A/N: Don't you just wanna go apeshit?

Todoroki looked left and right through the chaos. Somehow someone had kicked up a massive cloud of dust and it left him and Tokoyami coughing and their eyes watering.

"SHOUTO!" An unforgettable voice boomed, and the boy in question fought off a groan as the figure of his father began appearing through the cloud.

"Do you need to keep shouting my name like that?" He asked irritably as Endeavor finally appeared, his fire blazing through the dust.

"How else would I find you?" He appeared a bit hurt for a moment before turning so that his back was facing them. "Are you wounded?"

"No, we're fine."

"Good." He nodded. "I noticed that villain near, Dabi... be careful, Shouto."

A chill ran down his spine. He'd heard from someone else that Shigaraki was fighting with them (or rather, just decaying anyone who got too close to where Midoriya was stationed), but to have Dabi among them...

What the hell... is he planning to do...?! He looked around rapidly, trying to find the villain. I know he still hates Endeavor; I thought talking to Mom would remedy that somewhat, but it seems it's grown more than ever. Don't tell me... he's planning to...?!

"Well," a raspy voice spoke up, making both Todoroki men tense. "It wasn't the stage I wanted, but eh, it'll have to do."

All of a sudden the dust cleared, and before them was standing the man in black, hands casually stuffed into his pockets. A menacing smile was on his face as he stared straight at the Number One Hero.

"Dabi!" Shouto yelled.

"Stay out of this," he growled, giving the boy a glare that could freeze his own fire. "I've played second-fiddle to you for too long, let me have this moment of glory!"

"Second... what the hell are you talking about?" He questioned frantically. "He loved you even more than me! All I ever did was look up to you! You- you were my-!"

"Stay away from my son, Dabi!" Endeavor leveled the man with a heated glare and stepped in front of the two students.

"Not now, Endeavor!" Both yelled at him in unison, causing him to step away with a bewildered blink. The two young men gave each other surprised looks before Dabi's frosty look was back on his face, and Shouto could hardly keep from trembling under the intensity of it.

He... he really does look just like Endeavor, he thought to himself with a shaky sigh as he tried to fight the creeping memories from his childhood. He stepped towards the villain. "Dabi... please. Why do you hate me? I never asked for any of this! All I wanted-"

"All I wanted was his love," the villain spoke over him with a snarl. "All I wanted was to make you proud, Todoroki Enji!"

Flames began to lick at his hands, bright blue to match his eyes in fury.

Endeavor's eyes widened.

"That's right," his laugh was cruel, malicious to the core as he pointed his hands towards his own chest. "For all of the people you saved as a hero, I represent the greatest failure you've ever created: you could not even save your own son, no matter how much you tried!"

"T- Touya," the man whispered, his hand beginning to shake. He rose it towards the young man, only to flinch back as the flames grew higher. "But... but how?"

"The fire didn't kill me, not quite," his eyes were deranged as he gripped his shirt with one flaming hand and pulled. The fabric gave way to the heat, turning brown and black as it was eaten away to reveal a scarred torso. Purple to match his face and arms wrapped around his abdomen with familiar metal staples holding all of it together.

Todoroki and Tokoyami sucked in stunned breaths at the macabre sight.

"Look what you've made me, Enji!" Dabi screamed, laughing madly as blood began to trickle down his cracking and burnt face. "LOOK WHAT YOU'VE MADE ME!"

Endeavor was still. His hands hadn't stopped shaking since the realization hit, and when Shouto snuck a glance at his father, his eyes were wide and slowly tears were welling up in them. It was a look that he'd only ever seen a handful of times, the very few times early in his childhood when his father would allow his internal weakness to be seen, and it worried him.

"Touya," he breathed in quiet disbelief.

It was the quietest Shouto had ever heard his father speak. It was terrifying.

"Originally I wanted to take you down with me, y'know?" The villain continued, brushing away the blood with soft chuckles now. "But then I met with Mom again and I realized - what's the point of dying if I can live to see you get your just desserts?"

