Chapter Two:

The whir of a ventilator woke Natsuo up. He sat up screaming and punching. "Touya, you asshole!"

Being a creep, Dabi was once again lying on the bed next to Natsuo. He caught Natsuo's wrists. "Ah, how nostalgic to hear you call me an asshole. You never change, my pathetic little brother."

Natsuo froze, confused. Although they'd had normal childhood squabbles, he couldn't recall ever cursing out his older brother as a child. Their mother didn't like profanity. The pathetic little brother line was also new. Was this coming from Dabi or All for One? Natsuo examined his brother's face. With the lights on, he could see that Dabi had styled his hair like All for One and his eyes glowed red. That was freaky as fuck.

Two dots flashed on Dabi's palms as he touched the bracelet on Natsuo's wrist. "There's no need to use a quirk suppressor on you, but I decided to use it just in case you have another hidden quirk."

Another hidden quirk? What the hell? Natsuo glared. He felt terrified, but adrenaline overrode his fear. "Where's Yumi? Where the hell am I?"

Finally, Natsuo remembered to look around. This weird room had been decorated like a studio apartment. There was even a fake window overlooking the sea. (Then Touya had remembered that Natsuo liked the sea?) But the walls were steel and the door looked like it belonged to a bank vault. Natsuo shrieked, "This creepy ass place had better not be a bank vault!"

"But you know I've always liked bank vaults," Dabi said as if he expected Natsuo to share the same false memory. "I filled this place full of what you like, so there should be one part for me."

"Where's Yumi?" Natsuo growled, a man at the end of his rope.

"I wouldn't keep you separated. Family has to stick together." Dabi went to the vault door and pressed his hand against a biometric scanner. The door opened to reveal a second metal room.

Natsuo had a brief, horrified moment to wonder if the door led to another bank vault, then where was the exit? Then Fuyumi ran through the doorway with a choked sob. Natsuo forgot all else. He swept up his sister in a hug.

"Are you hurt?" he demanded, running his eyes over her.

She sniffled. "No, you?"

"I'm fine. Bastard just knocked me out with a quirk. He's got more of those now—something super messed-up happened with him and All for One."

"I know." Their eyes met, afraid to say more in front of their captor.

Dabi put his arms around both of him. "Family hug! It would be perfect if only Shouto was here."

"Please don't kidnap him too!" Fuyumi cried.

"Absolutely fucking not!" Natsuo shouted. "You stay away from him."

Dabi shook his head. "I swear, it's as if the older sibling instincts skipped you two and all ended up with me. That's why I'm in charge."

Fuyumi and Natsuo exchanged glances. At the moment, Dabi was in charge by dint of superior strength. Now they outnumbered him, but he had All for One's powers and Fuyumi couldn't use her ice. The odds didn't look good. Even if they overpowered Dabi by some miracle, they had no way out of the vault. From Fuyumi's pleading gaze, Natsuo could practically telepathically hear her telling him to remain calm and negotiate. He didn't like it, but he knew she was right.

Fuyumi went to the fridge. "Who would like drinks?" Playing the peacemaker even at a time like this. Natsuo resolved not to mess up her plan. He had to keep ahold of his temper. Gritting his teeth, he sat down on the sofa.

Dabi said, "I'll take black tea. I made sure we had plenty of drinks."

"Do we have iced coffee?" Natsuo asked. He wasn't sure how long he'd been unconscious, but he still felt tired. "I'll get snacks." This was both to ensure Fuyumi didn't get stuck doing all the work like most of her childhood and to have an excuse to poke around the room for potential weapons. He found an odd number of hero figurines. Since when did a villain like heroes? If they were supposed to be for Natsuo, then he'd never been a fan of heroes either. He didn't recognize most of these—they looked old-fashioned. Alas, they also looked too flimsy to use as a club. Natsuo gave up and poured potato chips into a bowl.

The three of them sat down on the sofa with Dabi in the middle. Natsuo could not shake how unreal this felt. His dead brother had come back to life and locked him up in bank vault. Any moment now surely a television crew would jump out to reveal this had all been a prank. Nervous energy itched under his skin.

Fuyumi asked, "Where have you been all these years, Touya? Why did you never return home?"

