Ashes of a Family

by gayprince.exe

[Crossposted from A03] A family was once set on fire but now all that remains are ashes scattered in the wind.

Dabi flipped through a newspaper, scanning the articles out of boredom. He heard Toga come in through the front door and she locked the door behind her. They had found an old abandoned warehouse to live in and they had installed locks. It was effectively their home though they didn't have much, not that they really needed too many possesions.

Out of the corner of his eye, Dabi saw as the girl's borrowed form fell away, revealing her naked body. He sighed, shaking his head. Toga was almost like a sister to him; nothing like how Fuyumi acted but they were close nontheless. He could never see the blonde any other way.

"Can you please cover yourself up?" he groaned, raising the newspaper over his face.

"No!" Toga grinned.

"Go!"

He made a motion with his hands, chasing her away. She skipped into the next room, giggling. Dabi turned to the table before him and reached into the bags that Toga had brought with her. She went out once a week to the supermarket to pick up food. What she really did was rob someone, take their groceries and bring them back home, looking like the person so that she looked less suspicious. It would look suspicious for Dabi to go out so freely in the open so it was up to her, which she didn't mind at all. How she picked a certain person was by the contents of their shopping carts. She would check each cart discreetly, looking for the products that she and Dabi liked to eat.

This time, she had returned with some soba noodles and soup. There were many snacks and instant ramen in them along with some hygiene products. Toga skipped back into the room, fully clothed, and began nibbling on one of the snacks.

"So, I met this guy," she said. "He said something about the 'League of Villains',"

"What did you say?"

"That I'll think about it,"

"What are you planning to do?"

She stayed quiet, turning on the electric kettle so that she could heat up water for some ramen. As crazy as she was, the girl had some sort of delicacy when it came to certain things. She was more than happy to prepare food for them even if Dabi insisted that he help her. Of course, he was used to her bloodthirsty side but it didn't put a damper on her sweet side.

"I was thinking that we both join," she sighed.

"Both?" Dabi raised an eyebrow. "Why me?"

"They're pretty famous."

"So?"

"If they're that famous and you join them, don't you think that you'll get the attention of the pro heroes, especially the top ten?"

"Yeah, and?"

"You could get closer to him,"

Dabi looked down at the table, mulling over her words. Neither of them ever said his father's name whether or not it was his hero name. He had disclosed his true identity to the girl but she kept her word that she would keep it secret and only brought it up if it was very important. If he could just take Endeavor out, he could finally reunite with his family. Toga was right; they'd be closer to the top ten heroes and Dabi could strike them down.

"If they get close to U.A. again, I'll make sure that he goes untouched," Toga poured hot water into the two styrofoam cups.

This time, 'he' was referring to his youngest brother: Shouto. His hatred for his father flared up every time he thought of the boy. He wished that he knew more about his baby brother but they had been kept apart for the most ludicrous reason. Their father knocked his wife around and would train Shouto until the poor child vomited. Even then, he would be forced to continue his brutal exercises.

Dabi didn't hold a grudge against his mother for burning her youngest son. It wasn't her fault, it was his father's. The last thing he remembered Shouto say anything was when he had yelled at the man, blaming him for his mother's actions. A few nights later, Dabi packed his things, leaving his family behind. He had to get stronger but the number two hero wasn't willing to pay him any attention so he had to find someone else.

"Let me meet the guy first," Dabi said at last.

"Ok!" Toga nodded, handing him a cup of ramen. "He gave me his card so when you're ready, we'll track him down,"

The young man nodded and sat down with his meal. He wondered what Shouto's favorite color was. What was his favorite food and what kind of shows did he like? He turned his head when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw that Toga was smiling gently at him.

"You'll see them soon," she said softly.

He nodded and began eating. He couldn't wait until he could finally go back to his family.

...

Natsuo whooped loudly when he saw his baby brother win second place at the U.A. sports festival. He had come home to watch the televised event with his sister and they were so proud of Shouto. They both clapped and cheered, rooting for him loudly as if he could hear them through the television. Their father wasn't home so the two shouted joyously to their hearts' content.

"I'm so proud of him!" Fuyumi smiled as she began to prepare dinner.

"Yeah, he's a strong kid," Natsuo sat at the kitchen table. "Hey, what do you think that green haired guy said to him?"

"Probably some trash talk. You know how competetive kids get,"

"At a hero school?"

"You'd be surprised,"

The brother and sister chatted until they heard the front door open. Their father had arrived home and Shouto trailed after him. His siblings greeted their father but quickly rushed to the teenager, praising him. With a smile, he thanked them and went to take a bath before dinner.

After a quiet meal, Fuyumi went around the house, collecting dirty clothes to wash. Ever since their mother had left, she was the one who picked up the household chores. Endeavor wanted to hire a maid but the girl wouldn't let him; she wanted to take over the chores. As she made her way around, she jumped when she approached her father's study.

"Only second place?!" the man's voice boomed.

Fuyumi froze, terrified. For some reason she thought that maybe Shouto would be able to rest without his father bothering him for at least that night. He had had a long but busy day and deserved much rest. Instead, he was corralled into the all too familiar study and yelled at.

The fact that Shouto had placed second infuriated him. Nevermind that he ended up using his firepower; it wasn't enough that he didn't win first place. Endeavor had always been second and it pissed him off that his son, who was supposed to surpass him, ended up in the same position as him.

