Chapter 12


"Hey, hey, slow down, little bro! You're going to trip if you keep going!"

"Hey, Shouto! Dinner is ready."

"Oh, man. Looks like you've got a fever. You gonna be okay?"

"Hey, don't cry! I'm okay! It's just a few bruises."

"Huh? No, Natsuo won't give it back. You'll have to ask him for your toy."

"Dad was mad today. Don't bother him."

"Hey, I got you a toy! But… don't tell dad, okay?"

"Hey, Shouto. Can you hear me?"

"Shouto."

"Hey."

"Hey…"

"Hey."

Shouto was roused from his deep sleep by a harsh smack on his scarred cheek.

He inhaled sharply as the pain moved to his jaw and eye. His ears were ringing loudly and his head was throbbing.

What in the hell…?

Where…

Where was he?

Who was—

"Oi."

Shouto startled, his entire body stiffening. He turned his head back to face forward, the dim room swimming. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly for one moment and then opened them, staring straight into a horrifying face.

The killer was sitting backwards in a chair, facing Shouto with a bored expression on his marred face. He was covered in dead skin—even more deadened than Shouto's own burned face. And the man was also covered in scars and staples.

Staples…

"Yo," the man said, leaning his forearm on the back of the chair. "It's nice to finally meet you, I guess."

Shouto grit his teeth and moved to lunge forward to attack him, but his body didn't move. He looked down and found himself strapped to a chair, rendering him completely immobile.

"Ah, right. Forgot to mention those," the man said, leaning his cheek on his hand. "Sorry. Guess you'll have to deal with me for a bit, huh?"

Shouto gripped the arms of the chair he was strapped to, his anger growing by the second.

Damn it, damn it, damn it!

Izuku, Shouto thought, closing his eyes. Izuku.


When Izuku first met Shouto, he wasn't sure what to think of him.

He was new in this district, and had just moved into Kacchan and Kirishima's loft. And, of course, they were throwing a wild party the day after he moved in.

He volunteered to go get some more snacks, since it seemed to be running low, and one long grocery list later, he came back to find someone he hadn't seen before.

A man with red and white hair, and a mysterious scar covering half of his face. He was one of the most handsome people Izuku had ever met.

And he was drunk. Very drunk.

After he had spilled beer and vomited all over himself, Izuku helped him out, trying to keep his blush at bay as he underdressed him and wiped him down. He hoped that he wasn't stepping too much out of bounds here, but no one else seemed to want to help him. In fact, the rest of the room just laughed when the man made a complete fool of himself.

Izuku remembered how bad he felt for Shouto that night.

But the next morning, all of those bad feelings went straight out the window when he discovered he was his new partner.

It had been awkward and tense, and Shouto wouldn't even look him in the eye. Izuku now felt that Shouto had hated him.

That changed, though, and after a bad chase that led to Izuku's hospitalization, something in their partnership changed. It was warmer. Shouto opened up to him more, telling Izuku about his past and his strained relationship with his Chiefly father.

More like bastard father, if Izuku had anything to say about it. But he held his tongue as best as he could when he was around the man.

But he protected Shouto from him as best as he possibly could, and it made Shouto smile. Smile. Something that was rare for the man to do. It gave Izuku butterflies in his stomach.

But now…

Izuku was barely able to keep himself from throwing up.

He glanced up from where he was leaning in the corner of the briefing room to see the rest of the precinct all sitting in their seats. Along with the normal detectives and police officers, there were several others from different precincts standing along the walls. The room was stuffy and crowded, and it was only making Izuku feel worse.

Standing at the front of the room was Aizawa.

"All right. Approximately two hours ago, Officer Todoroki Shouto was declared missing," Aizawa announced to the room. He was holding onto one chair for support, his other arm still in a cast and sling. "And it is believed that he was kidnapped by the fire killer."

The room collectively gasped, and there was soft chatter amongst them.

Izuku sighed and slumped back into his corner, feeling helpless.

When he found Shouto's cracked phone on the pavement, his instincts automatically kicked in, and the first person he ran to was Aizawa. Luckily, the Lieutenant was only a few steps away, with Izuku being just outside the hospital.

When he relayed the information to Aizawa, the man looked both stricken and furious at the same time.

Izuku, along with Yamada, insisted that he stay in the hospital. But Aizawa ignored them and walked over to put on his pants.

