Looking around, Izuku judges that they are in a forest, a hilly forest, an opening, there's a little lake town beneath them. If they had been dropped a step away, they would probably be falling.

"Hey, look," Hawks tips his finger in the direction of the golden ball that had lifted off before shattering over the town, earning an objection from the bird, "that's way bigger than the library, what's the next location going to be? A freezing mountain?"

"A whole town huh?" Izuku says, surveying the bigger details from the heights, Izuku had no clue how they might climb and cut through it.

Dabi clicks his tongue as he stands on Hawks' feathers that form a makeshift carpet, blue eyes deeply minding the twin flags, "I think we're at the borders."

"Of?"

"..well, that's the problem, I think this is an Arch of peace," Hawks says, elaborating that it's a space of land separating two kingdoms beyond borders. An arch of land to be specific and known to be symbolic of peaceful relationships between the said kingdoms.

Presently, they are flying over the Arch of Peace between the Western and Southern kingdoms.

Hawks' face curls in caution over the latter's mention; the Southern lot are crueller than their Northern counterpart.

Sure, Hawks gave people good reasons to be cruel but stripping people of magic then giving them a thousand cuts before dipping them in saltwater is a barbaric level of atrocities. 

"But then," Izuku says, once they reach the grounds, a secluded spot, "isn't that a good thing? We aren't any kingdom's business."

"Not really," Hawks shakes his head, "there are only two places where a Kingdom's guards are concentrated, the Capital and the Arch of Peace. I have only two Black Pearls issued in the Southern Kingdom, seven in the West so I don't think I can afford to be seen in public with you."

"I have one in the West," Dabi pipes and that earns surprise from both Izuku and Hawks, so he continues to shrug, "King Tomura Shigaraki thinks I am going to kill him the moment I step into the Western kingdoms," he does a wave of his hand to imply 'hence.'

"Well, are you going to?"

"Yes."

Hawks decides that's fair and Izuku sighs, "for the moment, let's find an inn to stay in before we plan our next move," he wonders if he could alleviate them to not commit crimes.

At this rate, the contract will become the only single, binding facet that allays their criminal intentions.

No, he corrects himself, it already is the only facet preventing them, that and the fact that no one has provoked them yet. Hopefully, it would stay like that.

Since Hatsume didn't tell them how long they would have to wait for the particular part of the chalice to show up, it becomes hard to predict any part of this journey. So they have no choice but to stay put, Izuku keeps account of their spending so it hasn't crossed anything outrageously.

They find an inn right by the lakeside and some low-grade glamour jinx toffee, it aids in Dabi and Hawks to cover up their appearances. Allowing the taker to transform into whatever, sometimes, it backfires with Hawks transforming into one of the Todoroki's solely to annoy Dabi. Other times, it results in them helping children of the neighbourhood to prepare for the Night Markets in the guise of another.

On the brighter side for Izuku, it's given him time to study scrolls on the tattoo on his back. From the scrolls, he understands that every person has a space of potential for magic. For people who are magicless, it becomes useless as they can't harness this potential due to their lack of magic.

When Izuku touches a magical object, his tattoo helps channel this potential that is completely internal to energize or even enhance that object.

Izuku sits to ponder, what if, he thinks, what if it's the same for people? What if I could enhance the magic of other people instead of just artefacts?

There aren't any notes of that having been done before but Izuku is past the level of believing that normalcy can't be flouted. He starts slowly, along with those godawful and strenuous practices that Dabi puts him through. Izuku succeeds in making those glamour jinx toffee last longer, Hawks cheers him it's a great start and Dabi ruffles his hair appreciatively.

Izuku feels warm, it's nice to have friends, even if they are wanted criminals.

He would just have to make sure they don't commit any crimes, a difficult task by itself.

"Sweetheart, perhaps, consider," Hawks looks around his room in distaste as he picks up a few scrolls, "cleaning? Where are you even?" not finding an answer, Hawks tracks Izuku's scent and finds the omega under a heap of scrolls under his blanket.

"Hello there, aren't you hungry yet?" he smiles warmly and Dabi cranes his neck into the room, brows raising at the random runes drawn. One nearly launches a hex at him and Dabi evades it sheerly on the basis of good reflexes. The alpha stays off the main turf of Izuku's nest and respectfully stands outside whatever makeshift circles of clothes and scrolls are draped around.

Izuku yawns, smiling when Hawks offers him a cup of tea. Dabi glimpses at the rest of the room critically, "How long have you been cooped up here?"

"Week, I think," Izuku shrugs, yawning again as he takes in the warmth from the cup.

"Sweetheart," Hawks admonishes, tying the curtain to the handle, "At what point should I regale you with my 'you need to leave this room more often than you do,' orations?"

"You sound like my mom," Izuku says, still sleepy as he earns a freeze reflex from Hawks who relaxes to a soft giggle.

Excusing himself for a well-deserved shower, Izuku enters when Hawks returns with breakfast.

The bird notes Dabi's hands crossed and his form.

"What's got you sulking this morning?"

Fully dressed with a towel haphazardly thrown on his head to dry his hair, Izuku spares a glance at Dabi. He does seem unsettled, but the alpha lets it leave and blandly replies, "You," gaining a pretence of a smile from Hawks that disappears as soon as it comes.

"We need to get this done with," Dabi remarks, a little out of the blue, "if nothing works, send a missive to that hag."

"I don't think a missive could even reach her," Hawks leans, nibbling on a piece of sweet, "We've been waiting for a month now, Hatsume darling did tell that it would appear whenever, randomly," he shakes his head, looking at Izuku.