"From now on, we're going train even harder with your fire," Enji shouted. "Now that you've decided to finally use it, we're going to be working twice as hard!"

Fuyumi felt someone brush past her and saw that Natsuo had decided to make his appearance. Of course, he had heard their father yelling and he jumped in. Shouto had been punched with such a force that he vomited and collapsed onto the hard floor. His brother stood in front of him, his arms outstretched.

"Move," Enji ordered.

"No! Let him rest!" Natsuo resisted. "He kicked so much ass today but you can't be happy with that! Shouldn't you be proud?!"

"This doesn't concern you. Now move!"

"No!"

Fuyumi dropped the laundry basket in her arms and rushed into the room. She saw her father raise his hand, presumably to strike Natsuo out of his way. She screamed and ran in front of her two brothers, bracing herself but the hit never came. She opened her eyes and she stumbled backwards. Natsuo caught her and helped her upright. The three siblings were in shock at the sight before them.

Enji was covered in ice and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move. Fuyumi's ice quirk was very powerful but it was useless to her father since she couldn't conjure up fire. It wasn't enough that her ice also had crystals in them, making it much stronger. If it didn't, then the man would have melted it easily and he would be free to release his wrath. It was something that had been passed down her mother's bloodline.

"Fuyumi!" Enji roared. "Get me out of this!"

The young woman shook, scared out of her mind. If she let him go, she would be struck but she couldn't just leave her father like this. Another thing was that she didn't know how to withdraw her quirk. She hadn't recieved any training for it and had spent her life taking care of the Todoroki household instead.

"She doesn't know how! If you paid any attention to her, you would know that!" Natsuo yelled. "This kind of shit is exactly why Touya left!"

"Natsuo! Stop it!" Fuyumi's eyes widened. "I'm so sorry father, I'll try my best to undo this,"

"Breathe," Shouto put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Slowly, in and out,"

Holding onto her baby brother's hand, she slowly inhaled through her nose and exhaled through her mouth. She repeated this several times and each time, the ice slowly receeded little by little until it was completely gone. Fuyumi expected her father to slap her but he didn't. Quietly, he dismissed his children and turned to his desk. There was no doubt that Natsuo's mention of their lost sibling had hit a sore spot.

Shouto was escorted into the kitchen where his sister boiled some water to make tea for him. Natsuo pulled out some snacks from the cupboard and they all sat down, sipping on tea and nibbling on rice crackers. No one said a word, still shaken by what had happened.

...

Rei sighed at the sight of fresh flowers in the vase kept on her bedside table. Her husband had always sent them to her without fail every week. She had long forgiven him, accepting that her actions were her own. Still, the doctor had decided that it wasn't a good idea for them to see one another so she hadn't seen him in years.

Despite having been married off as part of an arranged marriage, she loved him. Enji was also quite taken with her and their union was not a loveless one. It wasn't until a few years later that their relationship changed.

She turned her head when she heard the door slide open and before her, a teenaged boy looked at her apprehensively. She recognized the two toned hair color that her new visitor had and saw a scar on his face. It had been years since she had seen her youngest son.

"Mom," he whispered.

"Shouto," tears welled up in Rei's eyes.

The boy slowly stepped forward and after a few steps, he flung himself into her arms. She hugged him back, weeping and asking for his forgiveness.

"No, it's ok," Shouto answered. "I-I'm sorry that I didn't come sooner,"

"I'm just so happy to see you," Rei sighed. "Come, sit over here,"

The mother patted the empty spot next to her on the bed and Shouto sat down. Rei smiled when her son laid his head on her lap after a few moments. Her heart swelled to hear him talk about the new friends he had made.

"Midoriya is my first friend ever," Shouto told her. "He's a great person,"

"I'm glad that you've made a friend," Rei stroked his hair.

"I've made other friends too and the teachers are all helpful,"

She listened as her son talked about his life and nodded, hanging on to each word. He spoke quite a lot and his peers would be surprised at how much he was saying. It warmed her heart that Shouto was making friends and doing well in school.

"Midoriya made me realize that it's my own quirk," Shouto continued. "That I can be my own hero with my own two hands, no matter what quirk I hold in them,"

"That's great," Rei smiled. "I'm happy that you're doing well,"

"Thanks, mom,"

The two were silent and Rei kept stroking her finger's through Shouto's hair. It was something that she used to do when he was upset and went to her for comfort. He was grown now and had matured so it made her heart felt heavy with regret knowing that she couldn't watch him grow up. Her heart sank deeper when the nurse came around to let them know that visiting hours were over.

"Bye," Shouto kissed his mother on the cheek. "I'll come visit you again very soon,"

"I look forward to it," Rei smiled sadly.

"I love you, mom,"

"I love you too, Shouto,"

...

Dabi was nervous but determined about meeting the guy who wanted to recruit them into the League of Villains. Toga skipped alongside him and she flashed him a smile that told him that everything would be alright. Giran met them in a deep alley and he grinned as the pair approached them. The two were pretty notorious for small crimes here and there, catching his attention.

"Follow me," the man said.

Toga gave Dabi a look before following the recruiter that reassured him. They were led into an underground tunnel and without knocking, Giran opened the door, ushering them in.

"Who are these two?"