"We need to meet with everyone as soon as possible," Aizawa had said. "I'm not going to let another one of my officers die."

Izuku sighed, his hand shakily reaching up to cover his eyes. He couldn't imagine seeing Shouto end up like all of the others—burnt to a crisp, their wrists and feet bound and unable to escape. It was too painful to think about.

A few tears slipped down his cheeks without his permission and a hiccup made its way up his throat. He covered his mouth to stifle them, holding his breath to try to stop.

This isn't the time for crying! Izuku thought. Shouto's life is in danger! Don't be such a coward!

A hand touched his shoulder suddenly and he jumped, moving his head up to see Kirishima standing close and offering a small, strained smile. He squeezed Izuku's shoulder and nodded once at him.

"Kirishima…" Izuku whispered.

Then, on his other side, he felt an arm press against his. He turned to his other side to see Kacchan leaning against him, his hands stuffed inside of his pockets and a calm expression on his face as he kept his eyes facing front.

"K-Kacchan…" Izuku choked, his throat closing.

"Don't worry, Midoriya. We'll find him, okay?" Kirishima assured. "Even Katsuki thinks so. Right?"

Kacchan frowned harder and clicked his tongue. "That bastard won't die on us that easily."

His comment made Izuku smile somehow. He knew Kacchan well enough to know what each of his little remarks meant, so he was thankful for his friend's support.

Kirishima, however, grimaced. "Katsuki, that's a little…"

"Hah?! You got somethin' to say to me?"

Izuku suddenly let out a breathy laugh, the ache in his chest loosening its grip just a fraction. The stress was still weighing on him like a ton of brinks, but at least he had two other sets of shoulders that were also carrying the burden. It meant he wasn't alone.

"We already have groups of officers on it, but I advised that they proceed with caution," Aizawa said.

"And have they found anything?"

Izuku jumped at the sound of Chief Enji's voice booming from the opposite side of the room. His eyes were bloodshot and brows pulled down in a harsh scowl. The sight of him sent shivers down Izuku's spine.

Aizawa looked over at the Chief with a strained look on his face.

"They haven't found anything, yet," Aizawa said. "They're still looking around for any clues that might lead us to where the killer is holding Officer Todoroki."

The Chief frowned harshly, his arms folding across his chest and clenching. His entire body had gone rigid, and Izuku feared he was ready to snap at any moment.

"That's pathetic. Where are the detectives on this case? This precinct is a joke!" Enji snarled.

Aizawa blinked t him once, unphased. "We have to take precautions to make sure no one else is abducted. I'm doing what we can to keep everyone safe."

Enji looked downright furious. His cheeks reddened and his chest puffed up with rage. He stepped close to Aizawa and glared down at the man, and Yamada was right there, ready to step in between.

"I don't think you're competent enough to handle this, Lieutenant," Enji glowered.

"Oi, can't you see he's still injured? Back off, will ya?" Yamada said.

"Yamada, it's okay," Aizawa said, patting his hand that rested on his shoulder. He turned back to Enji with calmness graced on his features. "If you want to get a team of your own ready, then please, do so. We understand how important this case is to you."

Enji frowned hard, his fists beginning to shake. He looked ready to punch Aizawa's lights out, but Izuku could see a different emotion swimming in those fierce eyes.

Fear.

Chief Enji was afraid.

"I advise, however, that you stay off of this case. You're too close to it," Aizawa said. "But if you want to be involved, I obviously can't stop you."

Enji swallowed and turned away. He took a deep breath and stared at the wall for a moment, seeming to collect himself, and then he nodded to his crew standing near the door. They quickly left the briefing room, Enji following in tow with a tight tension in his shoulders that Izuku hadn't seen before.

This entire case was getting insane.

Aizawa blinked tiredly at the doorway for a moment and then sighed, turning back to address the rest of the room.

"The Chief has emphasized that he wants all hands on deck for this case. He wants the killer to be caught this time," Aizawa said. "And we will do everything we can to bring him in."

Izuku squirmed. Something in his words didn't sit right. He tentatively raised his hand, Aizawa nodding to acknowledge him.

"And what about Sh—Todoroki?" Izuku asked, feeling the crease in his brow grow.

Aizawa's expression was grim and solemn. He took a deep breath, making his shoulders rise and fall.

"We will do what we can to find him," Aizawa said. He paused for a moment, his free hand gripping the podium as he looked down at the case file in front of him. "But… there is a possibility that we might not find him alive."

All of the comfort that Izuku had felt from his friends was suddenly ripped from him. He felt as if an ice-cold bucket of water had been dumped all over him. It was jarring, and his chest clenched painfully.

Izuku reached up to grab at his uniform, his mouth wobbling as tears formed in his eyes. He felt Kirishima and Kacchan push closer, but he didn't dare look up at them.

"Don't misunderstand," Aizawa said. "Officer Todoroki's safety is a priority. But our main priority is catching this criminal and making sure he never puts another officer or person in danger again. Are we clear?"

Izuku looked up to see Aizawa looking right at him, and he realized that the question was being directed towards him. The other officers in the room were all waiting for an answer, as well, and Izuku sniffed softly and wiped his eyes, straightening his back to stand tall.

"Yes, sir," Izuku warbled.

Aizawa nodded to him and then addressed the rest of the precinct.

"Now, then. Let's catch this bastard."


Shouto squirmed against the restraints, his arms growing tired and his wrists rubbing themselves raw. He had to get out of there as soon as possible before that deranged psychopath would return.

The killer had left hours ago, claiming he had "errands" to run. Shouto didn't even want to think what that meant. He just had to get out, and fast. So, as soon as the killer disappeared beyond the obscure door, Shouto twisted in his seat and pulled on the restraints. He also called out for help at the top of his lungs, but the only response was his own voice echoing back to him. He had done this for hours so far, but he was starting to tire out.

When he realized his efforts were in vain, he sighed and sagged against the chair, his chest heaving and sweat sliding down his temples. He glanced around the darkened room for the millionth time, but he still couldn't figure out where he was exactly.

He groaned and tilted his head back to look at the ceiling. This was beginning to look hopeless. Was he really going to die here?

Suddenly, the one door in the room opened, and in walked the killer himself, holding a plastic convenient store bag.

"Ah, sorry. I had some things I needed to do," he said as he closed the door behind him. He sauntered up to Shouto and dragged a chair over, sitting in it backwards as per usual. He pulled out a bottle of water and a can of beer, holding out the water bottle towards Shouto. "Water?"

Shouto glared at him. Of course, he was thirsty, but he didn't trust whatever was in that bottle. After all, wasn't he here to be killed? Why was he being so nice?

"No? Hm," the killer said, looking at the water bottle. "I thought for sure you'd be thirsty by now."

Shouto remained silent and watched as the killer cracked open his single can of beer. He took a large gulp, some of the yellow liquid dribbling down his scarred neck. Shouto could see more staples along the deadened skin, and there were some faint tattoos here and there that looked like it was stabbed into his skin by a pen. All of him was painful to look at.

The killer's eyes suddenly locked onto Shouto's, catching him staring. Shouto swallowed and pushed his back against the chair, and the killer lowered the beer can to wipe his chin. He reached up with his free hand and fiddled with one of the staples, pushing it deep into his skin and then releasing it.

"Pretty gross, right?" he asked. "This happened to me years ago. Just never got it checked out, I guess."

Shouto swallowed, looking him up and down. "Those staples…" His voice suddenly trailed off, unsure of where he was going with the sentence.

But the man didn't seem to mind. He actually perked up a bit and sat up straighter in his seat.

"Oho, so you do talk," the killer said. He fiddled with another staple. "Got them when I was hospitalized as a teenager. But I left before the doc's could treat me more."

Shouto frowned. "You just… left them in all this time?"

The killer shrugged. "Thought it'd be a cool way to change my image. Become someone else."

Now that got Shouto's attention.

Maybe he could talk to this guy and stall him in his plans to kill him—get as much information out of him as he could to use as leverage against him. At least until the precinct could find him.

He could do this. He could stall.

"And… just who are you?" Shouto asked.

The man looked up at him and cocked his head to the side, giving Shouto the strangest smile.

"Ha, what a funny question," he said. He combed his fingers through his spiky black hair. "I have a name. One that I don't call myself anymore."

He leaned on the back of the chair and stared Shouto right in the eyes. It nearly gave him chills.

"I go by Dabi," was his answer.

Dabi. It wasn't someone he had heard of before.

But now Shouto had a name and a face. And they were both terrifying.

"Okay. And you… know who I am?" Shouto asked.