"Don't get me wrong, I still loathe my very existence," he added, turning to stare right at Shouto now. "I loathe the fact that I wasn't the perfect specimen you wanted. I loathe the fact that you found it and tossed me aside."

He rose his hand towards Shouto, and Tokoyami took a protective step in front of him.

Dabi sneered. "As much as I would enjoy killing you, you seem traumatized enough, so maybe it's less merciful to let you live. I'll be gracious enough to extend you the same courtesy I'm giving our dear old Dad."

"Touya, please!" Shouto called, his own eyes welling up with tears. "I never wanted-"

"It's always about what you want, isn't it?" The villain snapped. "It's always about you!"

That felt like a punch to the gut. Letting out a choked cry, he sank to his knees behind Tokoyami and bowed to the ground.

"The rest of us got shoved aside to make room for Endeavor's greatest creation, often literally," he continued, eyes gleaming with fire and hatred. "As much as I despised Mom for letting him get away with it, as much as I despised her for not doing enough to help me, I despise you far more! At least she had the decency to apologize to me!"

"You've made your point," Tokoyami spoke up, casting Shouto a concerned glance and kneeling to pull him into a hug when he began whimpering. "Please, just leave!"

"Stay out of this, birdbrain, or I'll send you back to your mentor as a bucket of KFC!"

The sheer volume of his shout made Shouto do a full-body flinch, curling even more into Tokoyami's chest as he shivered and cried into his cloak. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'll do better, I promise," he was mumbling between hiccupping sobs that wracked his entire being.

His friend just helplessly hugged him tighter, looking up at the villain with as much bravery as he could muster.

What can I do against that? He thought desperately. He's reduced Endeavor to a living statue and Todoroki into a sopping mess. It's not dark enough to use Dark Shadow as protection... dammit, what do I do?!

"Dabi!" Shigaraki yelled.

"What the hell do you want?!" Finally, he turned away.

Endeavor seemed to snap out of it somewhat, blinking and reaching up to wipe away the tears that sizzled as they made contact with his flaming mustache.

"Shouto," he turned to look down at his son, who was still a mess against Tokoyami.

Tokoyami rose his head to stare at the broken hero. With narrowed eyes, all he could say was a shaky, angry "Stay the fuck away from him, Endeavor."

Shouto flinched again, and Tokoyami bowed his head, resting his chin atop the boy's head.

"No," Dabi growled, turning back to the three with his flames rising again. "I'm going to do what I should have done a long time ago. And if he's going down, then I'm taking you with him!"

Before anyone could react, he jumped at the teenagers with a ball of fire expanding and darting out, eyes wide and his smile unhinged and bleeding. He let out a ragged cry and Shouto looked up, tearful eyes widening as the fire came closer and closer to them both in a pillar of scorching blue.

For a moment, his childlike look made the man remember the last time he saw it. The baby with two-toned hair and chubby, pale cheeks unmarred flickered through his mind, and his hatred grew in intensity, the agonizing burn from his fire ignored in favor of finally ending it.

"T... Touya?" A timid voice called from the doorway.

Oh great. The boy resisted the urge to groan aloud and turned, narrowed eyes aimed at his baby brother. "What do you want?"

The boy looked up at him hesitantly, his expression nervous and fearful. "U- um... I was wondewing... I saw you playing wiff Fuyumi and Natsuo... can I play wiff you too?"

Touya glared at the boy, gesturing to his schoolbooks on his bed. "I'm busy. Go bother Fuyumi or Natsuo."

"But Fuyumi said she needed to study fow hew exams, and Natsuo is at a fwiend's house." His tiny, chubby hands were clasped together and he shifted foot-to-foot, wide heterochromic eyes glancing at the floor for a moment.