There, a scrawny man sat at a bar which was attended by a misty bartender. Toga and Dabi introduced themselves though the latter did so callously and the man shifted slightly in his seat. He looked over them carefully and Toga giggled.

"Leave," he waved his hand.

Dabi was about to protest but Giran left, closing the door closed behind him, indicating that the man wasn't referring to the two potential recruits.

"I am Shigaraki Tomura," he said, scratching his neck. "I am your leader,"

Toga grinned and plopped down on a bar stool. Dabi didn't quite like that 'leader' part but he opted to ignore it. After all, he was here to destroy Endeavor so he had to win Shigaraki's trust. He was introduced to the other members who also disclosed their quirks. When asked what his was, he simply held out his hand, conjuring a blue flame without a word. Shigaraki raised an eyebrow and nodded in approval as Dabi withdrew his hand, extinguishing the blue ember.

The place was nicer than their previous residence so he wasn't too bothered by having to move there. He had his own room and Toga no longer had to go out for groceries. Everything was taken care of by Black Mist so they mostly sat around, awaiting their orders.

"Hey, hey," Mr. Compress approached Dabi. "Is Toga your girlfriend?"

"No," the young man shook his head. "She's like a sister to me,"

"So she's up for grabs?"

"You sick fuck,"

Dabi raised his hand and brought it down onto the man's chest. He had covered his hand in blue flames but not enough to kill Mr. Compress. Shigaraki wouldn't like it if one of them ended up dead. Across the room, the blonde girl giggled at the sight. She found it absolutely hilarious when he defended her. Just like Dabi considered her to be his sister, she thought of him as an older brother.

"Jeez, I get it," the tall man backed off. "No need to be so violent,"

Thoughts of Fuyumi filled his head as Dabi remembered that he used to protect her in the same way. Sure, he was a scrawny little kid despite being the oldest of his siblings but he felt a duty to stick up for her. He missed her and he wondered what she was doing. He also wondered if her favorite food was still honeydew.

Shigaraki snarled for them to be quiet and Black Mist just quietly continued to dry some shot glasses. He filled a cup of water and set it in front of Dabi when he approached the bar, sitting on the stool next to Toga. She flashed a knife at him but he didn't flinch. The girl was only showing off her latest steal; a pink switchblade.

Later that day, Spinner and Dabi walked the streets, studying the patrol routes of the local pro heroes. They stuck to the shadows of the city to avoid being noticed by their appearances, silently watching. The reptilic man suddenly stopped and gestured to a dark alley. Dabi looked over at where his companion was pointing. The darkness echoed with pleas and screams. He walked over and out of curiousity, Spinner followed after him.

"Hey,"

A young boy who seemed to still be in middle school was lying on the ground, bruised and beaten. Two boys who were twice his size stood before him and turned to face the man who had spoken.

"Leave," they were ordered.

"What are you going to do about it?" one of the boys sneered.

"This,"

A blue flame lit up the alley, scaring the two boys. Dabi absolutely hated bullies. He remembered when his brother, Natsuo would be picked on when they were younger. It didn't matter to him that quirks were not allowed to be used in school; he was going to protect his younger brother. Funnily enough, Endeavor didn't say anything about it, not growing angry at the slightest even when Rei scolded her son for getting into another fight. He almost seemed proud but omitted the praise lest he set a bad example for his other children. The bullies scurried off, pushing past their opponent. Spinner gave them a growl, prompting them to run faster.

"Are you ok?"

"Oh thank you mister! Thank you so much!" the boy hugged Dabi.

Without a word, he settled his hands down onto the boy's back, remembering how Shouto would greet him. He was always happy to see his big brother even though they couldn't play together. Before the nostalgia could bubble over him, Dabi pulled away.

"Get out of here," he said, turning to leave.

"Thank you!"

The boy called after him and Dabi waved a small goodbye over his back. Spinner walked alongside him, amused at what had just happened.

"Good job," he said. "Bullies piss me off,"

"I'm not doing it for praise," Dabi hissed.

"Then we're more alike than we thought,"

Spinner loved to talk about the anti-hero, Stain. Silently, the fire user agreed with what he had to say. Some heroes were despicable and Endeavor was one of them. He wondered if the scaly man would be useful when he finally broke off from the League of Villains. He was only using them for the time being and didn't plan to stick around more than he needed to.

"Uh-huh," Dabi said in a dull manner.

Luckily, his companion didn't say anything more and they continued their route. Even when they returned to the base, Spinner said nothing; Dabi didn't need praise.

...

Fuyumi walked on eggshells for the next week whenever her father was home. Natsuo had returned to his dorm on his college campus and Shouto began staying late at school for extra training. At the very least, he was in control of his exercise regimen and his friends would refuse to let him continue when he hit his limits.

The reason she knew this was because she had met them once. She had gone grocery shopping when she saw Shouto with a few other people. They wore the same uniforms as he did so she figured that they were his friends and classmates. With a smile on her face, Fuyumi approached them. Her brother turned around and gave her a smile, taking a few of the grocery bags in her hands.

"Thanks, Shouto," she sighed. "Are these your friends?"

"Yes," the boy nodded.

She was introduced to Midoriya, Iida and Uraraka. They were all really nice and seemed to get along very well with Shouto.

"You're the one who went up against Shouto during the sports festival," Fuyumi tilted her head.

"Yeah," the green haired boy chuckled nervously.

