Chapter Text
The instant Midoriya hung up the phone with Shouto, he dialed his teacher's emergency contact number and called. The phone was answered almost instantly.
"What happened this time, Problem Child?" Aizawa asked, his voice its usual tone (with a hint of concern woven through the edges).
"Todoroki called."
"Is he okay?”
"No. We need to talk, like now, " Midoriya urged.
Aizawa wasted no time. "I'm coming over. Sit tight."
"And bring principal Nedzu," Midoriya added.
"Sure thing," Aizawa responded before ending the call.
Midoriya flopped back onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling with a heart full of concern. One of his best friends was in pain, and all he wanted to do was make him smile. While they were waiting to take action, Shouto was hurting at the hands of his father, and at the hands of his own mind.
Why did the world have to be so cruel to one poor kid?
Midoriya was snapped out of his thoughts by the creak of the dormitory door. That was fast . Neither Aizawa nor Nedzu was in costume, and it took Midoriya a moment to adjust to the new change in appearance. Aizawa shut the door behind him, and the tension in the air increased tenfold.
"What happened to Todoroki?" Aizawa questioned. Nedzu remained silent.
"There's a lot I need to tell you about. A lot I regret not telling you earlier. Just let me finish before you say anything."
"Okay," Aizawa confirmed, staring Midoriya in the eyes. "Talk."
Midoriya took a moment to think. There was so much going on, he didn't even know where to begin.
"Endeavor, he's...the number one hero. So he's obviously great at what he does. But behind closed doors, he's not much of a hero at all." Nedzu's expression because inquisitive, wondering what was coming next. In contrast, Aizawa's face simply seemed to be a sad confirmation of his prior hypotheses. "Todoroki is really good at using his quirk. He has amazing judgment and mobility. When he first came here, he was in a different league compared to everyone else. I was jealous at first, but then he told me why."
Midoriya took a deep breath before continuing. His heart raced. "It's because Endeavor had a quirk marriage with Todoroki's mother, and he was basically bred to become the number one hero. His father likes to 'train him,' but quite frankly, it's far from training. He beat Todoroki's mother to the point where she became mentally unstable and poured boiling water on Todoroki’s face. That's how he got that scar over his eye, and now she's in a hospital, so there's no one at home to protect him. And his father's back at it again, training him, and he kept saying he was fine, but I pressed him to tell me if he was really fine and I don't know I just want to help-"
"Kid, first, calm down," Aizawa said. "If Endeavor is hurting his son, we could just open up a case and get Todoroki out of there as soon as possible."
"I'm not done," Midoriya said. "There’s another problem. After the most recent attack from the League, Todoroki became in contact with Dabi via cellphone. Like, they became friends of sorts. Of course, he didn't tell him anything classified, so don't worry about secrets being leaked. The issue is, is that for whatever reason, the League is after him. Dabi told him that. And now-"
Another interruption surfaced—but this time, it was Bakugou Katsuki, slamming the door open with a bang.
"If this is about Icyhot, I have so much shit to say right now."
"Kacchan, what?!" Midoriya exclaimed with shock.
"That bastard became buddy-buddy with the fucking blue fire guy!"
"We know," Aizawa remarked. "We were just talking about that."
"Then why the hell wasn't I called?!"
"We didn't know that you knew, Kacchan! How on Earth did you find out?!"
"That's why Half and Half went batshit crazy on me! Now shut up!"
"Well, have a seat, I guess," Aizawa grumbled as the explosive boy swaggered into the room and made himself comfortable.
"Whatever."
"Now continue, Midoriya," Aizawa said, exhaustion creeping into his voice.
"He was telling me that this afternoon, he had a run-in with Toga. He said it was a chance encounter, but that means…"
"That means that the League knows he isn't at school," Bakugou finished.
"Right."
The room was silent, and Nedzu took a moment to think.
"The League is less likely to find him while he's living with the number one hero," he began. "There are likely very few people who know where he lives, limited to family members, trustworthy friends, and sidekicks. Neither of those groups would divulge personal information about the family to known villains, which means that he is better protected there than at UA. However, his father is only hurting him while he's at home. This is indeed a tricky situation."