Dabi leaned back, his hands holding onto the back of the chair to prevent him from plopping right off, and he tilted his head back to look at the ceiling.

"Ah, yeah. I guess you could say that," Dabi said.

Shouto's eye twitched. What the hell did that mean?

This guy wasn't being very forthright. All of his answers had been very vague.

Just who was this guy, anyway?

"How?" Shouto asked, feeling his patience withering by the second. "How do you know my name?"

"Oh, I know more than just your name, kid," Dabi said. He hunched forward and rested his arms on the chair's back again. "I know all about you, Todoroki Shouto."

Shouto's hands curled into fists. "Stop talking to me like you know me."

"Geez, so dramatic." Dabi rolled his eyes and leaned over to grab the water bottle. He handed it out to Shouto and blinked at him, his face unreadable. "You sure you don't want some? You might be here awhile."

Shouto felt his eyes widen a bit. "Awhile?" he repeated. "Aren't you going to burn me alive like the rest of your victims? Isn't that why you captured me in the first place?"

Dabi sighed. "You sound like a stuffy cop. How boring." He rested the water bottle down on the ground and grabbed his beer instead. "Nah, kid. I don't plan on killin' ya."

Shouto's nose flared. "You mean not yet?"

Dabi took another drink of his beer and then looked down at Shouto. He shook his head once.

"Nope. Don't plan on killin' you at all, actually," he said.

Shouto gaped at him like a fish. "What?" he said softly. "Why not? Why keep me alive?"

Dabi shrugged one shoulder. "Not my target."

"Not your target?" Shouto spat. "But you kidnapped me! How could I not be your target?"

Dabi blinked at him, a weird smile pulling on his stapled lips. "Geez, you're slow. But I can't blame you for that. You've always been like that."

What? Shouto wondered, still gaping at him.

"You ever think that I might be using you for bait?" Dabi asked, pulling Shouto from his thoughts.

"Bait?" Shouto echoed.

His mind scrambled, suddenly working on who in the world he could be trying to trap in this situation. Shouto didn't have many friends, except for Izuku. But Izuku would never hurt anyone badly enough for them to turn evil. The rest of the officers aren't close enough to want to chase after him if he were kidnapped, so all that was left was…

Shouto snapped his head up to look at Dabi, eyes wide.

"You're trying to kill my father," Shouto said. "You're trying to kill Chief Todoroki Enji."

Dabi's smile turned absolutely evil.

"Bingo."


"Ugh, this is ridiculous!"

"Katsuki…"

Izuku sighed as he searched the ground in front of the hospital for the hundredth time.

It had been hours since the precinct was released to search through the city for any clues. Izuku's first instinct was to go back to the scene of the crime, and of course, a small herd of other officers followed him. Everyone was on edge, so no one would let Izuku go alone.

"Are you sure this is where he was taken, Deku?" Uraraka asked, clasping her hands together.

Izuku glanced up to look at Uraraka and Iida, both standing close by as Kirishima and Kacchan ruffled through the nearby bushes.

"Yes," Izuku said sadly, looking down at the sidewalk. "I found his phone here."

"Could it have been planted?" Iida asked, putting a hand to his chin.

Izuku pulled his brows together and sighed, feeling anxiety spike through his entire body.

What if it was a trap? What if the killer had planted his phone here?

No, no, that wouldn't make sense. The hospital was where Izuku left him when he went to go help his mother.

"No, this is where he was last," Izuku explained.

"You were with him?" Kirishima asked from the nearby bush.

"Well, yes. We were going to visit his—er, we were going to visit someone in the hospital," Izuku said, quickly correcting himself. "But I had to leave. And the last time I saw him, he was standing out here."

He kept gazing over the pavement, looking for any kind of clues that could possibly help. But there was nothing. No traces, footprints. Not even a sign of a struggle. The only clue that Izuku had was Shouto's cracked cellphone, which he still kept hidden in his pocket.

"Tch, this is so stupid!" Kacchan yelled, kicking a bush.

"Bakugou, please," Iida chastised.

"What did that bush ever do to you?" Uraraka fussed.

But Kacchan ignored them both, and he looked at Izuku instead with frustrated, red eyes. To anyone else, he would look pissed, but Izuku knew better. Kacchan was wearing a worried expression on his face.

"What else is there we can do, hah?! This bastard left nothing behind!" Kacchan yelled. "There weren't even any prints on the idiot's phone! This is hopeless!"