"Either way," he says holding Izuku's hands, "I have a little dance with the children for the Night Market," Hawks smiles, "it's a little far from the main Market square but it would mean a lot to them if you came," a little courage springs him to add, "both of you."

"Oh?" Dabi asks, "thought the kids were scared of me."

"They think you're a dragon, but," Hawks trails off, unwilling to fill the awkward space.

"Fine, I'll be there," Dabi says, taking his leave. Since Izuku is this close, he can sense the hope rising in the scent. Ah, he thinks, it's not the kids who want him to come along, is it? He squeezes Hawks' hands and the omega looks at him.

"Do you like him?" Izuku throws in, knowing he's caught Hawks off-guard when his eyes widen, those casual airs dropped.

"No," Hawks replies, turning away, little tints climbing to ears as he snatches his hands back to his person.

Izuku rolls back to his layers of research, thinking it's strange how a lie and truth means the same thing. He stays with the scrolls until Dabi drags him out of his room for sword practice. Izuku had wondered why Dabi would be interested in a non-magical form of strength if he had an extensively powerful form of magic.

Then again, in this world, there are things such as imposition runes and rescind chains. Get caught up in either one and you would be as defenceless as a fawn on predator territories.

Evening comes along quickly, Izuku puts the bandage around his neck, hiding the imprint. Making sure his sword is secured to his back, Dabi and he leave for the Night Markets to watch the dance.

The passage to it is lit up as if it's a reflection of the night sky and its hundred drowning stars.

The Night markets are a place of wonder by themselves. Bubbles of glowing bubble drip and float like drops of the Sun sailing in the air, they are warm to touch. Sellers proudly show their displays, bargains for a potion or the heart of some creature and Izuku is left in awe at the very magic he could feel around him.

It's sudden when they see Hawks. He is with the other citizens, the glamour does a remarkable number on him but to them, he appears as he is, bewitching and sly as his namesake, draped in sheer and silk. Dabi stands frozen in time beside him until Izuku nudges him as he goes to greet Hawks.

Izuku sits on a floating swing, technically meant for children. But he's a newborn in this world so really, he sees no difference. Scents swarm the streets, unlike the Speakeasies which had several scent neutralisers and adjusters in place. 

Izuku nearly forgot that he's here, a place literally surrounded by magic. So maybe he didn't have it but seeing magic happen, and the wonder that came along with it made Izuku thankful immeasurably.

Even if the social hierarchy preyed on his mind from time to time. 

Izuku delights himself with the foods, his imprint has worked like a charm. It always scares the other alphas or even betas away. He's legitimately had three omegas walk up to him, telling him it's a shame they haven't got his alpha.

The thing about it that makes Izuku speechless is that he hasn't got him either. But hey, he's got the imprint, hasn't he?

The imprint should be coming off soon though. Lady Tokage had told him that in a year or so, the alpha would take another, and that is something Izuku's omega hasn't been informed of. He tries to delude himself but then, the crack in his heart has sharp edges. Izuku doesn't know how to fix it without hurting himself.

It's probably going to be painful, the day his neck loses the imprint.

The ways of thousand different magic around him can't console him, and suddenly, the Night Market withers in its glow. Izuku slaps his face lightly, there, there, don't let the worldbuilding get you down like this, he continues to eat his food and drink, worse could happen, I could be dead.

For now, he'll follow the Maslow's scale of hierarchy.

Izuku contents himself by watching Hawks dance, those children adore him, it's nice to see the thief happy. It doesn't come as a surprise when Dabi discloses Izuku that he'll meet him the next morning at Sun Darts, a local port near the inn they are staying at.

The carriage leaves him alone, Izuku greets the guard at the entrance before sauntering to his room. He closes the door, his hand refusing to let go before he does indeed let go, and falls face-first into his bed, nuzzling for a speck of comfort.

Okay, so what if I do want a boyfriend? He huffs, annoyed at himself. It's not like he can call out to the writer to give him a boyfriend, of all things, while he had messed up the plotlines of the novel.

But God, the things he'd do if he had the chance to meet that novelist again.

He puts his face into his hands, why is this getting to him so much either way? Izuku sighs, trying to get his head in place.

Something thumps down on the door, loud enough to be distinguished as a knock. Izuku goes to get it, he'll think about a mate once he finishes the job and settled somewhere nice.

A mate, Izuku reiterates, bewildered at where that even came from as he extends the door halfway in.

The motion reminds Izuku as he withers, didn't Dabi say he's not coming back tonight? But the door is already halfway open and the first thing Izuku manages to catch sight of is two men lying on the floor. Definitely not sure if they are unconscious or dead. He doesn't get time to evaluate further because the door is pushed open.

The next thing Izuku knows is that he's slammed against it. Swift as an arrow, gloved hand firmly secured over his mouth while the other pushes his hip back against the door, digging into the bones.

Someone slipped in, but his survival sensors aren't going off yet which is odd considering how paranoid his omega gets.

What. What's happening? he thinks, he can't pick up a scent but hears the laboured gasps from whatever drudgery the person has done.

Green eyes take their gaze over this person who pins Izuku. Alpha, his omega recognises, as usual. The alpha has blond hair covered sparsely in dirt and blood, the blood brings out the person's eyes.

Red and intense, they seem to be waiting for something to pass.

Their eyes meet only for a moment, and Izuku is about to talk before the grip of both hands reign tighter. A menacing growl sounds out, and the alpha stares him down in threat of a whisper.

"Not a fucking word."