"One more thing," Midoriya added.
"What is it?" Nedzu questioned.
"He's really scared of getting other people hurt because of this. Like, really scared. If the plan poses any risk to others, I don't think he'll listen to us."
"Well, shit," Bakugou remarked. "Can't we just lie or something? Tell him we’re not doing anything dicey and then go rescue his stupid ass?"
"He's a smart kid," Aizawa said. "He'll think things through, so if we're going to lie to him, it'd better be well thought out."
"Every plan has a risk, though," Midoriya pointed out. "I honestly have no idea what to do."
"Our best chance is to reason with him," Nedzu stated. "Do you think you can call him?"
"I can," Midoriya said as he opened his phone.
~<3~
Shouto laid on his back, awake with the day's events playing on loop in his mind. He rolled over to his side, grasping his cellphone from the bedside table. He checked the messages the others sent him. It'd be best to respond if he worried them.
To: Iida
Today
11:31
Iida: It has come to my attention that you haven't been responding to your messages since you've returned home. I hope you're well. Please let me know if you need anything. - Tenya Iida
Shouto smiled at the message. Of course, Iida was responsible, handling every issue as soon as it arose. He respected him for that.
19:34
Shouto: hey im fine i just didn't use my phone. sorry for worrying you
He scrolled through the rest of his phone. Every single member of class 1A had contacted him, including Mineta. A few members of class 1B texted him as well, and Shouto made it a point to respond to each and every one of them.
The last message he had to respond to was from one Bakugou Katsuki.
To: Bakugou
Today
15:17
Bakugou: deku's panicking because you're not responding
Bakugou: so fucking say something or i'll kill you
Bakugou: and don't be an idiot and do something stupid
As he was about to respond, his phone began to buzz. A call from Midoriya?
He answered it, unsure of what was going on.
"Is everything okay?" Shouto asked.
"You're on speaker, Shouto. I have Aizawa, principal Nedzu, and Kacchan here. I told them about what's happening, and we're trying to figure out a way to get you safely, okay? We thought we'd come and talk to you to get your insight on things."
Shouto squirmed. It was nice to have the weight off his chest and all, but it felt strangely uncomfortable having people know .
"Alright," Shouto said after a moment. "What do you need?"
"First and foremost," Aizawa started. "Are you hurt?"
"I think I'm okay," Shouto lied. His ribs were killing him. He noticed an ugly bruise forming on his chest, and taking deep breaths felt like the equivalent of being stabbed a hundred times with a knife.
"We need to know your physical condition so we can come up with the best plan possible. This is for both logistical reasons and for the safety of yourself and others. Now, I'll ask again. Are you hurt?"
Shouto was silent.
"Are you?" Aizawa followed up.
"My chest really hurts," Shouto responded. "A bruise developed on my ribcage, and when I breathe deeply, it hurts even more. Other than that, though, it's just a few burns and bruises here and there. I was able to last in a real fight today, so I think I'll be okay for whatever plan is necessary."
"It sounds like your ribs are broken, kid. Was that from your father or Toga?"
More silence came from Shouto's end, and he could've sworn he heard Aizawa whisper a Jesus Christ from the other end of the line.
"Really, it's alright," Shouto said. "I can take it. If I go back to UA, I'll be putting everyone in danger. I can't do that. So I need to stay here."
"If Toga saw you today," Nedzu interrupted. "Then the League knows you're home. Logically, it would make the most sense to bring you back to campus as soon as possible, and ramp up security afterward. We could make it impossible for them to get an opening. I'm sure it would take them a week to realize that you've already returned to school."
"But then there's a risk that the League predicted we would do that, and then everyone gets put in danger," Shouto pointed out. "I'm not doing it."
"Todoroki, it's a much smaller risk if we were to do it this way."
"I said no," Shouto maintained. "I'm not going back to UA until this blows over."
"And how long would that be?" Nedzu questioned. "Days? Weeks? Months? Years, even?"
"It doesn't matter. I refuse."
"Well, there's always the alternative. I can arrange for you to stay at a safe house. You would be isolated, and it would take me at least a few days to arrange, but I can't force you to come back to school."