He kicked the bush again, nearly tearing the roots from the earth. Kirishima grabbed his arm and pulled him back, his brows pinching in concern, and Uraraka and Iida took a few tentative steps back.

Izuku put up his hands pleadingly towards Kacchan.

"It's not hopeless," Izuku said, trying to remain hopeful. "We just need to find something that can give us a lead."

"Yeah, like what, Deku?" Kacchan yelled. "What clue could there possibly be that isn't already out there right now?!"

Izuku opened and closed his mouth, trying to come up with an answer, but before he could voice any of his opinions, everyone's radio suddenly cut in with some static.

"Calling all officers in the area. We have a fire in a residential district. Foul play suspected," the dispatcher announced. "We need anyone who is in the area to help. Please respond, over."

Izuku's eyes widened. He snapped his head up to look at Kacchan, brows pinched, and his friend looked back at him with a baffled expression on his face. The other three looked just as confused, but Izuku knew that it couldn't have been a coincidence.

He picked up his radio.

"Midoriya here. Responding to fire, over."


Shouto curled his hands around the arms of the chair and gripped it hard as he stared up at Dabi with wide eyes and grit teeth.

"What the hell do you have against my father?" he asked.

And what about my other family members? was left unsaid. Shouto felt uneasy about the prospect of his siblings and mother being in possible danger. Just the thought of it sent fear down his spine and it made him sick to his stomach.

Dabi smirked at him, looking a bit insane as his eyes widened comically.

"Oh, so much, Todoroki Shouto. So much," Dabi answered. "Who wouldn't want to kill that bastard? I'm surprised that you don't hate him as much as I do."

Shouto's jaw dropped, pausing for a moment to study him.

What in the world was his deal?

"I…" Shouto stuttered. "What… are you talking about?"

Dabi folded his arms across his chest. "Don't play dumb. High and mighty Enji tortured you for years." He paced to the other side of the room and leaned against the wall, looking up into the ceiling. "He called it training, but it was really abuse. Wasn't it?"

Shouto's limbs started to tremble. "I don't understand."

"Oh, and don't get me started on your other family members," Dabi continued, ignoring Shouto's confusion. "Your brother, Natsuo, did everything he could to stay out of Enji's line of sight. And Fuyumi, your sister, was the one to pick up the pieces when things completely fell apart."

"W-What—"

"And let's not forget about mother dearest," Dabi said, sneering down at him. "Quite the scar you got there. Must've been really painful, right?" His smile widened a bit. "Probably not as painful as when she was pushed out of the home forever."

Shouto swallowed and gripped the chair, leaning forward to try to pull himself from the bindings, but the ropes held fast and his back slapped against the back of the chair.

"How do you know so much?" Shouto rasped.

Dabi tilted his head, looking playful. "Oops. Did I… say too much?"

Suddenly, there was a soft ring coming from Dabi's long coat pocket. He reached in to grab his phone and he quickly answered it, putting the device up to his ear.

"What?" Dabi said.

"We're in position. Just need the go-ahead."

The speaker was loud enough for Shouto to hear, but he didn't recognize the voice at all.

Dabi smiled at the answer. "Do it."

"Got it."

Dabi hung up and put the phone back into his pocket. He stood to his feet and put his hands into his pockets.

"Well, guess we've got to prepare for some company," Dabi said. "It's possible that some of your little friends will come here, too."

Shouto quirked a brow, his chest feeling a bit cold with a sudden panic. Was Dabi about to hurt his friends?

"What do you mean? What have you done?" Shouto asked.

"Geez, calm down," Dabi said. He shrugged, looking back up to the ceiling. "And nothing really. Just sent a message. I'm ready to face Enji."

Shouto lowered his brows and glared. "What kind of message?"

Dabi smirked.

"Just a little… housewarming gift."


"What the hell is this?"

Izuku stared at the massive fire in front of him, the mansion totally consumed by the flames. It was enormous, and the heat was licking at their faces in the cold air.

"Whose house is this, Deku?" Uraraka asked, lifting up her arm to shield her eyes from the brightness.

Izuku shook his head. "I'm not sure who owns this—"

"It's mine."

All five officers turned to see Chief Enji standing nearby, his eyes set forward and his jaw clenched.

Izuku sucked in a sharp breath and stared back into the fire, watching as the house burned down to the ground.