"I was in a coma for three years, recovering from my injuries," Dabi said. "After I woke up, Sensei persuaded me to join his crusade against false heroes."

Fuyumi's jaw clenched. "He kidnapped you to use you."

"Of course he did," Dabi said.

They both looked at him in surprise.

"Yes, I already realized that," Dabi said with good cheer. "Sensei had been getting on my nerves even before he tried to take over my body. The old bastard thought he could easily overcome my will, but I consumed him instead. That will teach him to think that he's better than me. He's gone now."

Natsuo and Fuyumi exchanged doubtful gazes. Clearly something of All for One remained mingled with their brother. Trying to adopt a casual dinner chat tone, Natsuo asked, "What will you do now?"

Dabi shrugged. "I'm still trying to decide. I want to destroy all false heroes, of course."

"Of course," Natsuo echoed with a tinge of hysteria.

Dabi said, "But my siblings are my top priority, so I focused on securing your safety first. I can't let what happened to Yoichi repeat again, you know?"

Natsuo didn't have the slightest clue, but the mysterious Yoichi wasn't his top priority. "What do you plan to do with us?"

Dabi blinked. "Keep you safe."

Natsuo ground his teeth. "Hypothetically, what would I have to do to make you let us out of here? Swear allegiance to your goth group?" He'd never been a skilled liar, but he was prepared to try. It would be a lot easier to escape if he could get outside.

Dabi shook his head. "My dear little brother, I took the offer to join me off the table a long time ago. After what happened last time, I can't risk your life. You need to stay here, where it's safe."

Stay in this metal box forever? The walls seemed to contract around Natsuo. He felt dizzy. Surely the heroes would come to save them. Natsuo hadn't believed in heroes since he'd been a small child, but he needed hope.

Dabi shrugged. "Sensei wanted to rule Japan, but that was never my dream. I haven't decided if I will restore the League of Villains. I want to make sure my friends are happy, of course. But now I have a family to protect. My siblings come first."

Softly, Fuyumi said, "Touya, if you get yourself killed in a fight with the heroes outside, then Natsuo and I might starve locked up in here before they can find us."

Natsuo flinched. He hadn't even considered that horrific possibility.

Dabi stroked his sister's hair. "I have contingency measures in place in case I can't return, Yumi. I won't tell you what, since I don't want you to be rooting for my demise."

"That's not exactly reassuring," Natsuo growled.

Dabi continued, "Although I plan to take a break from villainy at least long enough to settle you in, I still need to take revenge on our father."

Fuyumi stiffened. "Dad is dead, remember?" Her gaze forbade Natsuo to ask questions, though he had many.

Dabi rolled his eyes. "I wish, but he gave a speech on television yesterday. The bastard is always on the news. I'll make sure his death is publicized too."

Fuyumi buried her face in her hands and moaned.

Dabi said, "First, though, I need to ensure Shouto's safety. I received word from my spy that he returned to U.A. About time! Before, Shouto and his friends were moving around too fast for me to find him. But I have a spy who will slip me past U.A.'s defenses." He stood up. "I wanted to be there when Natsuo woke up. Now it's time to get back to work saving our youngest brother."

"No," Fuyumi said hoarsely. She grabbed Dabi's sleeve. "Please, if I promise to be a good prisoner and do anything you want, then will you leave Shouto alone?"

Natsuo jumped up, blocking Dabi. "You know how much Shouto has been through. He's finally left home and made friends for the first time. He's chasing his dreams. Don't take that away from him."

Dabi sighed. "Poor little Shouto is chasing heroism. That was our father's dream, not his. He never had a chance to pick his own path, never had a chance to be a kid. Hero society will use him for all that he's worth then send him straight to his death." He shook off Fuyumi. "Someday, you'll all thank me for this."

This time, Natsuo and Fuyumi did not even need to lock eyes. Sibling telepathy was in full force. They both understood that neither of them could let their little brother get kidnapped without even trying to save him, no matter how futile that attempt might be.

Natsuo punched Dabi in the face at the same time Fuyumi hit him over the head with the chips bowl from behind.

Neither of their blows landed. The air around Dabi glowed, pushing all force away from him. The bowl broke. Natsuo stumbled backward, his hand stinging.