"I can do that," Shouto said. "I can wait a few more days."
"Don't be stupid, Shouto," Aizawa said. "Just let us take you back to school. Let us help you."
"I would," Shouto responded. "But I can't hurt the people around me anymore."
~<3~
The plan was made clear the next day. Compress, Dabi and Spinner would stage a diversion while Endeavor was on patrol, preventing him from returning home. Toga would lure Shouto out of the house by posing as someone he knew. Finally, Shigaraki would place all five fingers on Shouto's face and turn the boy to dust, leaving a note that made it clear as to what the League had done.
Right now, it was Dabi's job to figure out the address of the Endeavor residence. He spent hours arguing that Toga should be the one to do the job due to her abilities of disguise. Still, Shigaraki had asked–no, insisted–that Dabi should be the one to do the job.
Should he come back empty-handed, he was told he would be killed on the spot. Shigaraki's suspicions had only seemed to grow.
And so he stood alone in the city with nothing but a recording device in his pocket and a churro in his hand. He had to make himself sound busy so that Shigaraki would have no reason to be suspicious. He paced around the busy streets.
Of course, Dabi knew exactly where Endeavor lived. The question was whether or not he would expose those details to Shigaraki.
Shouto's safety, or his own?
It was a difficult decision, but he knew what he had to do. There was only one logical answer. He turned around and headed for the hideout. He had to make sure that Shouto was safe.
"Did you figure out what I asked for?" Shigaraki asked, eyeing him curiously as he entered the room.
"Yes, I did. I have Endeavor’s address."
~<3~
"Disgraceful, Shouto. Were you even trying today?!"
Shouto was on his knees. His wrists shook, and his body trembled, vision swimming with every tremor. Endeavor kicked Shouto in the side, and he fell over with an agonized grunt. Dizziness overwhelmed him, and the pain in his ribs was blinding. He emptied whatever he had eaten onto the floor in front of him, and the action only increased his suffering.
"Try harder! You're wasting my time!"
"I can't…" his voice wavered.
"You're worthless, Shouto! Absolutely worthless. Can you do anything right?! You're a waste of space, you hear me?! I can't believe I wasted my time with you. Get out!!"
And that's precisely what Shouto did. He slowly made his way to his room, collapsing the instant he saw his bed, as he drifted into a fitful sleep.
…
"Shou-kid! What's the matter?" A boy's voice called.
It was two in the morning. Shouto was curled up in the living room, bandages wrapped around small, injured arms. "M-mommy's gone." he sniffled as tears streamed down his face. "D-daddy took mommy away."
The boy approached him, and though the room was far too dark to distinguish a face, Shouto knew that boy was Touya. He approached Shouto and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Shouto squirmed and tearfully launched himself into his brother's chest.
"It's okay, Shouto. Shh, it's okay."
"W-why is daddy so scary? Why does he always hurt me?"
"I-I don't know," Touya responded solemnly. "I really don't know."
"I want m-mommy!" Shouto sobbed. Touya panicked, shushing him with fear in his voice.
"You have to be quiet, Shouto, or else daddy will come. Okay?"
"I w-want to run away. I want m-mommy to love me again." Shouto's sobs intensified, but he kept himself quiet.
"We can do that. We can run away. You, me, Natsuo and Fuyumi."
"Really?"
"Yeah, of course. And we can get mom back too! It'll be an adventure."
"Yeah!"
Touya gave a somber smile. Shouto knew that look. He felt the edges of the dream slowly taper off, and his heart sank. He just wanted five more minutes at this moment, in his brother's arms.
"We'll always be together. You know that right, Shou-kid?"
This, Shouto recognized, was not part of the memory. This was new.
"What do you mean? What are you saying?"
"When everything happens, you'll want to be with me again. Don't be stupid."
"What are you talking about?"
"Take my advice, Shou-kid. Your life is important."
"You're not making any sense!"
"See you soon, little brother."
Shouto's eyes snapped open to a notification from his cellphone. He was left with the lingering anxiety from a dream he could no longer remember. He groggily opened his cell.
To: Shouta Aizawa
10:08
Shouta Aizawa: Problem child gave me your phone number. