Meanwhile, at the police station while the war was going on, a heteromorph monkey police officer was walking down the hallway. He looked pretty stoic as he was reaching a specific door all the way at the end of the hall. "Ah. The finale must be underway," Garaki himself spoke up as he heard the footsteps from outside of his cell.
"Keep your mouth shut," The police officer instructed him. The last thing he wanted to do was make small talk with someone who was just as bad as All for One. Even if the man made it so that he could do his work in peace.
"It's fairly obvious," Garaki did not follow orders and instead kept talking. Because he had a good feeling of what was to come from the outside, even if he couldn't see anything and had no confirmation of anything... "There are suddenly fewer guards roaming the halls." The police officer let out a grunt from the correct assumption. But obviously, he wasn't going to admit anything to the same person who created all the Nomus. "This day is a culmination of all my hard work and meticulous planning," He looked up towards the door, seeming to be both exhausted and tired. "I searched far and wide for those who were born rotten. Warped seeds that were worthy of becoming his new vessel..." As he spoke, Dabi surrounded his body on fire, to the dismay of Shoto.
The red/white haired boy was still surrounded by fire, but the All Might statue remained intact. Dabi let out a crazed laugh, his jaw starting to melt off...Shoto brought his hands together, summoning both an icy and regular flame that were split in half. Kido, Onima, and Burnin landed in front of him, ready to protect him if needed. Dabi just stared at them in silence so he could take in the moment. Because he believed that he was strong enough right now to defeat Endeavor's 'masterpiece' with his own firepower.
Some fires never go out.
Toya was panting, trying to justify what was going on...because it had been hours, to the point that it was nighttime, and yet...
"Promise me, Dad!" He had pleaded up at his father with worn-out eyes earlier that day. "Your next day off, come watch me at Sekoto Peak! My fire's gotten super awesome! You've gotta see! I bet I can get to Shoto's level pretty soon!" Instead of being proud like Toya wanted, however...Endeavor looked pretty pissed. Because despite everything, his son was still pushing himself and letting himself get hurt for something that he was not capable of doing. And for some reason, Toya kept putting himself through a dream that he couldn't ever accomplish. And Enji had no idea if it was plain denial or just perseverance. "No, even better, I'll be stronger than All Might!" Toya gripped at his hair, looking at his hands and begging for his father to actually look at him. To actually acknowledge him as someone powerful...and to become the number one like his father had wanted for him.
Instead, he was all alone at Sekoto Peak...tears in his eyes. This was supposed to be his chance to finally prove to Endeavor that he could beat All Might soon. That he was even stronger than the rest of his family, and yet...Endeavor didn't come. Not even a call or a text from him that told Toya that he was on his way to him. That he was even interested in seeing what Toya had been doing all of this time...
"Suck it up," The boy willed himself, his tears falling from his eyes. "Don't be a baby. Don't cry..." He kept telling himself this, but couldn't stop himself. The disappointment of Endeavor not showing was just too great... "Dad...why didn't you come?" He sniffled, continuing to sob. "You-" Suddenly, his fire reacted, the flames covering his face. He gasped at the sudden development. "The flames!" They overtook his body within seconds. "It's too hot!" The boy cried out in pain, trying to make it stop, but he couldn't. "They're burning me!" And as he continued to burn...the forest caught on fire. Soon, smoke and flames were everywhere, all caused by him. And they couldn't be stopped...he hadn't experienced anything like this before, and he didn't know why. Perhaps it was because his emotions had gotten to him...?
'Please, no! It hurts!' He thought...and not just the flames. The fact that no one was there to help him...hurt just as much as his burning body. A burning body that he could not figure out how to douse. 'Make it stop!' He let out a painful yell while his body was still in flames. 'I don't wanna die!' His jaw started to melt away from his own face like mud... 'I can't. Not now. I haven't...I haven't shown him anything yet!' He continued to cry and endure the intense burns until he finally jumped into the water. However...the entire forest couldn't be saved. Smoke flew away from where Toya had landed in the river...
"He was such a seed," Garaki explained, remembering the story all too well. All for One had told him what had happened at some point. "Anyone could see he had a certain derangement in his eyes." The police officer could've just walked away...but he had found himself interested in the story. It would help get some more insight on the villains after all. And not only that...they knew very little about Dabi before this explanation. Which was indeed on purpose. "No. That's not the complete picture. From the very beginning..."
Toya shook from his spot...with burns all over him. He was still alive, miraculously, but unable to move. And everything hurt from his body...he felt like he should be dead and yet somehow, he was still able to breathe despite all he did.
"He had everything," Garaki continued, remembering how Dabi reached them...
All for One himself looked at the burned body of Toya...in front of the forest fire that continued behind them.
