I didn't know where I was.

Wandering around on the streets had lead me wherever the fuck I was now. My senses had been wiped out by my alpha, followed by them deciding to hide themselves in as well for the time being.

"Fuck," I looked down at the rock I had stumbled over, blinking.

Right, didn't I have something to actually do?

While I was looking down at my feet, I caught sight of the feather that was still intact in my arm.

"Damn."

Pulling out my phone, I made a call.

"So tonight is the night?"

"I told you within a week," I replied.

"I'll have the alpha suppressants and fire ready then."

"Thanks, Izuku."

"I'll be waiting for you."

"Go ahead," I gazed at the feather that was the same color as the stains of my blood, unable to tell where my blood was on it. "I'll be bringing something back with me to burn."

"Lovely."

Cutting the call, I broke my eyes from the bloody feather that was stabbed into my arm. I could feel the ties around my silent alpha loosening, ready to send me into hysterics, but it never came. Arriving at the door, I knocked.

"You're here- oh. For fuck's sake, Falcons," Deku pulled me inside in an instant. "Didn't I fucking tell you? Why would you do this?"

"Why would he do this?" I asked with a soft voice.

"Falcons," Deku stared at me. "Go ahead and break."

"The fucking audacity of him," I screamed, my throat beginning to ache. "He has some damn nerve. To show up and then tell me to stay the fuck away from him? As if he wasn't the one that fucking came to me."

Even though I was sobbing, I was so focused on screaming that tears were all that showed.

"You know, the feather didn't even hurt as bad as everything altogether. Opposing mafias, that's what he had to fucking say to me," I took a vase and threw it against a wall to smash it. "Where was his concern for opposing mafias when he fucking slept with me? Twice, even, not just one night. Even better, we never fucked, literally just slept together. Forget about fucking, we never even kissed on our lips. It would have been so much easier had we just had sex and been done."

"Do you think you both would have stopped even after a one night stand?"

Well, fuck. He had a point there.

"We still would have had the same outcome as now, wouldn't we have? It would have been easier because sex is just a physical fucking act. There wouldn't have been this fucking agony for my alpha. He really has some guts, with my fucking bullet around his neck. I wonder if it's still there, against the same chest and neck that's covered with the marks of my mouth. I should have ripped it right fucking off. He doesn't deserve to wear a piece of me on his body anymore."

"Falcons, you've never been a mess before. Why is this getting to you so much then?"

"I don't fucking know, that's the thing, it's not like I even marked him or-"

I fell quiet at the sudden memory of his last words.

"What? Falcons?"

"He said we weren't mates."

The words physically brought me to my knees, falling onto the floor.

"Falcons! Hey, stay with me," Deku was yelling at me but I couldn't hear anymore.

"The suppressants," I sighed when my vision blurred over. "I need them."

A sharp sting went in my neck and I didn't bother to wince, hearing Deku again. Despite my vision supposing to be better, I still couldn't see clear.

Oh, yeah. I was crying.

"What the fuck was that?"

"Yeah, tell me about it," I sat up, crouching before standing.

"No, Falcons, that should never happen. I don't think that should even happen to breed types that are mates."

"Izuku, what?"

"We all get to pick our mates, right? Who we mark or imprint? It's whoever we want it to be?"

"I don't think I can handle hearing about mates right now."

"Isn't there that rare chance of those true mates?"

My senses screamed in a sharp silence. Snapping my eyes at him, he gazed back at me.

"That's all just a myth, mates that are fated together like that can't be real. Don't you think we would know more about it then?"

"We would only know more about it if it happened more, that's why it's so rare."

"Yeah, so rare it doesn't exist."

"You've never marked anyone right?"

"What's that have to do with anything?"

"Have you ever had a desire to mark someone?"

I froze. Hawks had been the only one.

"Even from one of the very first times you met them, your alpha instinct was to mark them?"

The time I was with him in the elevator at the casino. Wasn't it around my second time of meeting him? Even the last night we spent together that instinct-

"That's just pheromones and hormones. All pheromones affect all breed types, mix that with their own hormones and doesn't that result with almost the same effect?"

"Yeah, but then wouldn't that just be for everyone then?"

"I don't know anymore, my head just hurts. So what, my alpha will be a bitch and then that's it. Not much else to it, is there?"

"Your alpha seems to be doing a bit more than 'just being a bitch', so I'm not sure."

"Let's entertain you. So the whole true mates is a real thing, what do you know about it?"

"Not much, it's mostly unknown due to how extremely rare it is."

"So, nothing else other than they're just fated as mates? No matter what, they're mates and can't control or change that, right? What else?"

"They die without each other."

"What."

I now had my blood go cold from my wounds.

"Isn't that a bit dramatic?" I asked.

"I'd say a tad more than just a bit," he responded. "But that's just how the tale goes."

"Yeah, the tale, as in myth."

"But that's how they're supposed to be. A tragedy if not together."

"That shit's like a spooky story, it gives me shivers. Shut up."

"What did you even want to burn? I deadass thought you were going to bring him and just toss his ass into the fire."

"My alpha would kill me first," I laughed, but the laughter died down quickly.

It was almost like what Deku was talking about.

"Not like that, anyways," I sighed, looking at my arm and I finally pulled the feather out.

"Fuck, at least give a heads up or something," Deku hissed, wrapping my wound immediately while I held onto the feather.

"He didn't do that to your neck, right?"

"Oh, no. That was a mission," I gulped when he put a strip of bandage there as well.

"Thank fuck. Wait, you're going to burn his feather?"

"The very one he stabbed me with," I answered.

"And what about your alpha?"

"That's why I'm on suppressants," I smiled. "At least I can manage my alpha then."

"Do you want me to throw it in?"

"No, I want him to be able to feel that I was the one that burned his fucking feather."

Deku was silent for a moment, staring at me and he glanced at my arm.

"Go ahead."

I stepped towards the crackling flames that stood nearly as tall as me. Holding his feather that was covered with my blood, I stared at it. Caressing it, I nearly had brought it to my lips, pausing in my act.

"Don't worry, I didn't see anything," Deku lightened the mood.

Clearning my throat, I wanted to be quick to toss it away, but stilled aagin, this time really staring at his feather.

There was something wrong.

"Hey, what more can you find out on his wings?"

"As much as I can, I'm trying, but the thing is, that mafia is so securely blocked off that it's hard. I can find out Todoroki's name, but for Hawks, it's hard to even get a lead, forget about his name."

"Wait, why is that?" My brows furrowed.

"I thought I was the only one who found it strange, I mean, why is someone more wiped off from records than others? Almost like on purpose."

"Something is definitely going on with that mafia."

"That's what I've been saying, you got any more clues?"

Something was going on with him too.

But I hated that I even thought of him so I placed his feather into the fire, watching the flames burn it to ashes and out of existence, inch by inch. Despite that, I still slid out the first feather of his he had given me out from my jeweled chain on my skin. The feathers were visibly different. Which of course no two feathers of his would be the same exact, but they followed a specific structure which had them all come together to form his wings. I knew because that night-

So what even if I knew?

It doesn't change what happened. Nothing changes what he did. Not unless I get an explanation that's entirely honest. Until then, nothing mattered.

"You think something is wrong with his wings?"

"No clue," I sighed, putting the feather back against my skin.

"Not like we can just examine his wings," he laughed, but then his laughter fell still as well.

"Hey, do you think-"

"No, I do not, and I would like to keep it that way."

"I don't think my idea makes much sense anyways," he sighed.

"What is it?" I gave in to his saddened features and he suddenly perked up.

I was going to regret asking.

"What if he's going through what you're going through?"

I was right about the regret part.

"Are you really going to be asking me that? Right fucking now? After all that shit? Even if he was, why would he put himself through that? Doesn't explain why he's doing this fucking shit."

"Yeah, that's the part that doesn't make sense to me. Even if it was all about opposing mafias, then wouldn't he have been distant from the start?"

"You don't have to tell me about it, I'm just as clueless as you."

"Wait, but how do you get by when your alpha goes against you?"

"Suppressants? I don't see your point? Don't tell me that you think-"

"What if he's on suppressants?"

