Shoto Todoroki let out a bored sigh. His patrol had been particularly quiet tonight. Not that he wanted anyone to commit a crime, but he wouldn't complain about having to break up a drunken fight or something, anything would be more interesting than just wandered the dimly lit streets on his own.
He should have had a second with him, but due to his father's agency being short-staffed, he had been told his patrol tonight was going to be a solo mission. Not that his father had cared. He had just shrugged his large shoulders and scoffed. It was expected for Shoto to excel at everything, and that would include handling a normally two-person job on his own. So far he'd been nailing it, but that was only because no one was around. The neighbourhood he was in, normally rife with nightlife on a Friday, was silent, and Shoto was too distracted by his thoughts to realise how strange that was.
It wasn't until he passed a bar, with its door wide open onto the street with no sound coming from inside that he stopped. He took a look around the abandoned street and felt an unusual shiver run up his spine. He didn't get cold, so it wasn't from the weather, it was from something a lot more menacing. He leaned around the open door and peered inside the bar, only to be met with an empty building, the lights all on, but no people. Not a single one.
Shoto spun around as the sound of footsteps echoed around him. A dark figure was walking down the street towards him, their head bowed, their face hidden by a mass of black hair. A long black trenchcoat flowed out behind them as the person walked with its hands shoved into its pockets, the thuds of their footfalls growing louder.
Something in the air made every hair on Shoto's body stand on end and his entire nervous system was on high alert. This wasn't right. This was bad.
"Aren't you out past your bedtime, kid?" A hoarse voice came from the figure as Shoto quietly steadied his feet. The black hole that had just opened in his stomach told him this was not going to be a casual conversation, he knew a villain when he saw one. His entire body was torn between running away and attacking first.
"Stop. Who are you?" Shoto said firmly, his voice showing no hint of the anxiousness he felt in his bones.
"Ha! You mean you don't remember me?" The figure stopped a few feet from Shoto, their face still encased in shadow and lifted their head. A single ocean blue eye glinted in the night and Shoto felt his heart stop for a second. He had seen that burned face before. This man was from the League of Villians. He was one of Shigaraki's men.
He lifted his head back and a lopsided grin spread across his scarred face, tiny staples that laced his burns reflecting lamplight as he moved. His black hair fell across one side of his face as he stood there, staring at Shoto.
"You're from the League," Shoto growled, raising his fists in front of him, but not before he flicked the "Emergency" button on his communicator. He wasn't stupid enough to try and deal with this on his own, he needed back up, regardless of if this was just one man. He wasn't risking it.
The man's grin twisted into a grimace, his one visible eye darkening as he spoke.
"That's not what I meant, but sure. I'm Dabi. Nice to meet you I guess," He lifted his hands from his pockets and held them up to his face, revealing his hands to be covered in just as much healed burns as his face. "I had expected them to send one of the little Side Kicks, but I guess this is what they call poetic justice."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Shoto demanded. There was something about this Dabi that was irritating his brain. Was it how the evil glint in his eye reminded him of his father? Was he just projecting? He didn't know but he wasn't about to stand in the middle of this empty street long enough to figure it out.
"Oh, it doesn't matter, kid. The important thing is we are alone now and we have all the time in the world to catch up! So how was school? Did you get good grades? I imagine you did or the old man would have barbecued you," He let out a harsh laugh as he leaned against a trash can.
Shoto clenched his fists in frustration. He'd had enough of this playing. He wouldn't bite.
"What did you do to all the people here?" Shoto took a deliberate step forward. It had the exact effect he had hoped for. The man in front of him stood up straight, his attention fully focused on him. Shoto had to either incapacitate him or keep him distracted until help arrived. But first, he needed to try to find out if there were still people here.
"Oh, I didn't do anything to them. My friends, on the other hand, they cleared them out a little over an hour ago. We needed them to feed the dogs," Dabi said nonchalantly.
"The dogs?" Shoto inquired, his stomach turning as he realised the people were probably long gone. And most likely dead.
"Oh sorry, Shigs keeps telling me to stop calling them that, dogs are smarter than Nomu's after all," He shrugged.
Shoto's stomach dropped. They'd fed an entire neighbourhood to Nomus.
"You son of a bitch!" Shoto yelled, bile rising in his throat. Where was that back up?
"Take's one to know one," Dabi remarked as he lifted his hand in front of his face as blue flames encased his fingers. "Now, let's dance, kid."
Shoto dodged out of the way just Dabi threw a stream of blue fire in his direction. It hit the open door behind him and set the wood aflame instantly, Shoto could feel the heat as he moved away. He turned his eyes to the man again and glared.
He didn't have long to be mad though as another jet of blue was fired at him and he was forced to throw up a wall of ice to shield himself. He could hear the sound of Dabi laughing from behind him and felt intense heat radiate over his back as he was covered in blue fire.
Shoto brought up a wall of ice behind him, before turning and throwing his own fire out blindly in response around the cold barrier. He didn't have to be careful of civilians because this monster and his friends had killed them all. As he ran across the street, throwing out shards of ice behind him as he went he frantically clicked the "Emergency" button a dozen times. Why was no one here yet?
He knew this neighbourhood was empty, he had essentially free reign but he wasn't familiar with the layout and for all, he knew Dabi knew it like the back of his hand. He was at a disadvantage and he didn't like it. If only this was his regular patrol he would have known every inch of it.
Just as a shot of intense blue shot across his vision, almost blinding him, Shoto had an idea and immediately put it into effect.
He slammed his hands to the ground and watched as a layer of ice coated the entire street before him, creeping over every surface and lamppost in the area.
"Nice try, brat. But my mom taught me how to ice skate!" He chuckled from somewhere Shoto couldn't see.
Shoto ignored him, focusing on his plan. He let himself fall to one knee, letting out a huff of exhaustion, keeping his head down as he heard the sound of boots on ice from somewhere around him. Dabi was on his ice sheet now. He just needed him to get closer.
More clinking footfalls, the sounds of ice cracking under the weight of him.
"You done already? Man and here I was hoping for a challenge from the prodigal son of the Number One Hero. What's wrong? Got too much of your mother in ya?" He taunted Shoto as he stepped closer. Shoto lifted his head and grinned.
"Yes. I do," He retorted as he pushed down hard on the ice underneath his fingers.
All around Dabi, wall after wall of ice flew up around him, curving above his head to create a dome-shaped cage. Dabi tried to burn away the ice but was met with more ice in its place.
Shoto didn't move, focusing his entire strength into replenishing the walls as Dabi tried to melt them away in a bid to escape. He could hear the man inside his cage howl in frustration.
"You can't keep this up forever Todoroki! I can outlast you!"
As if right on cue, the sound of someone running up the street filled Shoto's ears and he turned his attention ever so slightly to see the illuminated figure of his father running towards him, his normal aggressive expression plastered over his face. Good. He could deal with this, take all the credit and Shoto could go home.
"Shoto! What's going on! What the hell is this?" He bellowed as he reached his son, confusion tinting his face as he looked up at the thick walls of ice in front of him, the sounds of Dabi furiously trying to escape filling the air. Endeavours shadow covering Shoto completely as he approached, his large figure making the sheet of ice near him crack and splinter.
"One of the League of Villians. Calls himself Dabi. He claims the League has taken this entire neighbourhood to feed those Nomu things they have. So far I haven't come in contact with anyone but him, but you might need to phone in more back up just in case," Shoto reported as sweat dripped down his forehead.
"Excellent work Shoto! Let's get put this bastard away!" He cheered and Shoto couldn't remember a time he'd ever heard his fathers tone so... proud? He had also completely ignored the part about an entire neighbourhood being fed to Nomus, but Shoto wasn't surprised.
"Now, drop these walls and let me handle him, supply support where needed," He said firmly as he adjusted his gloves, the flames from his face glowing with anticipation the way they always did before a fight. So that's what the tone in his voice was for. Himself. He was about to add another to the bedpost of his career. With his prized son as his "support."
"Are you sure father? Shouldn't we wait for more Heroes to show up?" But he knew the answer before he'd even finished his question.
"No chance. This bastards mine," he glared down at his child. "Now bring it down."
Shoto sighed, knowing when to give up when it came to his father and his stupid pride and eased his quirk so the ice walls began to retreat back into the sheet covering the ground below them. As the top of the dome opened a ball of blue flame shot into the air, a black coat flapping out into the darkness.
Dabi rose above them, rage wild in his blue eyes as he hurtled a separate ball of blue heat at the two people below him. The manic grin that was spread across his face fell the second he laid eyes on Endeavour, quickly replaced with a horrific grimace.
"You!" He shrieked as he fell towards the ground and shot a stream of blue flames directly at Endeavours head.
"Shit!" He yelled as he jumped out of the way, the flames catching his arm as he rolled across the ground.
Shoto watched as Dabi completely forgot about him and focused his rage on his father, his face contorted into one of pure hatred.
"You bastard!" He yelled as he landed on his feet, throwing more flames at the Number One Hero, streaks of blue staying alive in his wake. Shoto tried to throw up a wall of ice to protect his father but Dabi's flames cut through them like they were made of smoke, his anger enhancing his quirk.
Endeavour was on his feet again, his permanent scowl unmoved by the villain's rage. He advanced on the dark-haired man, his orange flames meeting the blue and battling independently as he marched.
"What's your problem boy? Did I lock up one of your scumbag friends?" He gloated as he clenched his fist and swung at the man as he reached him. Dabi dodged it effortlessly as he threw one of his own, his hand entangled in blue fire as he did.
"Don't pretend you don't know who I am! I can understand him not knowing-" He motioned towards Shoto, who stood motionless on the street as a wave of something he didn't like washed over him. Why was this sight so familiar?
"-he was just a child! But you! You should fucking remember me!" He yelled, emotion raw in his voice. His fist connected with Endeavours jaw as he swung again, Endeavours eyes going wide slowly, his mouth falling open.
"No," He gasped, his hand flying up to stop Dabi's fist connecting with his face again. "No, it can't be."
"It is old man! It is and you fucking know it!" Blue fire flew up around them both as Dabi howled at the Hero holding his fist in his own.
"I thought you were- but you can't be-" Endeavour couldn't finish his sentences, his words fading into the fire as Dabi lowered his fist as the large man's arms went limp at his sides.
At the same time, Shoto stood, rooted to the spot as images flashed before his eyes from his long-repressed childhood. A red-haired boy, older than him, holding his hand and showing him his magical blue flames, the same red-haired boy being dragged away by their father to train, Shoto's mother crying on the floor as his father stood over her, his hand on his shoulder as he informed Shoto coldly that his brother had been in an accident.
"Touya?" Shoto and his father echoed each other as the scarred villain named Dabi took a step back from the Hero.
All three men stood in silence, the sounds of the remaining flames simmered around them before they went out.
Shoto watched, frozen, as his father fell to his knees before his older son and for the first time in his entire life, Shoto Todoroki saw his father cry.
Tears fell from his turquoise eyes as he stared up into Dabi's same crystal blue irises.
"I thought you were dead," Was all he said for a moment as Dabi stood over him, his eyes narrowed as he watched the crying man at his feet.
"I spent all these years mourning you Touya! I was so angry. At myself, at the world. At everything. I blamed myself this entire time. I should never of-" He stopped, a strangled cry escaping his mouth as his tears sizzled into the flames on his face.
"It's okay," Touya said quietly, laying a hand on his father's shoulder.
"No! It's not okay! After I lost you I only got worse! I was so hard on all of them. I took my grief out on my children and even though I knew I was going it I didn't know how to stop!"
No one spoke as Endeavour let out another sob, his large chest heaving as he leaned forward, his thick gloved fingers digging into the ice at his feet.
"Kill me," he whispered and both of his children narrowed their eyes at him. "Please. I deserve it. After everything I've done, everyone I've hurt. I'm begging you. I won't stop you."
The weakness in his voice was something Shoto had never heard, he didn't sound like his father, he sounded like a completely different person. Something about it broke Shoto's heart but he was too stunned to move. His body wouldn't react. Instead, he watched as Dabi, no Touya, shook his head and smiled down at his father.
"No. I'm not going to kill you. You did nothing wrong. You wanted me to be strong, and I am now. You just found out your son, who you thought was dead is alive. Why would I ruin that moment?" he said softly, his voice hoarse as he spoke.
He turned his attention to Shoto, who was still unable to move.
"Brother, I have missed you!" He outstretched both his scarred arms to Shoto, and before he knew what he was doing he was in his brother's arms, holding him for the first time in years. He felt Touya grip him hard in a hug that had been long overdue. Shoto looked over his brother's arm to his father who was still on his knees, his tears still falling down his face and into the fire but a look of disbelief had replaced his heartbroken grief.
He slowly got to his feet, his movements slow as the shock still racked his body. As he reached out to hug both of his sons, Shoto felt Touya tighten his grip around him, like a vice and a spark of panic erupted before his vision was blurred by blue flames, his body consumed by unbearable heat. The last thing he felt apart from the horrific pain was his father's hand clutching at his own, a horrible scream coming from outside the flames being the last thing he heard.
Endeavour watched in horror as both his sons we engulfed in blue flames as he reached for Shoto's hand in a desperate attempt to pull him from the fire. But his son's hand wouldn't move and he stared on in shock as his child was reduced to ash in front of him, his gloved hands clawing at the remains as they fell to the ground.
Endeavour fell to the ground once again, this time not in shock but in grief as the ashes of his son lay on the ground before him. Dabi stood over him, an evil sickening smirk on his face, his hands in his pockets as he watched with a morbid satisfaction at his sobbing father.
"Why would I kill you, and release you of your pain, when I have the power to make it so much worse?" Dabi asked but his father wasn't listening as he clawed desperately at the ashes, as if they were hiding Shoto from him and all he had to do was dig him out. As a broken cry escaped him again the flames emitting from his body weakened and slowly disappeared until Enjii Endeavour sat alone and cold on a sheet of melting ice, his hands grey and stained from the ash he was still clutching.
Dabi turned on his heel, satisfied he had broken the man enough to his liking and walked off into the night, filled with the delight that he was the last person to have ever seen the Endeavours flames.