Eyes slowly opened up, revealing a lit ceiling. Toya then opened his eyes with a gasp...while half of his face looked stitched up. On top of that, his hair was more spiky now. He could see the IV and the lights, telling him that he was definitely not at Sekoto Peak like he last remembered. And that memory almost felt fleeting, but it was still clear. Somehow, he was still moving like a normal person. The boy sat up in bed, which was decorated for a kids hospital room.
'Where am I?' He looked around and then noticed a message from a little board. 'Sleepyhead, hurry up and get better!' it said, though he had no idea who could've left it for him. It definitely didn't seem like something anyone from his family would say. 'I'm alive? That doesn't seem possible' He thought as he had left his room, looking around the kids' decorated hallway. He couldn't tell which hospital he was in...or if his family was here. Toya just knew that his body was burning, to the point where he should've been killed afterwards. And yet, somehow he was walking around with functional body parts. He wasn't even feeling any pain currently. He would've expected much worse, considering how he couldn't stop the burns. And at best, all he could tell was that he only had the stitched up body, almost like a Frankenstein in a way...
He opened up a door, stepping inside to see a bunch of people. A little girl looked up and gasped sharply. "Ohmigosh, sleepyhead's awake!" A bunch of other kids were sitting inside the room, having either drawing or reading material in front of them.
"Mr. Sunny! Quick!" Another little girl called out to a different room. "Sleeping beauty woke up! Come see!"
"Where am I? I don't-" Toya flinched as...his voice was now much deeper than he remembered. He reached out to his vocal cords. 'That can't be my voice, can it?' His thoughts were definitely more squeaky than his new normal voice...he figured that must've been because of the damage to his body. Or maybe he aged? He had no clue how long he had even been in this hospital...
"This is our home, silly," A little girl informed him, to his shock. "You've been asleep for a while. Let's see...three years!" She smiled in recognition, the other kids all staring at him. "That's how long he said you've been napping for. Mr. Sunny told me about you when he was showing me around! I'm kinda new here myself."
Toya's eyes shook at the news. He had been in a coma...for three whole years? Burning up at Sekoto Peak felt like it was just yesterday. 'What? No. Three years?' That would definitely explain the change in his voice, his height, and his hair...because he had been asleep long enough to go through puberty. 'That can't be real. I can't be alive. I burned up at Sekoto Peak. I felt it. So how? I gotta get home!' Even if Endeavor was against his training methods...he still had a family at home who missed him. He hoped that they were okay, and that...things had changed. That what happened to him...changed Endeavor's perspective on how he treated his children. Surely, one of them suffering horrific burns was enough to change his mind, and that his little siblings were much happier. His mother too, he treated her horribly...
"You can't do that, sunny!" Mr. Sunny informed once Toya requested that he wanted to leave the hospital right away.
"Why not?!" Toya demanded to the man.
"Because from now on, you live here with these other bright, smiley kids!" He informed the boy, and hadn't said anything regarding the Todorokis at all. "Make sure you get along cause they're your new family! I'm sure you'll feel-"
"You don't understand!" Toya protested up at him. "I have to go. I have to find Dad..." His eyes shook, trying to come up with a reason why Endeavor wasn't there...he had to go see his father and tell him everything. "He probably didn't come that day because he was stuck doing hero work. But that's okay!" Endeavor had a habit of not mixing his family life with his hero work, so it wasn't too abnormal...he really hoped that it was the case, and that Endeavor still thought of him. Looking back, that possibility didn't even cross his mind at the time because he was just so upset. "I'm sure he's been really worried! I did and said some terrible things before. So I need to tell Mom I'm sorry. The others too," His eyes shook...hoping to make up with them so that he could figure out what to do now. He didn't know how they would take his...appearance currently as it was, but he had hope that they would forgive him. His father for pushing things too far. His mother for what he said. Natsuo for relying on him too much about Endeavor's behavior. Fuyumi for dismissing her because he thought she wouldn't understand. And Shoto...for almost killing him as a baby and resenting him...he had to make better memories than the ones he left them with. "Then I'll show Dad what I can do. And he'll see. I'll be a hero one-"
"You unfortunate child," All for One's voice spoke up, catching him off guard. He turned towards the computer screen in bewilderment. "I don't think that's a possibility anymore. You see, I'm afraid your charred body was extremely difficult to repair." Neither Mr. Sunny or Toya could see All for One, the computer was set to sound only. But...he wasn't lying about Toya's current state either. "The missing parts had to be patched up with special regenerative tissue. We're lucky you survived. But your face is entirely different."