"Even if all of that is true, why is he going through the trouble? Just because he's a dick and lost interest? Then why come to me tonight?"

"Maybe to stab you?"

"Very funny, Izuku."

"He said oppsoing mafias, right? Then that's got to be the reason."

"I am going to throw you into the fucking fire," I threatened him.

"No, think about it. Because if something was going on, he obviously wouldn't tell you about it, right? Just cut you off out of the blue? And isn't that what happened?"

"So? Was something not going on before?"

"Maybe, we don't know. It only takes a single second for everything to go to shit, you already know that," he pointed out. "That could have been what happened."

"That's a far stretch, but might explain it in a way," I sighed. "Even so, such a sudden and drastic split change? Wouldn't he have cared maybe a bit about the mafia before? Or he just got a change of heart for devotion to his mafia in one night?"

"Yeah, not much is fitting together."

"I guess it just is what it is. Even with all that, what can really be done? He wants to play like this, then so fucking be it. I'll play him right back into my hand."

Deku didn't say anything.

"What? You're staring at me. Just spit it out."

"I thought you wanted nothing to do with him? But now you're getting him right back into your palms?"

Oh.

Well, fuck.

"It's just a word of speech, a phrase or something."

"Right. I actually trust you on that. There's no doubt that you'll toss him aside, the thing is, will your alpha?"

"Wow. That's a great question. I wasn't expecting that question."

"Don't worry about it," he blew out a breath.

"Do I look worried about it?"

"I'm going to not answer that," he replied.

"Thanks, anyways, I think I'm going to pay that mafia a visit sometime."

"You really think that's a good idea?"

"Of course not, but I'm all about bad ideas. Plus, with your gut feeling, everything can be overthrown in a moment. And we don't know when that moment will come."

"There hasn't been tension, right?"

"Why do you ask?"

I stilled.

"You're not considering it's going to be a-"

"Mafia war," he answered grimly.

"Oh, fuck," I sighed.

"It seems so likely, but why the fuck? There has been no reason for a mafia war to break out, but I feel like it's going to, whether we know the hidden reason or not."

"Which mafia is even going to call on a war? There isn't even a target for the war. There's nothing in the slightest that raises a clue."

"That's the thing that's bothering me the most," he glanced at me. "It's going to be right under our very noses."

"You have to audition for some horror position thing, I literally hate your scary ass. I agree with Camie, you scary as fuck."

"Camie? Ah, her seducing me was quite amusing. Even further amuses me how she avoids me now, makes me want to tease her further."

"You being horny isn't amusing."

"I'm not horny," he rolled his eyes.

"Right well, I guess we'll just have to see what happens at the next mafia event. Isn't there one soon? That upcoming one?"

"I can't remember what it's for, but yeah, I think in a few weeks. You got a plan or something?"

"Uh, yeah, no. My plan was to just wing it."

"Was the pun intended or-"

"No, the pun was not fucking intended," I sighed.

"So just see what happens and go from there?"

"Pretty much."

"Damn, that's dumb but also the best plan we've got."

"Probably because it's the only plan we've got, you dipshit," I rolled my eyes.

"Damn that too."

"Anyways, I can't let my alpha dwell on this too much before they slowly kill me. So it's going to be best for me to just be as usual. Fake it til you make it, you know."

"Hey, wait, did you look into this whole alpha thing with Aizawa?"

My eyes widened.

"If anyone is going to know anything about the whole mates and their bonds and things, it's him. Falcons?"

"I told Bakugo to look into it with him," I spoke my realization. "Ever since that, he's been quiet with me, and is always at Aizawa's without an explanation or clear description of where he's going or what he's leaving to do."

"You don't mean he knows something?"

"Think about it," I told him.

"Aizawa had to have told him about true mates, even for me to bring that up from your condition, he's a whole ass professional with what he does. So there's not a doubt that he didn't at least mention it."

There was a silence before Deku spoke up again.

"Wouldn't Bakugo say something? Unless he doesn't know the extent? I only made guesses of what I know, Aizawa most likely is looking further into it, but his words won't be guesses, he knows what he's doing. What's real and what's not can be told by him, no matter how rare."

"I have to get to Bakugo."