"He's been working so much harder ever since," Iida added. "Though, we stop him when it becomes too intense,"

"Shouto! Don't push yourself so hard," Fuymi scolded. "Well, I thank you all for taking care of my baby brother,"

Uraraka let out a 'aww' at the term 'baby brother' and giggled, saying that it was no trouble at all. After a bit more chatting, the friends parted ways to return to their respective homes. Shouto walked alongside Fuyumi as she asked him questions.

"Uraraka is cute," she said. "Do you like her?"

"She's a very strong person," Shouto answered simply.

"No, I meant romantically!"

"Romantically?"

"Yeah, like do you want to ask her to go on a date?"

"Not really,"

"But she's so cute!"

"I suppose but seeing her in such a light wouldn't be respectful, don't you think?"

Fuyumi rolled her eyes and laughed as the boy looked at her, confused.

"It's great that you grew up so well," she said.

"Thank you,"

She began to prepare dinner when her phone buzzed, indicating that she had a text. Wiping her hands on her apron, she saw it was her father's secretary, letting her know that Endeavor wouldn't be returning home that night. Shouto walked into the kitchen with his phone in his hand. He had recieved the same text and immediately seeked his sister.

"I want to help you," he said as he pocketed his phone.

"Ok," Fuyumi smiled.

She didn't resist and tell him to sit down; Shouto would end up helping her anyways and she liked to be around him even though their interactions were little. She passed him a cutting board and knife so he could slice some scalllions. His mouth watered as he saw his sister add soba noodles into a pot of boiling water. Fuyumi knew that cold soba was her brother's favorite dish.

"Hey, give Natsuo a call and see if he wants to come over," she said.

At the words 'father isn't coming home tonight', Natsuo grabbed his hoodie and keys, running towards the Todoroki household. He had originally meant to go see his girlfriend that night but family was more important. Hastily, he sent her a text, explaining the situation. She understood and had always understood.

He was out of breath when he reached the front door, shoving the key into the lock. Shouto poked his head out into the hallway and greeted his older brother.

"You didn't have to run," he said.

"I totally did," Natsuo panted. "I wanted to have dinner with my sister and baby brother,"

"At least wash your hands then," Fuyumi scolded. "Then go set the table. Dinner's almost ready,"

The three siblings sat down to eat and Fuyumi mentioned Uraraka. Natsuo roared with laughter, elbowing his brother, raising his eyebrows up and down.

"She's a friend," Shouto replied.

"Just a friend or something more?" his brother teased.

"Well, I did think about fighting her. She has a very interesting quirk,"

"Fighting?"

"He means a spar or something like that," Fuyumi explained.

Still, as older siblings did, they continued to tease their little brother.

"I went to go see mom," Shouto suddenly said.

"How did it go?" his sister asked quietly.

She had expected for Shouto to come back either angry or elated. Instead, he returned with the same demeanor and she was too afraid to ask about his visit. Natsuo's jaw dropped open and his chopsticks clattered down on the table. Quickly, he picked them up again and echoed his sister's question.

"She was smiling," Shouto replied.

Natsuo and Fuyumi tried to see their mother as much as they could but they had never pushed Shouto to go. No one said it but they knew that the woman sorely missed her youngest son. Still he hadn't shown any desire to visit her until now.

"She's just like I remember when we were little," the boy continued. "Warm and soft,"

He smiled slightly and Fuyumi sighed in relief. She looked at her brothers and saw that both of them were in a daze, thinking about their mother. She was, indeed, a kind woman but like any other person, she had her limits and was unfortunately pushed past them. At the very least, Fuyumi always knew that Shouto never blamed her for what had happened so he wasn't angry with her.

"We should go together, all three of us," Natsuo suggested. "Mom would love that,"

"That would be nice," Shouto nodded.

The night was warm and pleasant so the three siblings sat out in the backyard after dinner. They liked it when their father wasn't home because it meant that they could spend time together without having something looming over their heads.

"I'm going to be taking an internship," Shouto said.

"With who?" Natsuo asked, excited.

"With me,"

The three of them jumped at the deep voice behind them.

"F-father," Fuyumi quickly stood up. "I-I thought you weren't coming home tonight,"

"I finished earlier than I expected," Enji said.

"I'll go make some dinner-,"

"No need, I already ate,"

With that, he was gone, presumably to his study. Natsuo pulled his sister in for a hug, patting her back. It was apparent that she hadn't forgotten the incident when they had both confronted their father and ending up in her freezing the man.

"Why are you interning under him?" Natsuo asked but not in a harsh tone. "I'm sure you got a bunch of other offers,"

"I did," Shouto answered, taking his sister's hand. "But no one else but him knows how to hone my firepower. It doesn't mean that I have to like him but I have to grow stronger,"

...

Rei was overjoyed to see her children walk through the door together. Fuyumi whined about Natsuo not coming home as often and he told her to shut up. Shouto silently went over to his mother and laid his head on her lap. His siblings turned and looked at him, surprised that he would do something like that. Their mother went on stroking his hair, asking how they were all doing.

Fuyumi crossed her arms and continued complaining about her brother's frequent absence from the house. Natsuo kept trying to interrupt her but he couldn't get a word in. Rei reached out her free hand and patted him on the back.

"I'm sure you're studying very hard," she said softly. "Fuyumi just misses you,"

"I'm just saying that he's been really inconsiderate as of late," the girl huffed, sitting down.

The two bickered as Shouto watched, amused. He never really liked it when an argument broke out around him but he was ok with this. He knew that they loved each other and they were only acting like siblings usually did.

"Oh and Shouto's been working himself nearly to death," Fuyumi added. "His friends have to stop him whenever it goes too far,"

"I'm glad you're working hard," Rei chuckled. "But don't forget to make time to have fun,"

"You should ask that girl on a date!" Natsuo shouted.

"What girl?" Shouto asked.

"Don't play dumb with me!"

Natsuo and Fuyumi continued their teasing, making their mother smile. Shouto didn't really have any romantic feelings towards Uraraka but siblings always did their best to get on each other's nerves. However, the boy didn't understand why they were so insistent.

They exchanged banters but ended up in a group hug. Rei laid down on her bed with Shouto resting his head on her chest, Fuyumi on her right arm and Natsuo leaning over onto her lap from a chair he pulled up. She began to tell them one of their favorite bedtime stories and even though they were too old for those sorts of things, they insisted upon it.

When the nurse came to let the family know that visiting hours were over, she caught the tail end of the story telling. Quietly, she backed away, returning to her desk and allowing fifteen more minutes to pass before returning. She watched as the three siblings kissed their mother good bye and hug her. There was a sadness behind Rei's smile but there were no tears this time.

...

Dabi waved his hand slightly at Toga and she set off towards the direction that he had indicated. In the forest, she wove swiflty between the trees and bushes, prowling around for the students there. He himself turned to Twice, who created clones of him. The clone was sent off to where the remaining students under Vlad King were.

Quickly, with a sharp turn of his hand, blue embers made its way around the forest, surrounding it. He had previously warned Spinner and Toga to stay away from Shouto but they still continued their goal to capture the blonde explosive boy known as Bakugo Katsuki. When he saw that their target was with his little brother, his hands balled into fists. This was going to be much harder than he thought.

To his relief, Mr. Compress was swift in capturing the blonde boy, leaving Shouto unscathed. Still, Dabi watched as his little brother fight vigorously in an attempt to fight off the villains. Twice looked over at him and quickly drew his finger over his neck, indicating that the clones he had made were gone.

Before he knew it, they were back at their hideout with their hostage in tow. Shigaraki grinned as the boy fell to the floor, unconcious. Quickly, he was chained to a chair, his arms restrained to prevent any explosions. Giran had gone out of his way to obtain the fireproof lock for them.

After much yelling between the boy and Shigaraki, Dabi was left in the room with Toga to watch over the blonde brat. She simply skipped around him in circles, twirling her knife and asking about the green haired boy with the freckles.

"Hell if I know what kind of cake he likes!" he yelled at her.

"That's too bad," Toga pouted. "Although you're pretty cute too,"

"Fuck off!"

Dabi raised an eyebrow and shifted in his seat, telling the girl to knock it off. He had his own questions to ask.

"Tell me, are you friends with that Todoroki boy?" it had been so long since he had said his last name.

"Friends?" Bakugo snarled. "As if I'd be friends with that half and half bastard!"

Dabi chuckled and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. Bakugo resisted but it was no good; he was trapped and he couldn't figure a way out.

"That's funny,"

The hand on his shoulder began feeling hot, even more than the blonde boy could take.

"You know what else is funny?" Dabi tightened his grip.

"Fuck if I care!" Bakugo struggled.

"We're both fire users but we're still not completely immune to our own powers,"

"Get off of me!"

"So I'm curious as to what your limits are,"

"Dabi!"

Toga panicked as she heard footsteps approaching them. It was Shigaraki and he wouldn't like it if their hostage was completely destroyed. Dabi looked at her, his hand cooling down but he didn't forget the name that had been directed at his brother. It was a cheap insult but it was enough for his protective brotherly side to flare up.

"What are you doing?" Shigaraki growled.

"Just making sure he doesn't try anything funny,"

Dabi backed away, frowning as he crossed his arms. His hands burned from the flames; his weak constitution to fire was present as ever Luckily enough, the manchild waved it away and asked Bakugo once again to join their league. Of course, he was turned down and cursed at. This went on for a while until they heard a knock on the door.

Nobody expected the door to burst open with All Might at the entrance. However, Black Mist quickly gathered himself, creating several portals for the group to vanish into. They ended up in a warehouse that had a TV. Shigaraki picked up the remote, turning it on. Dabi wondered how it was even hooked up when the place was abandoned but his thoughts were interrupted at the sight of a mix of red and white hair.

He drew closer to the TV, staring at a small figure in the background. He ignored the fight that was going on and concentrated on his brother. The camera then panned away, leaving Dabi irritated, wanting to know why his brother was there. Toga gave him a little nudge and he turned to look at her.

"No," she whispered.

She said no because he couldn't go right back out there after escaping the clutches of the pro heroes. She said no because if he showed himself in front of the cameras, their escape would be for nothing. Most of all, she said no because he couldn't let Shigaraki or anyone in the league know that he was a Todoroki.

He took a deep breath and nodded. All he could do was pray that his baby brother was safe.

...

Fuyumi was pretty sure that if her hair wasn't naturally white, she'd still have a head of white hair from the stress she was going through. She had learned that Shouto had snuck out and joined his friends to rescue their classmate. The incident at the training camp was stressful alone so this only flustered her even more. The boy sat still as she lectured him as she broke down into tears.