Dabi moved lightning-fast, grabbing Natsuo and shoving him onto the sofa. He lifted Natsuo's hand to examine it. "Foolish as always, little brother." The scrap on Natsuo's knuckles healed.

Fuyumi tried to tackle Dabi from behind. He flung her over his shoulder and carried her through the door to her room. "You two are both in time-out until further notice. Visiting privileges have been revoked. We'll have to go over the rules later. For now, I'll let you off easy since this is the first time."

"Stop!" Natsuo screamed, leaping up. But he moved too late. The door shut, sealing him apart from his sister.

Shouto curled up in his bed and tried not to cry. The dorm walls were thin, his friends might hear him. They'd already been comforting him all day. He didn't want to trouble them even more.

By this point, Shouto knew that Dabi was probably Touya Todoroki. This provided no reassurance about the fate of Natsuo and Fuyumi, because Shouto didn't know Touya. He'd always felt sadness and regret about his oldest brother's death, but had no memories of him. Shouto had no idea what his complete stranger of an older brother might plan to do with his kidnapped victims. Furthermore, it seemed likely that Touya had merged with All for One. Maybe this had destroyed any attachment he felt toward his siblings. Maybe he planned to use them as hostages against the current number one hero. Worse, maybe he would throw their mangled corpses at Endeavor.

Shouto shuddered and buried his head under his pillow. He feared for Fuyumi and Natsuo. He even felt sad for Touya, taken and twisted. If only he could do something, anything to help. He'd returned because he knew that running around the city looking for Dabi wouldn't do any good, he could put his friends in danger, he'd waste the time of the heroes looking for him, and if he got taken hostage then he'd be worse than useless. But he could not bear to sit in the U.A. dorms and do nothing. Not when his siblings might be suffering or even dying without him knowing. Shouto hadn't even gotten to speak to his father because Endeavor had been too single-mindedly focused on the search, but if given a chance then he would have begged on his hands and knees to be included.

Nezu had requested that Shouto remain on U.A. grounds until the crisis passed. The Todoroki family home was no longer considered safe after Natsuo's kidnapping and no one wanted Shouto to be left alone. There had briefly been talk of hiding Shouto in Tartarus before someone had pointed out that Dabi had already broken in there to kill All for One. Although no one discussed it in front of Shouto, he knew people feared U.A.'s security might not be enough either. In response, U.A. had beefed up their alarm system and robots patrolled the grounds at night. Several extra heroes had been assigned to guard the dorms in addition to the usual teachers.

Shouto's phone buzzed. The text came from an unknown number. His eyes widened as he saw the message preview: Hello, little brother.

With shaking hands, Shouto unlocked his phone. He'd been texted a picture of Dabi holding Aoyama with a knife at his throat and a location. Come alone and come within the hour, or blondie the frog dies. I've disabled the U.A. alarm system for the next hour. I'm confident that you can take down the robots, but I'm sending you a copy of their patrol movements just in case. This is your one and only chance to save all of your teachers and classmates. If you make me come for you, then I'll slaughter anyone who gets in my way.

Shouto knew that he ought to alert his teachers. Everyone would be furious at him if he left. But the danger to Aoyama was very real. Furthermore, Dabi had disabled U.A.'s alarms and had insider information on their security system. If he showed up with All for One's powers, then U.A. would not be able to stop him without causalities. They might not be able to stop him, period.

A secret part of Shouto even wanted to be taken to his siblings so he could try to bust them out from the inside. At least then they'd live or die together. Whether it came from love or cowardice, he could not imagine being the only survivor.

Shouto made his decision. He could not let anyone die for him. Even if U.A. could take down Dabi, Aoyama would surely die in the process. Shouto wrote a note explaining why he'd left, then donned his hero costume.

Shouto made it out of U.A., and he only had to freeze one robot he failed to avoid. If not for the disabled alarms, he would have been in trouble. He approached the darkened park.

Dabi stood under a massive willow tree, holding Aoyama in a chokehold. Tears fell down the blond boy's cheeks. He wept silently, holding very still.

Shouto raised his hands in surrender. "If you release him, then I won't fight you."

