Can the Number Two Pro Hero Endeavor fill the hole left by the Number One Hero, All Might?

I watched the tv and Shigaraki seeth as flashes of images rotating between All Might and Endeavor. I kept my usual nonchalant expression on my face, though my mind stirred like an angered colony of ants. That smug look on his face, as if he earned that right to be Number One. It made me want to throw up. Literally. I rubbed at the burned spots under my eyes. Instead of punching the wall, I grabbed a beer from Kurogiri, downing it quickly to banish the bitter taste of bile rising in my throat.

"So...the new Number One Hero is having trouble meeting public expectations," Shigaraki said, in his usual whining tone.

I tightened my grip around the bottle. Normally Shigaraki's voice only bothered me slightly, but right now it was grating on my nerves. This was the worst. Around the room the other members of the League were lounging in chairs or at the bar. It wasn't like I could leave without drawing attention.

"I think we should help him establish himself with the community, what do you think Kurogiri?" Shigaraki tilted his head, scratching at his neck.

I glared at the screen, trying to ignore Shigaraki by listening to the reporters jabber about Endeavor. Taking a swig, I gripped the bottle even harder. That didn't help any. All the reporters had was unworthy praise or empty sceptical remarks. At least I could barely hear Kurogiri's rumbling response. However, Shigaraki's voice broke through, which annoyed me even further.

"Kurogiri, see if you can pull up any dirt on the Number One," Shigaraki drug his words out carefully. "Surely such a brooding Hero will have some sort of interesting backstory."

There was a shattering sound as the beer bottle erupted. I look down, surprised to see the bottle in pieces before me. A sting, no worse than an ant bite came from a piece of glass stuck in his thumb. It wasn't deep, and was more annoying than painful. Shigaraki turned toward me, his eyes gleaming out from behind the hand over his face.

"Is Dabi angry?" Shigaraki narrowed his eyes.

I let out a string of curses for good measure, picking the piece of glass out of my thumb. A thin line of blood swirled red in the brown liquid spilling across the bar. Waste of a good beer.

"You want to have a go at the Number One?" Shigaraki asked, when I didn't answer him.

I narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, tossing the bloody glass piece onto the counter. Kurogiri warped the shards into the trash, leaving a clean bar after a quick wipe. Glaring at him, I said nothing for a moment.

"Yeah, I'd like a shot at this so-called hero," I replied after the pause. "Stain would find him unworthy of his position and tear him down, so I will do no less."

Shigaraki made a disgusted noise, one that I took deep pleasure in. It was my turn to bring up subjects that irritated our leader. Stain wasn't exactly Shigaraki's favorite subject.

"I'll give you your own personal Nomu," Shigaraki said after a moment. "Don't waste him, Dabi. I expect results."

"You'll get them," I huffed, getting up. "It's too late tonight, I'm going to bed."

"Grandpa," Toga giggled.

"Shut it," I growled through my teeth as I passed her.

I moved upstairs, collapsing onto his bed. Blue fire wrapped around my hand and I stared at it for several moments before extinguishing it. No one would be happy if I burned down the base of operations. A shot at Endeavor. A specialized Nomu. The thoughts made me want to smile, even laugh. Tomorrow would be exciting.

Toya snuck out of his room, his favorite fuzzy blanket wrapped around his head. Tiptoeing, he passed his dad's room, holding his breath. The door was open and he could see his dad stretched out on the sleeping mat. His lungs begged for air, but Toya didn't want his dad to wake up. He wanted to see Mom. Ever since she had the baby, she hadn't come to his training or played with him in the afternoon. He missed her, and he wanted to see the new baby.

His dad's snores hitched and Toya froze, wondering if he had made a sound. Eyes wide, he clasped his hands over his mouth, the seconds dragging by like hours. The snoring resumed and Toya dared glance into the room. It seemed his dad had just turned over. Resuming his mission he crept away, releasing his pent up breath in the hall where he was certain his dad couldn't hear him.

Quite sure now that he was safe, Toya picked up his pace, passing down the familiar halls to his mom's room. It had been so long since he had been down here. Maybe he would go see his sister, Fuyumi or his brother, Natsuo. But first, Mom. Her door was cracked open, a pale golden light shining through into the hall. Toya ran forward, nearly crashing inside her room. He stood inside, blinking in the light from the lamp.

"Toya." his mother looked up surprised.

Toya rubbed his eyes, approaching the mat. His mom sat up against pillows, a bundle tucked in her arms. She looked much smaller, but that was because the baby was out. Fuyumi had taught him this when their mother had Natsuo.

"What are you doing out of bed?" she asked gently, cradling the bundle in one arm and reaching out to him.

"I missed you," Toya answered, walking over to her, his blanket trailing behind him now.

"I missed you too," she smiled softly, a pang of guilt in her eyes. "I've been very busy."

Toya smiled sleepily, tumbling to the floor beside her. Leaning against her he looked curiously at the bundle in her arms.

"Is that the baby?" he asked, as his mom pulled the blanket around him.

"Yes it is," his mother replied gently. "Toya, meet your baby brother, Shouto."

She pulled back the blanket wrapping the baby and tilted him up a little so Toya could see. He was sleeping, his face sort of red and kinda scrunched up. To be honest, Toya thought he looked like he was mad, not sleeping. But something else caught his eye just as he was about to comment on this to his mom. The baby had different colored hair. Not like Fuyumi's hair which was white with red streaks. The baby's hair was white on one side like his mom's hair and red on the other like his dad's hair. That was funny.

"Why is his hair like that?" He asked, reaching out and brushing the soft baby hair.

His mother smiled, swiping a finger gently along the little locks of hair, "Well I think he couldn't pick which color so he decided to do both."

"That's silly," Toya laughed a little, then silenced.

Dad didn't like it when he laughed. He said it was childish and that Toya was going to be a hero so he needed to stop acting like a baby. Toya glanced over his shoulder, as if the infraction would bring his dad storming into the room.

"What's his name?" Toya asked, looking up at his mom.

"Shouto," she reminded him, running her fingers through his hair, frizzled by the blanket.

She was looking at him funny, like she was wondering why he had stopped laughing. Maybe it was okay for him to laugh with his mom. Just like it was okay that he talked with her, even though his dad didn't like it very much.

"Sho...u...to," Toya tried saying his little brother's name, but his tired tongue mixed it up.

His mother laughed softly, "You'll get it."

There. Mom laughed and she was a grown up. It must be alright to laugh with mom. Toya smiled, messing with Shouto's hand that was sticking out of the blanket. It was so tiny, even in his small hand. He liked having another baby brother. Maybe his dad would let him see Shouto more often than the others.

"Mom?" Toya looked up at her, blue eyes shining in the lamp light.

"Yes?" She brushed his cheek.

"Can I sleep with you and Shouto tonight?" Toya asked, pulling at his blanket. "I get lonely."

"Of course you can," she smiled. "There is an extra mat in the corner, you can bring it over here beside us."

Excited, Toya bounced over to the corner and retrieved the mat, tugging it close to his mom's mat and rolling it out. Taking one of her pillows, his mom laid it down, settling Toya down and pulling blanket over him. Happy to be with his mom again, Toya rooted around for several moments before finding a comfortable position.

"Goodnight, Toya," His mother said gently.

Thanks for all the lovely reviews! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter!