#sorry abt the hawks trauma essay! but this is something people look over

[takami-takami]

Hot take: I do not think Hawks is lying to Twice here. I've seen people say he was lying to get an in with the league, was picking at Twice's weaknesses and insecurities (which he did do, granted, but not all of it was a lie.) The first part about empathising with the liberation army is a lie, he does not agree with their morals at all, but I don't think the second part is.

Notice how he visualizes Endeavor's back when he says "the world I once admired and dreamt of joining"— This is crucial, and intentional. It's evidence that the image is a flashback to young Keigo, looking up at Endeavor from behind with a spark to want to be a hero. This scene, I think.

Endeavor was his link to "heroes are real", he thought of Endeavor when the commission picked him up and warned him of the brutal training he would have to endure to become one. But he wanted to save other people like he was saved. So he said yes.

Now take a look at this panel (ignore the top-right part, that's from a different part of the conversation.)

Keigo wasn't lying when he said he felt caged down by the world he admired, how it turned out to be.

The commission ordering him to kill over and over is what he's talking about here. The grip they held on him and his life, the leash they tried to keep him on.

A fantastic source of insight into what happened to him there is explored in the episode with Lady Nagant. Essentially, what happened with her is what happened with Hawks.