Toya touched his neck in disbelief, not wanting to be different, but...his voice was already changed, his whole body was changed, even his hair...his eyelids even underneath were burned. He just wanted to go back to his previous life... "What are you talking about? How am I different? What happened?" He still felt the same on the inside...what would his family even say or think of him now if they saw him like this? He hoped that things wouldn't be too much of an adjustment...but at the same time, he couldn't imagine how he would be so different that it was away from reality.
"Your Quirk suffered greatly as a result of your injuries," All for One told the boy, and the information he got was solid. The doctors who all worked on Toya were some of the best, so...it was unfortunately for the boy how things had to be. "Your organs were severely damaged and your senses are now dulled, including your sense of pain. On top of that, the trauma and recovery left your body...weakened. It will never be the same as it was before the fire." Toya let out a sharp gasp from the news, covering his mouth. "I wish you'd awoken in good health. But alas...our best efforts proved futile."
He gasped sharply, thinking about his dream of surpassing All Might, training himself so hard, hurting his family...all of that for nothing now. Or at least...that was just what he was told. The boy started to sob, covering his face. Some part of him...didn't want to accept it. That he could still be a hero regardless of everything. That even society would accept him as a hero...
"Poor thing. It's difficult, isn't it?" All for One wondered as he could hear the desperate crying. "But don't fret. If you stay with us, we might be able to restore your flames to their former glory. So which is it? Will you try to rejoin your family, or train your body here with us?"
Toya slowly dropped his hands...not wanting anything to do with the man. Not when he had too many things to say to his family. He could still show to everyone that he was capable of the greatness that Endeavor laid out before him. "Shut up..."
"Hm?" All for One mused upon hearing this.
"I won't stay here," He refused, some small tears managing to escape his eyes. "There's only one person in this world I want as my teacher," He then glared up at the computer screen. "Who are you to think you have the right, huh?!" He then tossed the keyboard at the screen; regardless of what his Quirk could do or how he looked now...he believed that his father could do it. That he could retrain Toya, help him with his flames so that he could do things better. He was already the number 2 hero, after all. That would be more than enough to help him with his dreams. "I'll learn from my father!"
"Hey, calm down, son," Mr. Sunny approached, trying to calm the boy down. "We're your friends."
"Shut up!" Toya shouted, pushing him away. "Back off! Don't you touch me!" He cried out as his flames emerged from his hand. Mr. Sunny let out a terrified yelp as the flames headed right towards him...
"It was too late for us to bring him into the fold," Garaki stated, having heard of these events in the past by All for One as well. "He was devoted to another. Even the man who ruled over all that is couldn't take advantage of the twisted obsession the boy had with pleasing his father." He knew all too well...what it was like to look up to someone. He had been doing the same with All for One for many years. So with Toya's perception of Endeavor...at the time, no one would convince him otherwise not to go back. To try even harder to get his father's attention again like he had done before. "Our seeds needed to be fertilized with hatred."
Toya...had set fire to the entire hospital, leaving nothing and no one behind.
"They would grow to be vessels for the demon lord should something happen to Tomura Shigaraki. Dabi was to be one of those potential spares."
Toya ran as fast as he could back home, not once looking back towards the carnage he unleashed.
"But he was far too defective..." Garaki murmured, the police officer recoiling back in horror.
"How could you be so...no, I don't believe your lies. You're trying to trick me!" There were reports back then of the fire, and there was nothing to suggest it was from an outside person. And any evidence the police found back then was all charred up. He just couldn't believe All for One managed to bring back Toya before he could be found by anyone else... "All for One couldn't have been behind this! He didn't plan for everything!" All for One certainly didn't plan for Endeavor's behavior towards his family that drove Toya to his breaking point...
"Take my words as a kind warning to be careful," Garaki said to the police officer; at the time, he was in shock as well for how much Toya fought back against them. Especially when compared to Tenko Shimura when he killed his family. But Toya's mind was something he could never understand... "The truth is, we cannot comprehend what that unstable fiend is capable of." He never tried to fully understand Dabi, and he felt like he never would. Especially of his feelings towards Endeavor.
Toya had managed to make it back into the city, dragging what was left of himself back towards home. "Need to go home..." He murmured as he shuffled along. "Have to tell my family I'm okay..." All he could really see were lit buildings and lights in front of him.
"We left him to his own devices. Why, you might ask? Because Dabi's disfigured body shouldn't have lasted more than a month after he woke. But, of course, he proved to be a medical marvel." It was a wonder to Garaki that Toya had lasted as long as he had so far. Someone with his injuries would've died a long time ago...but he did believe that there was something in Toya that was allowing him to keep walking and using his Quirk. It shouldn't have been possible, but it was somehow.
"Right now, I'm going by Dabi," An older Dabi introduced while meeting Shigaraki and Kurogiri for the first time. He had dyed his hair entirely black.