Dabi tossed over a white bracelet. "Put this on, then let me touch you. After I take your quirk, I'll let your classmate go."

Shouto swallowed. What if Dabi backstabbed him and killed Aoyama anyway? But Shouto didn't have any other options at this point. He knew in his bones that he would not win a fight against his older brother. Shouto had seen All for One at Kamino. Back then, the murderous pressure had driven him to his knees. The same power radiated off Dabi now. No, the power felt even stronger in a younger and healthier body. Dabi was no longer an older brother with a similar quirk who could be treated as a rival. The current Dabi was on an entirely different level. It would have taken All Might in his prime to match him. Shouto was only a hero student, not All Might. He wondered if anyone in world could defeat his brother currently.

Fingering the bracelet, Shouto said, "Promise me as my older brother that you'll let Aoyama go."

Dabi shrugged. Tiny blue flames danced in his hair. "I swear as Touya Todoroki that I won't harm this brat or anyone else tonight, if you come with me. Everything I do is for your sake, little brother."

And strangely, Shouto believed it. They might not know each other, but those words rang true. He put on the bracelet, then approached slowly, holding out his hand. With his gaze, he tried to reassure Aoyama, but the blond boy avoided eye contact.

Dabi grabbed Shouto's wrist and yanked. Shouto cried out in pain, because even though he tried not to resist, his quirk clung to him. It felt as though his nails were being ripped off.

Then it was over. Dabi roughly shoved away Aoyama so he could scoop up Shouto in his arms. His eyes burned red and his breath felt hot. "At long last, I found you, my dear little brother," he purred. "I'm sorry I left you alone for so long. I'm sorry I didn't protect you." He cradled Shouto close to his chest like a baby, examining him for injuries. His fingers brushed the scar covering half of Shouto's face. "I'll kill everyone who ever harmed you."

"Please don't," Shouto protested, squirming. "I forgave—"

"Shhhh," Dabi murmured, and he backed up the order with a surge of power. Shouto's voice died in his frozen throat. His limbs became paralyzed. Dabi rocked him as if he really did believe he held a baby.

Aoyama made a small sound, and Dabi's head jerked up. "Hurry up and leave already," he said irritably. "I'll let you know if I need you again. Oh, Shouto, want to know something fun? The frog here is my spy. He disabled the alarms for me and came here willingly to lure you out. Although I really would have killed him if you hadn't come. You can take comfort in saving his life, if you still care about a traitor."

Desperately, Aoyama babbled, "He threatened my parents. I'm sorry."

Shouto stared in shocked hurt. He could not speak, but even if he had been able to, he wouldn't have said it was all right. He pitied Aoyama, blubbering and scared. But pity alone could not overcome betrayal of this magnitude.

Dabi kissed Shouto's forehead. "Your compassion has always been your weakness. See? You can't trust those friends of yours. You can only trust family."

Aoyama's footsteps faded into the distance, and Dabi carried Shouto away.

Dabi used his intangibility quirk to carry Shouto into the vault, then set him down on the bed. Of all the vaults, this one was his masterpiece. Dabi had decorated the room with bright colors and padded walls. Youngest brothers would always be the most troublesome, both of his sets of memories told him that. Five wooden chests spread around the room, holding all manner of toys and games. The television had been loaded with video games and cartoons. Dabi wanted Shouto to have the proper childhood he'd deserved, where he could play instead of endlessly training to become a hero.

Shouto had a beautiful quirk. It was the crown jewel of Dabi's hoard, and not only because it carried traces of his dear little brother's presence. The versatility was unmatched, the true power still untapped. But the quirk hadn't been worth how much Shouto had suffered for having it as a child. Dabi touched the scar on Shouto's face, contemplating where he might find a stronger healing quirk to remove it. Perhaps the next target for his spy should be the little girl with Rewind. And if Dabi shaved off a few extra years, then that would simply be a longer childhood for Shouto to enjoy.

Shouto's face was blank as he looked around. It would have seemed like emotionlessness to most people, but Dabi's sensitive hearing picked up on his little brother's pulse racing. A big brother always knew. Shouto was scared. That was only natural—family had hurt him for his entire life. But over time, he would come to understand that he was safe here. For the first time in his entire life, Shouto was finally safe.

Dabi knelt down in front of the bed and took Shouto's hands. "I'm going to look after you from now on, baby brother. As long as you stay here, as long as you stay by my side, you can have anything your heart desires." He pulled his little brother into a hug, petting his hair and feeling the smaller heart beat frantically against his chest. He took a nice, long moment to relish the satisfaction of finally having his most precious treasure in his arms.

In a muffled, tentative voice, Shouto asked, "Are Fuyumi and Natsuo here?"

"Of course, and they'll be eager to see you." Given the momentous occasion, Dabi decided to revoke the time-out. The Todoroki siblings should celebrate their reunion. He'd already prepared a cake, then they could have family game and movie night.

First, Dabi walked to the vault door connected to Fuyumi's room and opened it. With a spring-legged quirk, he shot over and unlocked Natsuo's door on the other side of the room, too. Dabi had placed Fuyumi's room in the middle because he assumed as the second-oldest, she would want to watch over her younger siblings. The vaults were buried deep underground in the mountains, where even a nuclear weapon couldn't reach them.

Natsuo shot straight past Dabi, nearly outpacing Fuyumi. They leapt on Shouto, lifting him off his feet in a hug.

"I'm glad you two are all right," Shouto said softly.

"Oh, Shouto…" Fuyumi sobbed, seeming unable to speak.

"We'll protect you." Natsuo's gaze flickered to Dabi, and he said no more.

Dabi admired the scene of his three precious younger siblings together, securely under his protection. Even more than revenge or changing society, this was his dream come true. This was a happy ending for his whole family.

OMAKE TIME!

Omake: Unwilling Therapist

Dabi: (Lying on the couch) After I plundered Sensei's quirks, I found out that he had a fire resistance quirk all along and never gave it to me.

Natsuo: I'm not the right kind of medical student for psychological treatment, but tell me how that made you feel.

Dabi: Angry! So I killed him and melded with his vestige, but I forgot to dance first. I've been planning to invite a father figure to dance with me in hell for years, and I refuse to be denied. I've spent years choreographing my routine. Even though I already revealed my identity, by Jove, I can at least dance on Endeavor's grave.

Natsuo: I see my big brother's personality emerged dominant.

#

Omake: Réalité Cruelle

Aoyama: Phew, All for One is dead, and I'm finally free of all spying obligations.

Dabi: Hi!

Aoyama: …Merde.

#

Omake: The Perfect Bait

Shouto: Big brother, I can't believe you filled my room with children's toys. How young do you think I am?

Dabi: I also brought you a dozen corkboards and string. Then I stole the HPSC's secret files. There's enough dirt in there for a hundred conspiracy theories.

Shouto: …Would it truly be so awful to live in a bank vault forever? Or at least for a few years until I've finished all my conspiracy theory boards?

Fuyumi: Shouto!

#

Omake: The Dark Crack Ending

Dabi: Then I remembered Mom existed and decided to kidnap her too.

Fuyumi: Oh, no.

Dabi: I'm not done yet! Unlike All for One I have room for more varieties of yandere than familial, so I kidnapped Hawks too. No one gets to leave my League. Anyway I'm thinking about abducted Fumikage to keep Hawks in line. Shouto, do you have any classmates you'd like me to kidnap to keep you company? It's no trouble at all. Prospective love interests, perhaps? I'm way more chill with my younger siblings dating than Sensei as long as the brat in question doesn't have spiky hair.

Fuyumi: The bank vaults are getting crowded. What if, hypothetically, we moved somewhere else? Please?

Dabi: Oh, don't worry, there are three hundred of these vaults buried underground. All for One had more issues than I have stich marks, and I have a lot of burn scars.

#

Omake: The Really Bad Ending

Dabi: Now that I've stolen Eri's Rewind, I'm going to deage my siblings. No more rebellion!

Later:

Dabi: (With three screaming toddlers hanging off his legs) I made a calculated decision, but damn I'm bad at math.

#

Omake: Fourth Wall Breaking Time

Dabi: Now that's what I call a happy ending! This is the best big brother fic you've ever written. You might have tiny bit of writing talent, you worthless hack.

Author: Shouto called, he wants to take your trophy from The Big Brother Contest back.