Shouto had a gift. Something like a sixth sense or at least close to that.

It mostly helped him find deep connections people would have rather kept hidden. Like the fact that Midoriya's father is All Might, that Shinsou is Aizawa's son or that Aizawa and Present Mic are secretly dating. It was foolproof. Midoriya and Shinsou were still denying it each time he brought it up, but they were too flustered and embarrassed for it to not be the truth. Shouto was confident in his deductions. He had even begun making files and putting them in binders with all the evidence he had collected. Recently he was on a theory about separated twins that he was trying to keep on the low. He had the feeling Kirishima and Tetsutetsu were brothers. Too many things matched for him to be wrong. They had the same birthday, a similar personality and their quirks were extremely alike. That's already a lot, right? He was still collecting clues but his investigation was going well.

However, it wasn't until recently that he made a discovery that turned his world upside down.

The villain Dabi was his brother.

Touya. Supposedly-dead Touya. His oldest brother.

But why was Dabi so eager to deny it earlier when it was so obvious? Even a blind man could see it! Well at first Shouto didn't, but that's not the point. He had seen the light now and he would stand by the truth.

The first time Shouto thought something was amiss was during the attack of the training camp. The way Dabi had looked at him and said his name… The villain knew him. This impression only strengthened over time. Their next altercations allowed him to observe him more. But the realization hit him only a few hours ago.

Several hours ago, Todoroki Shouto was enjoying his free time with his friends at the mall. Uraraka and Asui wanted to get new pens and school furniture. Oddly, it included a stop by an accessories shop and another one selling make-up. They said Mina and Jiro asked for some things, but they appeared to buy products for themselves as well. He didn't really mind. While the girls were wandering about the shelves, Midoriya and Iida were keeping him company in front of the store. Midoriya was analysing the battle of the hero he had seen on television the day before and Iida was debating with him on some aspects. Shouto was looking at the thick crowd walking in front of them, silently inventing a life for each of them based on what he could see. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice Midoriya and Iida joining the girls after they asked for their opinion, expecting him to follow.

Then, he caught a glimpse of dishevelled black hair and a shredded coat of the same colour in the middle of the crowd before vanishing. Knowing who the only possibility could be, Shouto turned around to his friends only to find out they had left. He looked briefly for them in the entrance of the shop and found them with the girls in the back of the room. Hesitating a little, he texted them before finally running after the villain.

I'm after a villain. Need backup asap. Will keep you updated.

He had lost sight of him only a minute and now he was frantically looking for him, searching for every little thing that could help him, checking the face of every black-haired person. Maybe he did look like a lunatic acting like that, but people would understand if they knew what was happening. It was an incredibly dangerous situation. If someone like Dabi used their quirk in such a crowded place… Shouto didn't dare to think about the consequences.

At least a dozen minutes later, he finally found him. As strange as it seemed, one of the most dangerous men in Japan was currently in a pharmacy. Shouto didn't enter, not wanting to cause a scuffle here. He'll wait until they're in a cleared place, without anyone in the way. Instead, he crouched behind a huge potted plant. Hidden like this, he could observe him discreetly. Dabi had put the hood of his grey hoodie on his head. A white mask was covering the lower part of his face, effectively hiding most of his scars. From what Shouto could see, Dabi came to buy ointments, bandages and pills that were most likely painkillers. With his extensive scars, it was probably a must. His quirk was probably the cause of his injuries. After all, his flames were much hotter than Shouto's. Such scars must hurt like hell. He could certainly sympathize with that. He knew that kind of pain pretty well after all. He softly touched his own scar, remembering the tragedy that led to his mutilation. Things had changed since that happened and he was doing his best to get better, trying to get along more with his siblings and to make up for lost time with his mother. They had spent more and more time together after the U.A. Sports Festival. Fuyumi and his mother were glad that things were getting better. Fuyumi even wanted to involve their father more, which wasn't to their taste. Natsuo wasn't about to let everything fade as if it didn't happen and Shouto was on his side for this. Behaving as if nothing happened wouldn't fix anything. Shaking his head, Shouto turned his attention back to his target who was queuing at the checkout.

Then, after putting his purchases in his shoulder bag, Dabi finally left the shop. Shouto made himself as small as possible and followed him. He just hoped Midoriya and the others would find his message before things got too ugly. They left the mall and walked a few blocks before Dabi suddenly turned off into a dark alley. After what happened with Stain, Shouto hesitated. Should he wait? That would be the wise thing to do. However, if Dabi managed to slip away because of his indecision, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. His decision taken, Shouto quietly walked into what he felt like one of his worst ideas only to face a hand engulfed in blue flames.

"Todoroki Shouto… To what do I owe the pleasure?" Dabi drawled, coming closer.

Any sane person would have stepped back, the threat of the fire clear enough that anyone would understand. But Shouto didn't. Because he had never been so close to the villain. Because he had never seen his blue eyes. His cold blue eyes. A cold gaze piercing him. The same Endeavor and Shouto had. And really, it could be nothing. Lots of people had blue eyes, it could just be a cruel twist of fate. It could be anything. But it wasn't. He then glanced at the steady blue flame dancing in Dabi's hand, enthralled by the colour. You may not remember him well, but he had a fire quirk too, you know. Only, his flames were much, much hotter than yours or father's. His body wasn't made for a fire quirk. It hurt him. Badly. Blue fire was hotter than red fire. It was a fact. Simple chemical fact. Dabi had removed his mask, so Shouto could perfectly see his face. He had burn scars all over his body and his face, as if his body couldn't handle his quirk. From what Shouto knew from the High End incident, Dabi hated Endeavor. Understandable really, but who apart from his own children could hate him that much? Sure, he had arrested lots of villains, it was his job after all, but Shouto knew he had never caught Dabi or one of his relatives before. Endeavor would have shared that fact with all the heroes involved in the fight with the League of Villains otherwise. Adding to that the fact that the first time they met he had seemed to know him… As frightening as it was, the conclusion Shouto was drawing from this was clear as day. The logistics of the "why" and "how" would wait. No. Now, the only thing that mattered was…

"Are you my brother Touya?"