"I know why you did it," she sobbed. "You're a hero but I still worry about you,"

"I'm sorry," Shouto hugged his sister close. "But I had to do it,"

She nodded as she pulled away, wiping the tears from her face. His teachers had just left the house, having obtained their father's permission to have Shouto move into the U.A. dorms. She had been quietly pulled aside and told what happened. Aizawa knew that Fuyumi wasn't his mother but he said that he felt as if she had a right to know. His tone implicated that Endeavor wouldn't show the care that his student needed but he made no mention of it aloud.

"It'll be a few days before I have to move into the dorms," Shouto said. "I was thinking that we take a nice trip. Me, you and Natsuo,"

"I'd like that," Fuyumi sighed. "It's the weekend so Natsuo should be free,"

Natsuo perked up at the idea of a trip to the countryside. Before they took off, they visited their mother, wishing they could take her with them but she smiled and only asked for a small souvenir. Their father said nothing but nodded; he had started to talk less around the house ever since Fuyumi had accidentally frozen him.

An elderly couple boarded them for their mini vacation and they watched as the siblings spent time with one another. They were very kind hearted and it made them happy to see the Todoroki children get along with one another. The older two occasionally bickered whilst the youngest was quiet. Still, they were very polite and the couple enjoyed their company.

"This is nice," Natsuo sighed, sinking into the sauna.

"Mmm, it is," Fuyumi hummed, agreeing with her brother.

They all sat in bathing suits in the hot water, enjoying the delicate steam rolling off their skins. Earlier that day, they had went fishing and brought back enough fish to feed an entire village so they did just that. The small settlement that was situated near where they were staying were poor and the siblings went around, giving away the fresh meat. In return, they offered them a relaxing dip at the local hot springs. Apparently, there was a rumor that the water was good for the skin and that it retained one's youth.

"You think that the youth thing is true?" Natsuo asked.

"I don't think so," Shouto answered. "There is no proof that anything on this planet doesn't age or regress back to a certain age,"

"You're such a killjoy. Can't you just let there be some mystery in the world?"

"Why did you ask about it then?"

Natsuo splashed water onto his brother and they were soon engaged in a water fight. Fuyumi watched, amused and pleased to hear both of her brothers laughing. She knew that Shouto didn't smile or laugh very much but he was more open around his siblings and his mother. She sighed happily and closed her eyes until a splash of water washed over her. Opening her eyes, she chased her brothers, splashing water back at them.

They were almost sorry to leave but the boys had to return to their classes that following day. Fuyumi saw her brothers off as they headed to their respective campuses. As she fell into bed that night, her phone lit up and revealing a text from Shouto. Smiling, she typed in a reply and hit send before placing her phone down on her bedside table and going to sleep.

"I love you too. Good night,"

...

It greatly saddened Rei when she saw her children leave. She didn't want to let go of them but she had to. It was hard to see them leave through the door even though they had spent minutes just saying goodbye. Sighing, she turned on the TV and flipped through the channel. There was nothing interesting on but she saw a face that she would recognize anywhere.

The news station was running a recap of the events at Kamino Ward. Rei had heard about it because Fuyumi had told her that Shouto had gone there. She thanked the heavens that her son had come back safely but she did scold him lightly.

A few clips played and the media had managed to get good footage. Over and over, they kept playing as the news anchors spoke to a few guests, discussing All Might's retirement. However, she didn't hear them.

Touya. Her baby Touya was there. He looked burnt up and staples covered his body but she could recognize his face anywhere. Though his hair was black, she took notice of the wild locks that she had so desperately tried to tame when he was younger. She reached out for the telephone in her room to call someone; maybe her children or her husband but she thought the better of it.

She couldn't stand the thought of her son being imprisoned like she was. Rei was sure that Touya had a good reason to be with the League of Villains. He didn't seem to be a hostage because he disappeared into the black portal quite willingly with a smirk on his face. What could she do? She was torn and felt her head buzzing, making her feel faint. Suddenly, the TV set turned off and the woman looked up.

"Now, what did the doctor tell you about watching the news?" a nurse calmly placed the remote down. "It doesn't help your anxiety,"

"Yes," Rei nodded. "You're right,"

The nurse gave her a cup with pills in it and Rei slid them into her mouth, washing them down with water. Perhaps she was wrong and that was someone who just looked like Touya. The news really did get her anxious so she must've mistaken him in her flustered state. Touya was good boy after all, right?

...

Dabi sighed, running his hand through his hair, agitated. He really didn't like Hawks but Shigaraki was making him consider him as a potential recruit. He looked up at the nomu before him and spit at its feet. With a click of a button, the creature was free and broken words gargled from its mouth.

"Go," he ordered.

The nomu staggered past him and it began to walk with more confidence with each step he took. He flew into the sky, stretching its wings and Dabi pointed it to where it should be headed and then it was gone. Screw Hawks; he'll do things on his own term.

He wandered into a nearby alley, looking up into the sky. He grinned as he heard people panicking and screaming. Dabi caught a glimpse of Hawks and he chuckled a little at his surprised face. The nomu said a few phrases but the man didn't care enough to make out what it was saying.

