Shoto spent some time explaining the situation with our mother. He had no ill feelings toward her, since he was aware that our old man had pushed her to the point of breaking. I wasn't sure if I could say the same about her, even knowing that she hadn't been in a healthy mental state, for her to scar Shoto like this…

"I never got the chance to thank you for everything you did for us back then, Touya. I know I was young, but even so, I took it for granted that you'd always be there for us. You had such a burden, and I think you still do."

"You think you know me so well after a decade has gone by... I've been doing just fine living among the scum of the city. No one to answer to except my own wants and desires. My life is my own, can you say the same for yours, Shoto?" I enjoyed his angered reaction, having seen his deadpan facial expression among the footage of the Festival and even as we were talking. I remember when his face was full of emotion, his eyes bright and hopeful. I guess ten years wasn't going to keep him the same as he was either.

"You think I'm doing this to appease our old man's goal of surpassing All Might? I told you earlier why I decided to focus so hard on becoming a hero. I endured his torturous lessons to make that dream a reality. And now I'm so close to making it happen. I found you again, after all this time."

"You're making an awful lot of assumptions, little brother. Did you ever consider the fact that I may not want to be saved? Or that there was nothing to save me from?"

Shoto contemplated my question for a few moments, before answering sternly, "If you didn't want to change your situation, you would have killed Compress despite us being against it. Then you would have likely gotten rid of Midoriya and I as witnesses. If you truly were consumed by the darkness, we wouldn't be here right now. So, to me, that's all the proof I need to know that you want my help."

There wasn't much I could say to appeal his reasoning. I did have the urge to destroy everything back in the park earlier, but I followed Shoto instead. I'd given into the hope that this could end in something other than tragedy. But he was being too naïve. It's one thing to talk about fighting against the villains. To face their full strength was something else entirely. If anyone knew that best, it'd be me. They weren't weighed down by morals or ethics like heroes.

"I don't want your help, Shoto. I may have followed you here, but that doesn't mean I'm ready to play hero like a good boy. You don't know what will be coming once the League learns what happened tonight. They don't take traitors or spies lightly. Not that I'm either, but with the situation looking as it does, they won't care."

"And we told you that we'll be prepared when that happens! Stop making excuses when you know that I'm right!" Shoto stood up. "Coming back with me, to our side, it won't be easy for you, I'm sure. And then there's the matter of… of—"

"Turning me in? That's what Midoriya was hinting at earlier, about you doing the right thing? I swear, you're something else, kid. You whine about wanting me to come back, but you know that doing it your way means losing my freedom. What idiot would willingly do that, huh? I'm done with this; have fun saving the world." I started walking towards the exit. I refused to subject myself to being confined to one room for any reason. Not again, not like the hospital.

"Touya, wait! What if there was a way to avoid punishment? Or significantly reduce it? I've given it a lot of thought, I believe that we can trace all of this back to one person, and it isn't you."

I turned around to face Shoto again. Could he really be suggesting what I think?

"Endeavor is the source of all this misery and pain. What if we revealed his past abuse for the world to see? If it's known what you've had to live through, they'd be more lenient towards you. But it all depends on if you want everyone to know. I won't force you, but I think it's worth considering."

"How did you know? It must be a coincidence, or maybe it's just a natural reaction for those of us who had been subjected to his abusive treatment. All these years, I've wanted to take my revenge out on him."

Shoto looked panicked, "Wait, I'm not saying we resort to killing him, Touya!"

"I never said that, did I? I told myself that I'd make him pay. That I'd get my revenge someday. And aside from the night that we fought, when death was our intention, I never once since then said that I'd kill him. And you're smart enough to know why, right Shoto?"

His eyes shifted as his mind processed these details. He knew, he had to.

"You were planning on exposing him yourself, weren't you?"

I widened my grin as I stepped closer and patted Shoto on the top of his soft, messy hair. "Bingo! Imagine it, the old man finally reaches his goal as the number one hero. He has the status and power he's longed for since his own childhood. And just as he has his first taste of victory, thanks to that emotionally charged fight with High-End, he's unexpectedly struck down by a dark seed from his past! Suddenly, the oldest son that had been believed to be dead reappears! And not only does he reveal that he's a notorious villain, but he also tells the world just how he got his burns and scars. In full detail. Can you imagine the public backlash against him?! Who would support a hero that was capable of such cruelty to his own family? He'd lose everything he'd worked so hard to achieve, and all I'd have to do is tell the truth. Kind of ironic for a villain, right?"

Shoto was speechless. This went far beyond the plan he'd concocted, and I could see him weighing the pros and cons in his head.

"You're right, that would hurt him far worse than any physical attack could. But doing it that way won't guarantee you would have any way of avoiding a maximum sentence once you're prosecuted for your own crimes. I can't ignore the past wrongs you've done, but I… I don't want to lose you all over again, Touya. I don't think I could go through that again."

"Here's the thing, Shoto. If you really want to go through with exposing him, you're going to have to get your hands dirty. It means keeping me out of jail long enough to get this plan in motion. No one is going to listen to some villain swearing that this long sob story is the truth from behind prison bars. So that means keeping that freckled brat quiet about me. Are you prepared to deceive the people closest to you to fulfill our vengeance? There's no going back once you've started down this path, Shoto. Personally, I'd rather walk it alone, but since you've suffered at his hand as well, you should at least have the option."

I hoped that he'd say no. I didn't want him to stray from the side of light. I wanted him to stay the innocent, pure child that I swore to protect with my life so many years ago. He opened his eyes and looked up at me, resolve and determination renewing his previously exhausted appearance.

"I'm in. What do we do first, Touya?"