"You can't imagine how surprised I was when the broker brought him to us. Why did he return? What's more, how was he still breathing?" Garaki wondered, remembering when he watched Dabi walking around like a normal person, even though...on the outside, he wasn't. "I wanted to know Dabi's true motive, so I made arrangements for us to have a few moments alone."
Dabi came to a stop in the middle of a room. "Ujiko. It was you, right?" Dabi wondered without looking back. "You kept me alive."
"Ah," Garaki looked up at him from the doorway. "So you figured it out. That pleases me. And how have you managed to survive since then?" He was fascinated that Dabi was like everyone else on the inside, what with his organs still working. His senses were gone still, and yet his heart was still beating. Dabi was nothing like a Nomu, so Garaki knew that something had to be helping the fire-wielding villain. Was he getting outside sources? Was he relying on something to help keep him breathing as he had been doing for several years now? Any answers Dabi could give would certainly help him with his work for All for One.
"I've seen your walking corpses," Dabi stated the obvious, catching the doctor off guard. "So I've got a pretty good idea what you wanted me for." He looked up ahead at a developing Nomu. "Why you went through so much trouble...I came back...because this seemed like the perfect place to hold my funeral," The man looked back at Garaki with intense eyes, and...he wasn't kidding either. Garaki let out a sharp gasp, having no idea what that meant at first. But Dabi's stare at him was certainly terrifying...
"One glance from him told me everything I needed to know about his story. His body was ready to embrace death. The only thing keeping him among the living was his bitter rage..." And that was certainly a frightening concept...but not an impossible one at the same time. Because it was clear to Garaki on that day that...Dabi had a lot of pent-up anger he had grown for the years that he had disappeared.
"You know, Shoto," Dabi spoke up while in the middle of the flames that he had created in Kamino Ward. "I actually did go back once. Though, none of you noticed me. As usual. Course I had no reason to get my hopes up." Shoto just glared up at him, as he definitely didn't remember, nor did anyone back then feel Dabi's presence. No one even stated that they saw him... "After all, I was showing up even weaker than before. Still, I wanted him to look at me again. I guess I...I wanted to see what was different. What my absence had done. How my family coped."
Toya stood in front of his house, having no clue what he would find inside. And...in the training room, the place was on fire. Shoto was kneeling in front of Endeavor, who was on fire...as Toya stared at him from the doorway, it was clear that Endeavor hadn't changed at all.
"The scene I walked in on told me everything I needed to know. Nothing had changed in the three years I was gone. In that moment, I knew my family had forgotten about me."
Toya's eyes shook as he started to cry again. Because he could see Endeavor's intense eyes...they were so unlike him. As if he had only gotten worse. And neither him or Shoto didn't seem too hung up on Toya's absence either...something that he had not been ready to realize.
"I was a failure, with no reason to live," Dabi stated, though refused to be sad about reliving that memory. It wasn't worth it to him acknowledging his past regrets. All he wanted to do now...was make sure that his whole family reaped what they sowed for forgetting about him, and for not doing anything about it. He didn't even go see his mother or siblings that day, after seeing what happened, he was gone minutes later. Because he didn't need to see them to know that things were the same with them too. "Did you know that when you go past your limits...the world turns on its head?" He had made a barrier with his fire, so that only he, Shoto, and the Flaming Sidekickers were in it. His arm started to darken from the amount of flames. "Everything you've achieved goes up in smoke. I didn't want to face him while I was still weak, so after that, I was completely focused on my flames. I felt no pain, even when my body festered and charred bits peeled off."
Even now...he felt no pain for what he was doing to his own body. "In my downtime, I watched him."
Toya was now in an abandoned building, looking at a computer. It showed Endeavor's work of catching a villain while out on patrol.
Onima gritted his teeth up at Dabi for what he was doing. "Careful, Shoto. I don't like this!" He warned the boy.
"You've been prepared to die this entire time," Shoto glared up at his older brother.
"Whenever I saw him save an entire city, or noticed he was gaining fame, my heart pounded in my chest," Dabi confessed to them...remembering when he said goodbye to Toya. "Ever since I died and Dabi was born, I knew what I had to do."
He stood in front of a memorial for himself, his hands pressed together. He knew...that he could no longer go by that name anymore. That Toya was truly dead inside...
"Heat is tricky," Garaki spoke up again to the police officer. "It's an energy that every person emits as they move throughout their daily lives. All for One's desire to live forever meant he had no use for Dabi's fire, thanks to the boy's steady march toward the grave. The demon lord had to abandon the volatile flames of this monomaniac."
Once the flames revealed Dabi, almost his entire body was black like burnt bread. His jaw was coming apart to the point where someone could see the flames behind Dabi's head. Part of his face was pitch black too. "I'll burn all that he holds dear! That's the reason I'm still alive!" He shouted as the skin around his eyes were starting to peel off. "His suffering will be proof that I existed!"
"I told you, I'm not gonna let you do that. Big brother!" Shoto growled up at him.
Ultimate move: Flashfire Fist. To pull it off, you have to dial your heat up as high as you possibly can, store that energy, and then finally let it rip. Endeavor discovered this powerful technique as a younger man. During his quest for power and glory, he mastered the move and learned his limitations. His flames burned with intensity, creating a heat mirage. One that distorted his view of the world.
Shoto and Dabi continued to stare at each other, knowing that the move was one either could use to their advantage. And that same move had changed the both of them: Dabi for attempting to pull it off to kill Endeavor. And Shoto for trying to become his own hero, even though he could never escape what Endeavor did to him and his family.
"Ha! This is weird," Dabi stated as the flames flew past. "That little bonding session kinda cheered me up! Thanks for being such a good listener, little brother!" He moved his arms back.
Shoto narrowed his eyes knowingly, and saw what the increased flames were doing to his brother's body. His heat's increasing at a faster rate. And he's not hesitating at all!
"Now I'm feeling it," Dabi stated as he felt rather pleased with the way his flames were going around him. "You make good kindling, even if Dad isn't around!" The All Might statue started to melt thanks to the amount of heat...
"This ends here," Shoto declared with a furious look on his face. "I'm the one who'll stop you!"
"I hope you haven't got the wrong idea," Dabi looked down at him in a creepy way thanks to how worse his face had gotten from his flames. Almost like a worse version of what happened at Sekoto Peak... "I thought about you plenty in the years I was feeding my fire! I managed to get a weak version of my flames back. And thanks to my training, I knew how to keep pushing myself."
Toya summoned a smaller flame from his left hand, staring at it...he knew that this time, he wouldn't be burning his body if he continued a steady rate. At least to the contrary to what All for One told him, he could still use his Quirk again if he just kept at it, and worked hard enough...
"Good ol' Dad said my firepower was greater than his."
He watched his flames go from red to blue, just like that one time at Sekoto Peak during his training.
"That encouraged me to keep at it. With my senses dulled, I no longer had the same limits. It wasn't long before I could copy him." However...that was at the expense of needing his body stitched up, since the more he used his flames, the more of him...melted off. "And his Flashfire Fist!" He cried out while his whole body was surrounded in a blue fiery aura, his clothing starting to melt off the more he continued. A burst of flame came from both of his hands. "I bet you're a big All Might fan, huh, Shoto?!" He shouted to mock his brother, knowing that All Might was something that they both had in common.
"Here it comes!" Burnin called out while reaching out to her hair. Onima prepared himself while Kido readied his bandages.
"Hell Spider!" Dabi screamed as he unleashed the attack. The heroes nearby shouted in pain as there was nothing they could do to stop it.
"I've seen this attack before!"
Tenya grunted as he slid to a safe stop, looking up ahead. "That's Endeavor's move, but bigger and sloppier," He murmured, as he had seen Endeavor do the move during the Kyushu attack.
Shoto had a weak smile on his face, though he did feel better talking to Katsuki, Tenya, and Eijiro. "It's strange to think I have no idea what kind of stuff Toya likes." Tenya stared at Shoto, as he couldn't help but feel bad for his friend. Compared to other people in their class that had siblings, Shoto definitely had it the worst...he just couldn't imagine not being close enough with a sibling to the point where Shoto didn't know what Toya even liked.
"Todoroki!" He murmured in worry as he got onto his feet. Shoto was taking the impact of the Hell Spider, as were Burnin, Kido, and Onima. The three all tried to hold it back as much as they could. Kido let out a yell while letting his bandages fly.
"You ready, kid?" Onima glanced towards the red/white haired boy. "We can't do this forever!"
"Absolutely!" Shoto gritted his teeth at Dabi, who stepped forward. Shoto gasped sharply...as Dabi moved right past him so fast that no one even saw him. Practically at the level of speed Shigaraki could move at.
He's fast! Onima looked back in disbelief.
Was Hell Spider just a distraction? Kido couldn't help but wonder.
"There's something I've been curious about, Shoto!" Dabi called out, still surrounded in flames. "I wanna know how pathetic you'd look!" He lunged straight for his brother, and then punched him in the face. Shoto grunted as he was sent flying. "What face did you wear when you cowered inside the UA Barrier with the evacuees?" He mocked, part of his lip still attached to his jaw, but just barely. Shoto grunted as he was sliding across the ground, unable to stop. "Those scared sheep knew you were Endeavor's son and Dabi's brother! And you walked among them even though you're a child of calamity. Hell, even your own classmate would've gotten dragged into your hell if Dad actually forced her to marry you!" Shoto blinked and then looked up with a growl, barely able to dodge a single swinging fist of fire. "I'd say that's a pretty shameless act for someone who wants to be a hero, wouldn't you?!" As he talked, he continued to attack back and forth, Shoto unable to get up.
"Shoto!" Kido shouted in concern for him.
"Dabi's firepower outburns Endeavor's!" Burnin grunted as she looked up. "But it's gonna tear his body to shreds!"
Dabi didn't seem to care all that much for his state while he continued. "You had every advantage. The best training! An ideal body! Yet you depend on others!" The All Might statue continued to melt down... "You're a spoiled little brat who never bothered to reach his full potential! I'm sure no one ever told you that to your face! But families should be honest, right?!" He then swung down his hands full of his flames to hit Shoto with. "You are an aimless half-baked puppet!" Shoto was now in the sky, his combined flames still on his chest as he glared at his brother. He gritted his teeth angrily...knowing that no matter where he went, Dabi would follow him. "You will never amount to anything in this world! Jetburn!" He flew up, hitting Shoto with his flames protruding from his body. This sent Shoto flying into a building, the windows breaking. Kido, Onima, and Burnin all gasped sharply while Dabi just watched proudly...and then he blinked in shock.
"Yeah. Most of what you say is true..." Shoto gasped out from the huge amount of smoke. "I was a fool. One who took far too many detours," His light continued to shine from where he landed. "I doubted every decision I made." Ice started to form around the windows, cooling him down. Dabi flinched, looking at his smoking hand.
He managed to neutralize the heat?
"I thought our father was the only one you were focused on this whole time," Shoto grunted while pinned against the wall. Blood was coming down his face and nose as he looked up. "Since we're being honest, it's kind of nice to know I was on your radar too. While I was training, trying to catch up to my classmates...I discovered something inside myself. Flashfire..." He moved up one hand that gave out ice. "I wanna show you how I turned it into something better. A move meant to stop you."
"Shoto. We should reconsider the team assignments," Endeavor spoke into the phone.
"Why, so you can face him instead of All for One?" Shoto demanded while his classmates were nearby. "You know that of the remaining heroes, you're the only person able to put up a real fight against that tyrant. Just like Midoriya has to face Shigaraki...and how Mido has to face her own past self." He stared towards Izuku talking with Katsuki and Eijiro. Izuka still felt a little uncomfortable with her brother in front of her, but Katsuki had a casual arm around her shoulder. "My abilities are the ones best suited to stop Toya. Which is what I plan to do."
"This is my duty," Endeavor tried once again to get him to reconsider.
"No, it's one we share," Shoto insisted to his father. He wouldn't just sit back and let Dabi continue to hang over them. "Outside has to do whatever we can to win this. We can stop Toya and the others if we work together. It's the only way."
Endeavor flinched, trying not to cry. "...SHO-"
The boy hung up before his father could cry out his name again. He then looked up at Izuka, since she was only one out of two with fire powers in the whole class. "Mido." She blinked as she, Katsuki, Eijiro, and Izuku watched him approach. "Can I talk to you?"
"About what?" Katsuki grunted out, causing Izuka to slowly shake her head.
"Yes, we can talk, Shoto," She gave him a weak smile, moving away from Katsuki's arm.
"Tch!" Katsuki huffed as he looked away, earning sheepish looks from Eijiro and Izuku. Because the two knew that he was sucking it up to trust his girlfriend alone with other boys...Katsuki also still acknowledged the fact that Izuka did only have eyes for him, but with Shoto being the biggest person he was against towards Izuka, it was going to take a while to get past.
Shoto and Izuka sat outside Heights Alliance where they wouldn't be interrupted. "Is...this about your brother?" Izuka turned to him in concern.
"...What would you do...if Midoriya ended up like Dabi? Would you...still accept him? Or be able to defeat him?" His hands were shaking a little; he still had to defeat his brother, that was evident. But...at the same time, he wished that he got to know Toya. He was too young to really understand him, unfortunately...
The green-haired girl blinked, turning away from him with a heavy sigh. "...Izuku's already in enough hot water with me as it is. Is it really the best time for me to answer this?" Her eyes softened and Shoto flinched upon realization. He figured she was the best person to ask, but now that he was asking this out loud, he should've turned to Tenya or Tsuyu...
"Ah. I didn't mean to-"
"It's okay," She gave him a weak smile. "You never were too good with social cues, heh. What would I do? Well...obviously I'd stop him, because I wouldn't want Izuku to suffer. And...well, I'd try to reason with him. I don't know if Dabi would ever be able to see reason though...but I do know this. Shoto, no matter what Dabi tells you...none of us see you as him."