Then, he heard an all too familiar voice. Reflexively, he flinched and had to remind himself that he didn't need to be afraid of him. Still, Endeavor's voice hadn't changed in the slightest and it made Dabi's hands itch. He stuffed them in his pockets and kept watching the nomu. Honestly, he didn't care if it won or not; they just wanted to test out their latest weapon.

He watched as the nomu fell into a nearby alley and then walked over to it calmly. At the sight of his father's face, Dabi wanted to scream and tear the man's face off. He kept his cool, reminding himself to keep calm. Instead, Dabi taunted him and Hawks with a menacing smile. It felt nice to have the upper hand for once and he hardly heard what Hawks had to say to him later on.

...

"Soba again?" Natsuo looked down at the table before him. "Don't you guys eat anything else?"

"Cold soba is Shouto's favorite," Fuyumi answered.

Sure enough, the boy ate his noodles happily, savoring his meal. Natsuo only shrugged and joined his siblings, watching a cooking program on the TV. Their father had been hospitalized and though none of them said it, they were all relieved to find out that he made it out alive. When Enji had emerged victorious, all three let out a sigh of relief at the same time despite having been in different places as they watched the breaking news.

After Shouto knelt down, surrounded by his classmates and teacher, he felt as if he had fallen a hundred feet before hitting a rough concrete ground. The school gave him permission to go home when the boy grabbed his phone and frantically called his sister. He ran inside the home after unlocking the front door and Fuyumi rushed to him, embracing him tightly as soon as he entered the house. Natsuo had arrived shortly after, worried about his sister as well.

When they heard their father enter the house, Natsuo and Shouto continued to eat. The older brother almost exploded with laughter when the younger boy made a remark about the nasty scar on Enji's face. Their sister tried to steer them into being more polite but they couldn't find it in their hearts to do so. They were happy to hear that he was alive but it didn't fix everything.

The longer Enji stood before them, the more unbearable it became for Natsuo to keep himself collected. A rage bubbled forth from him and he said the most words he had ever said to his father in his whole life. He didn't care if the man became angry at what he said; he needed to say what he felt. He had watched his siblings suffer for far too long!

He ran to his old room after yelling at his father and turned violently when the door opened. Natsuo calmed down when he saw that it was only Shouto who had entered. Without a word, he crossed over to his big brother's bed and sat down. He stayed quiet and Natsuo felt bad for exploding in front of him.

"Shouto, I-," he began.

"What was Touya like?" Shouto asked.

Natsuo was taken aback; he had never asked about their oldest brother before. Though they were aware of one another, they were kept apart. Only him and Fuyumi were free to play around with Touya whilst Shouto was kept in the training room until he couldn't get up anymore.

"He was brave," Natsuo finally said. "He was kind of sick all the time but he still stuck up for me and Fuyumi,"

"That sounds nice," Shouto said, wistfully.

"Well, he said that no one but him was allowed to beat me up,"

He chuckled at the old memory and Shouto sat silently, waiting patiently for Natsuo to continue.

"When you were still a baby, he liked holding you. He promised mom that he would take care of you no matter what,"

Shouto opened his mouth but closed it, not knowing what to say. He had a vague memory of his older brother but never really knew why he disappeared. Eventually, he was told that Touya had run away and was presumed dead. It was sad to think that he'd never really known him. He was happy to be supported by Natsuo and Fuyumi but there was always an empty space there; an empty space that only the missing Todoroki sibling could fill.

...

Rei was having trouble sleeping after she had seen her son on TV. She kept trying to tell herself that she was just overly anxious after watching the news but some part of her nagged at her. She wanted to tell someone but she didn't because Touya would only end up in trouble.

A few nights later, she saw a large black portal materialize at the end of her bed. A tall figure stepped through it and she sat up, screaming. The nurse rushed into the room, asking what was wrong. Rei just shook her head, saying that she had a nightmare but that she was ok now. After a while, the nurse left and Rei sat back in her bed.

"Touya," she whispered.

"Mom,"

Dabi stepped out from behind the door and gazed at his mother; she was as beautiful as he remembered. He had expected her to lecture him or try to turn him over to the authorites but she didn't. Instead she held out her arms and he ran into them. They closed around him in a tight hug and he buried his face into her shoulder.

"Touya, you're alive," she sobbed. "You're alive,"

"Yeah, I'm alive, mom," he returned the hug. "I'm sorry for letting you think I was dead,"

"It's alright. I think that some part of me always knew that you were still alive. Come here, let me see your face,"

Hesitantly, Dabi lifted his chin to look his mother in the face. He felt bad about his appearance; his body didn't respond very well to heat which was why he was mainly a long range attacker when using his quirk. His low resistance made his skin wither in certain areas when he first tried to train himself, leaving large unsightly patches of marred skin.

"You're so handsome," Rei kissed her long lost son on the forehead. "And you've grown so tall,"

"I'm sorry mom but I had to leave-,"

"Shh, it's alright,"

Dabi fell to his knees, leaning over the edge of the bed and into his mother's embrace. She slowly raked her hand through his hair; a gesture that she had always given to her children when they were younger. Rei delicately traced the staples that held his skin together with a sad expression.

"I know why you joined the league," she murmured. "But please, don't be angry with your father,"

"But he hurt you and he hurt Shouto and me, Natsuo and Fuyumi!" he exclaimed. "How could I not hate him?"