Ugh, of course she'd leave the brat to me. Useless sister. Touya rolled his eyes and turned his back to Shouto. "Well I'm busy. Don't you have Dad to go hang out with or something?"

Shouto flinched as if struck, tears welling up in his eyes. "B... but... but I wanna play wiff you, Touya."

This time he really did groan. Turning back around, he raised his voice bitterly, "It's always about what you want, isn't it?"

The fearful, watery look he got in return gave him a momentary flicker of guilt before satisfaction set in. Good. You should be afraid of me. "You already get Dad's full attention and Mom always has to baby you because you cry about everything. It's a wonder how Fuyumi and Natsuo even pretend to care about you anymore! I know I'm sick and tired of it! You're such a freaking baby about every- single- thing!"

"B- but Touya," Shouto blubbered, raising a fist to his face to wipe his tears away.

"Go away and take the rest of Dad's attention already. I'm. Busy." He snarled, taking a step towards the five-year-old as an act of intimidation.

With a cry, Shouto turned and fled, loud sobs trailing him down the hall.

"Ugh, he's probably gonna go cry to Mom and she's gonna lecture me again," he sighed harshly to himself. "Whatever. He's not my problem. If he knew what was good for him, he'd stay away. I wish he was never born."

An explosion of blue flame filled the air, making the students scream as one by one the entire crowd, villains and heroes, looked up in horror.

"SHOUTO!" Midoriya screamed as he jumped to his feet.

"Midoriya!" Hanae cried. "Wai-"

"That's my best friend," he yelled frantically, eyes watering in fear. "My friends are over there!"

Aspen opened her mouth, but a moment later, recognizing the look in the boy's tearful eyes, she nodded firmly and hugged her stepdaughter tighter. "Go, help him," she implored.

He nodded his thanks before turning and running.

Nearby, Aizawa swore loudly, his capture weapon rustling around his neck as he raced for the gym. "Todoroki!" He hollered.

"Dammit, Dabi..." Shigaraki growled, turning to Kurogiri. "Why didn't you stop him?!"

"Nothing will stop him now," he solemnly replied. "Nothing short of impairment or death."

He remembered that day.

He remembered the hatred in Touya's eyes as he yelled. He remembered the hurt and fear that coursed through his body as his face slowly shifted until he could see nothing except their father standing there instead of his beloved big brother.

He'd wailed to his mother about it, asking why he had to train with Papa and why he couldn't play more with his siblings. Why he couldn't go to school like they could. Why he couldn't have friends over like they could. Why Touya hated him so much.

His mother could only hold him and listen to him cry, her comforting hand combing through his hair. She said nothing, but her eyes were sorrowful. And bitter. And resentful.

But to whom? Did his mother hate him for making their lives harder? Did she resent him for having such a powerful combination of Quirks?

Did she hate him for taking his father's attention away like Touya?

It had been rough enough watching him get along with his older siblings; it was lonely to see him walk right past, ignoring his existence completely while talking to Natsuo. It was painful to hear him shouting with their father, only to storm out and fix him with a look that could kill. Like he wasn't even worthy to be scum stuck to the bottom of his shoe.

Fuyumi had the decency to look apologetic as she told him she had to study. Was that all a lie? Did she really resent me that much?

He knew Natsuo hardly said a word to him, but he never outright glared at him either. Did he hate me, too?

The only one he wanted attention from was Touya.

All he wanted was Touya.

Aizawa barely got there just in time; by the time he erased Dabi's Quirk, Endeavor's whole back was horribly burnt and charred; he was shaking and tears were dribbling down his cheeks as Shouto stared up at his father with horrified, frozen, faraway eyes that were still teary and red.

Tokoyami actually let out a shaky sigh of relief once he noticed him. "Aizawa-sensei!"

"Endeavor," he remarked instead. "Are you okay? You need to move."

The man grit his teeth and nodded, but as he straightened up, his remaining skin cracked and bubbled with blood and pus and he yelled in agony.

Third-degree burns, the teacher realized. I can see clear to the bone.

Dabi was aiming to kill his students.

His fists clenched. Anger licked at him like those bright-blue flames before it froze to ice.

Tokoyami stood, pulling the shellshocked boy with him. "Come on," he was saying quietly, soothingly, Dark Shadow nudging his chin with a soft coo. "We need to go. We can't stay here."

"SHOUTO!" Midoriya screamed, rushing past him and towards Todoroki.

At the sight of the boy, Shouto blinked and his eyes came back into focus. He said nothing, his lips parting in a silent breath and only reached out as Midoriya engulfed them both in a hug, sobbing, "I was so worried about you! I thought-"

Aizawa sighed quietly. As touching as it was to see him fret over his friends, they really needed to move. He would need to blink soon.

Dabi pointed a contemplative stare at the green-haired boy before sneering at the adult and clenched his hands. "Just in time, Eraserhead," he spat bitterly. "I was looking to test my hottest attack on someone. I suppose you'll do."

"Go! Now!" He barked at the hero.

He nodded shakily and shooed the boys, pushing them as he walked with a rigid back, his face contorted in pain.

As soon as they were out of the range of Dabi's fire, he turned to the villain with a steely, ice-cold glare.

"I don't care what kind of grudge you have against Endeavor or my students, but I will not stand by and let you do as you please," he snapped. Though his voice was calm, his body was trembling with repressed anger that could only be conveyed through the weight of his bright crimson stare. "I'm fairly certain all of us have wanted to take him down a peg or two, but that is no excuse to drag innocent teenagers into it!"

"Like you would know," he cackled, blood dripping off of his chin and onto the grass. "You haven't lived your whole life under someone else's shadow! You haven't been pressured into being perfect - and when you fail to meet that expectation, you're viciously shoved aside in favor of a newer, better model! You have never had to grow up with Todoroki Enji as a father!"

He gestured towards himself. "My childhood was an endless nightmare, Eraserhead - and I deserve to have the last laugh for once in my miserable, fucking, life!"

As Aizawa was forced to blink, Dabi immediately send a wall of flame his way, one that he barely dodged.

The edges of his uniform and weapon were singed, and he kissed his teeth as he fumbled with the eyedrops in his pocket.

"Sensei!" Shinsou's voice made dread pool in his stomach, and he realized with growing horror that Dabi heard it too. His eyes flickered towards his running student, and Dabi's wide grin widened even further, if possible, tearing the staples that held his skin together and causing even more blood to dribble down his face.

"NO!" Aizawa screamed as Dabi sent fire straight at Shinsou.

Shinsou looked up in surprise as Aizawa tackled him out of the way of the flame, sending them both crashing to the ground as the fire passed by right above them, searing Aizawa's back as it finally caught on one of the pillars, reducing the base to ash.

A horrible cracking sound echoed in the empty gymnasium, causing all to look up at it, and Aizawa grit his teeth and braced himself over the teenager as it slowly came falling down towards them. His ankle had twisted in his haste to protect, to add to his injuries, and all he could do was avoid showing the pain and fear in his face as Shinsou stared up at him, terrified.

He barely registered Midoriya's agonized scream as he breathed a prayer. My entire life is flashing before my eyes.

His friends' beaming faces flashed through his mind's eye. Nemuri laughing at a joke that Hizashi told them. Oboro grinning and reaching out for a fist-bump. Tensei showing him a picture of his baby brother with a look of fond pride in his eyes.

His heart was pounding in his ears, only barely feeling Shinsou's panicked grip on his coat.

"Kami-sama," he whispered, clutching his head to his chest in a shaking grip.

Please let me rest in peace.

"Please... please spare-"

The heavy metal pillar came down with a deafening, cracking boom.

A/N: And so the Todoroki drama takes its final, dark turn. And for those who were keeping their fingers crossed for a Dadzawa moment...

Please tell me what you thought.