Shoto blinked as he looked at her wide-eyed as she looked encouraging. "I'm sure that your family still has a lot to shoulder after all this is over. But...just don't forget who you're surrounded by, you know? I know you'll be able to stop him! You're stronger than I would be during all this, that's for sure."
The white/red haired boy looked away with a wistful smile. "I'm not sure that's true. But Mido...thank you for being my friend. I...I don't deserve your friendship after all that's happened. So...I understand if you don't want to be around someone like me any-"
Izuka reached up to push down his head, causing him to look up wide-eyed. "Shoto Todoroki, you better not be trying to pull an Endeavor on me and deciding what I do and who I'm around!" She scrunched up her nose in annoyance. "I don't plan on cutting you out of my life anytime soon no matter what. You and I weren't close when we started UA, we both know that. But...you know, as I got to know you, I got to see how kind, caring, and strong you are as a person. To the point where...I looked up to you," She pulled her hand away, looking at her hands. "Sometimes...I saw myself in you, someone who was suffering on the inside, you know? I wanted to catch up to you, Katsuki, and my brother...so that I could say I'm powerful. So if anything, I should be thanking you for being a great friend to Izuku!" She looked at him with a big smile. "And for being part of my inspiration, ha ha! You're like a little brother to me, you know?"
His eyes shook at how much Izuka had changed him too. Looking at the twins, he wished that he had that sort of bond with his own family in the past. And...seeing her look happy, he could tell that she still didn't blame the arranged marriage thing on him. Or what people said about her thanks to Dabi's broadcast...Shoto gave her a small smile, glad that they became close friends.
"Any idea of how I can...make my power my own like you do?"
Izuka hummed in thought as she turned away. That kind of thing was definitely something Izuku was more used to doing, not her. She didn't keep any stats on all their classmates and other heroes, after all. However...there was something that did come to mind for him. She looked back with a knowing grin. "I think I have some ideas!"
"Call me half-baked if you want," Shoto growled out to his brother. "But listen to me. Our father was a madman! Our family was a nightmare! Even so, you're the only one of us who chose to burn people! And don't you dare try to tell me to my face that I don't deserve Mido as a friend!"
"Whoa, Todoroki. They're making you fight against Dabi?" Izuku also looked concerned just like his sister did earlier. He and the boys were in their bathroom.
"Everyone, make sure you're out of the bath in 30 minutes!" Tenya called out to everyone.
"It's actually what I want to do," Shoto explained to Izuku while looking for a towel. "You don't need to worry. That said, I'm sure my dad will gripe about not being able to keep his promise. Maybe not getting to fight Dabi himself is somehow part of Dad's punishment. If that's the case, these are the right matchups." Izuku gave a small frown, looking at the floor. "...Dabi's my family's cross to bear. Besides, if I run away from this fight...I'll never be the hero I want to be. At least...that was what I told myself until Mido talked to me." Izuku blinked as he looked up...seeing Shoto's combined flames. "That's why this is so important. Using my power this way is how I'll stop him."
"This...is the new technique you're trying to master. It's obviously not your usual Flashfire Fist!" Izuku looked at it in awe, looking up with a smile. "You've gotta give me the details!"
"Oh, right," Mashirao spoke up, getting his attention. "You were gone a while, so you don't know. Well, he was trying to come up with ideas during that time until recently."
"Poke his chest," Denki walked over, pointing at the flames. "It looks hot, but it's not!" He then poked the center, with no effect. "See? My finger's totally cool!"
"This state's difficult to maintain, so I can only count on it for short periods," Shoto explained to his friend.
"Which means I'm still the superior fighter!" Katsuki argued as he stormed past in irritation, unimpressed. "Don't you forget that! Or that Izuka is mine now!"
"Heh heh," Izuku looked at him sheepishly, wondering how long it was gonna take for Katsuki to not declare that practically every five minutes...hopefully it would soon die out, but he wasn't going to hold his breath on that one. He then looked back to admire the combined flames.
"It's like an upgraded version of Flashfire. I manifest my right and left sides at the same time. They converge over my heart," Shoto told Izuku, and...he knew that in the past, he would've never been able to pull it off. "Hot blood and cold blood then circulate through me, putting my body in a state of balance."
"Fire and ice working in harmony," Izuku could see it reflecting in his eyes. "Wow. You've figured out a way to produce cold flames."
"Dad sought out an ice power that would regulate the heat of a fire Quirk. But I've chosen a different path. This is the only way I can accept myself...despite the real reason I was born into this world..."
"It's yours!" Izuku had shouted at the top of his lungs during his match against Shoto in the Sports Festival. "Your Quirk, not his!"