"Sometimes, people do strange things,"

"Like beating you and making Shouto cry all the time?"

"I'm not any better than him, especially because of what I did to Shouto,"

"That wasn't your fault!"

All of the Todoroki children had long forgiven Rei for her actions. They pointed at their father for the blame and never once gave a second thought to the woman's actions. They didn't want to believe that she was responsible at all.

"No, it was my fault for doing what I did to your little brother," she hunched over, her hands cradling her son's face.

"No, it was all that's bastard's fault!" Dabi cried.

"Please don't hate your father,"

Both mother and son sobbed in one another's arms as they sat in the darkness of the room.

"Psst,"

Dabi looked up to see Toga standing next to a black portal.

"Shigaraki is coming back," she said sadly, then turned to the woman. "I'm sorry,"

The sight of her psudeo brother sobbing into his mother's arms made her sad. Toga was the one who had convinced Black Mist to allowed Dabi to see his mother. She hadn't given much detail and only said that it was an emergency and that Dabi had to see her one last time. Sighing, the misty man conceded and promised to keep it from his master.

"Mom, I love you so much," Dabi wiped his mother's tears away. "I might not be able to see you again for a long time but I'm glad you're alright,"

"Please be caureful, Touya. I love you,"

"I love you too, mom,"

Fresh tears sprang to the man's face as he embraced his mother one more time. After he stepped into the portal and it disappeared, Rei laid back on her bed, somewhat relieved. She felt calmer and though she didn't like that her son was a wanted villain, it comforted to see him again for the first time in years. After a few days of being filled with immense anxiety, she was able to sleep peacefully that night.

...

"Where did you go?" Shigaraki asked in a dangerous tone.

"Out," Dabi shrugged.

"Out where?!"

"There was a slight disturbance outside so I sent him to check out the issue," Black Mist said calmly.

He answered for Dabi before his master threw another tantrum. Shigaraki looked at him but decided to dismiss the matter. Instead, he waved his hand, ordering Dabi and Toga to leave. Quietly, Toga walked beside the man as they made their way to their sleeping area. It was cramped in the new warehouse that they were in now but it couldn't be helped.

"She's beautiful," the blonde said at last.

"She's always been," Dabi sighed, sitting on his cot.

"It's only a matter of time,"

"I know,"

"You'll get your revenge,"

Dabi nodded at the girl's words and lay down. He quickly fell asleep and dreamt of his mother.

...

Shouto had a pink stationary set on his desk. His mother didn't have a cellphone so he couldn't text her but he had been so busy with his school work so he couldn't visit or call either. Instead, he had his female classmates pick out a cute set of paper and envelopes. He wrote about how school was and all about his friends. She wasn't allowed to write back because security was as tight as ever on the U.A. school grounds. Still, he wrote her, with the return address omitted and Fuyumi would text him to tell him that she had gotten his letters and was glad to hear he was doing well.

Natsuo had become more active in his brother's life and sent him videos of concerts he went to. He promised to take the boy to a concert one day and Shouto agreed, despite not really liking huge crowds. When his classmates discussed about what to do for the upcoming festival, he wanted to invite his siblings but he wasn't allowed to. Instead, Aizawa offered to record the musical display that Class 1-A was holding. The boy sent the video to his siblings and they showed it to his mother, who was as proud as she could be.

Fuyumi was flustered that her vision of a family was crushed. Her father had become kinder to her despite her freezing him but her brothers wouldn't budge. He had stated that he knew why she did it and forgave her. Her heart had swelled then and she cried tears of joy.

"Dad, I know what Natsuo said was harsh," she said.

"But what he said is true," Enji replied. "I can't simply apologize and hope that everything is fine,"

"Dad..."

"I'm sorry Fuyumi,"

For the first time in a long time, the girl hugged her father. He was a brash man but she could see all the pain he was going through. She knew that her father visited the hospital every week with his wife's favorite flowers despite not being able to see her.

"I know you're working hard to atone for what you did," Fuyumi sighed. "And I'm sure that Natsuo will come around,"

"What about Shouto?"

The young woman laughed and Enji looked at her in confusion.

"Do you remember what he said?" she chuckled. "If he could accept Endeavor, I think he's already on his way to forgiving you as a father,"

"I hope so," the father sighed. "And about Touya-,"

"One step at a time, dad,"

...

Dabi gazed across the city as he sat on top of a building. He and Toga had been sent out to continue learning the patrol routes of the local pro heroes. He remembered the look in his mother's eyes when she saw him and it was the first time that he had cried in years.

"After he's gone," Toga carefully began. "You'll be able to go back to your family,"

The Todoroki household wasn't as clean as the public percepted it to be. Outside the family, very few people knew about Rei and it was only assumed that Shouto had a scar due to an accident during training. Neither he or Endeavor made a comment about it so the tabloids could only speculate. Dabi cringed as he recalled Shouto's screams and his declaration of his hatred towards their father.

That was the last straw; he was sorry to leave his baby brother behind but if he was going to destroy his father, he needed to train and grow stronger. There was no way in hell he would ever turn to the Todoroki patriarch, not that he cared, so Touya set out on his own and adopted the name 'Dabi'.

"After he's gone," he repeated.

He and his siblings could be happy and they could reunite with their mother. They didn't need the so called number one hero. He needed to pay for his actions. For now, Dabi just had to wait and see what would happen.