"And I also wanted to say that I understand what it's like to feel like you're trapped," Izuka had stated after the match with empathy in her eyes. "Like you're not using your potential. I wish I was in control as you are with your Quirk, fire or ice. That's...all I had to tell you. Good luck in your next match."
"One more thing," Shoto had stopped her, causing her to blink. "You're...a good person, Mido, regardless of your strength."
"Midoriya," Shoto looked up, giving him a small grateful smile. "Thanks for showing me the truth. And thank you to your sister as well for accepting me as a friend. This is my Quirk..."
He gritted his teeth angrily. "No one else! I won't let you destroy any more innocent lives, or try to ruin Mido's again!" He screamed while flying forward with his hot and cold flames. Dabi prepared himself as Shoto let out a yell. Flashfire Fist. Phosphor! He let out a giant flurry of ice, causing Dabi to yelp as he could hardly contain it. Icebound Crash. Coldflame's Pale Blade! He had gotten some inspiration from Izuka's Uranus Orbit and her Comet Arrow. "Focus your anger on me! I can put up with your flames! Give me everything you've got. Maybe that'll help you cool your head!" He screamed as he continued his attack, knocking Dabi backwards. He hit the ground, using his flames to keep him from landing. The man could only stare at his little brother in shock.
He's got a body that can withstand my inferno, and the power to chill my fire! He never expected Shoto to be at this level... He's probably the most fitting opponent I'll ever face. "You go on and on, trying to tell me what's right and what's wrong. What, did you get that from your precious Mido?" He said with disgust, remembering what she said to Shigaraki in Kamino. "Makes me sick. It just goes to show..." He flipped as he landed. "We may share the same blood, but we couldn't be more different!" Dabi then placed his hands on the ground, summoning his flames. As he did so, Shoto's Phosphor went away from his chest.
It went out! I'll have to start again!
"In this limited superhuman society, a warned rail will never be able to lay beside a straight and narrow one! You and I are proof of that!" Dabi shouted up at his little brother, surrounding himself in his fire once again. "We're on parallel tracks, but our paths will never meet!" He then sent a huge wave of fire towards Shoto. "For both of our sakes, succumb to my fire and die!"
The flames dispersed a little to reveal Onima, Kido, and Burnin...but no Shoto. Dabi gasped, wondering where the boy went off to.
"End it, Shoto..." Kido murmured as he fell to the ground, unable to keep himself steady anymore.
"You Todorokis are one hell of a family..." Onima fell soon after, followed by Burnin. They revealed Shoto was hiding behind them, having summoned his Phosphor again.
"This is so hot, even I'm getting burned..." He then expanded Phosphor with his hands. "Sorry, guys!"
"I told ya, kid..." Burnin managed to say, but was unable to move. "Don't waste your breath on niceties here."
"At least let me thank you!" He gritted his teeth, looking up at Dabi...knowing that the feeling was almost foreign to him. Being grateful...isn't something I was taught. There was so much I had to learn from my classmates. He felt like...when he started UA, he was stuck between Class 1-A...and his own family. My past is steeped in greed...and blood.
"Just remember," Rei spoke up as Shoto admired All Might on TV. "Stay true to yourself," She placed a hand on his head gently. "You are not a prisoner of your lineage. It's okay to use your power...to become who you want to be."
When I realized my shortcomings...I felt like I'd stalled on my journey. Like everyone else had gone ahead without me. And when he realized this...he looked towards the light of his own classmates. But no. They were right there...waiting for me. He could imagine the happy smiles of everyone...well, aside from Katsuki. Dabi felt a bit limp amongst the flames. Class A...doesn't leave anyone behind. They were there by my side the whole time...
"Your ultimate moves are like personal calling cards. People will always remember you if you show off your best assets," Mt. Lady explained to Class 1-A during interview training.
"Store up your power. Condense it. And then fire," Endeavor instructed Izuka, Katsuki, and Shoto for their work-studies.
Store it up... Shoto concentrated his power over his heart. It grew larger in size as he looked up. Dabi let out a scream, summoning his flames once again. Shoto then fired off like a rocket as he yelled, recoiling his icy fist back. Dabi flinched...gasping as his flames doused themselves out. Smoke came from his body. "Our paths will cross...I'll force them to," Shoto declared...as he had used the fist against Dabi, who now had some ice over his hands. "So please...stop this, brother. Great Glacial Aegir...!" A bunch of ice emerged from his fist, engulfing his brother in it...who could only stare at his defeat by his own brother. As the icy smoke was clearing, all of the flames had been put out by the great amount of ice Shoto gave out. It was like an icy wonderland now...frost flying away from everything. Dabi was frozen in place and then went limp. Shoto stood still as he felt his opponent land over his shoulder...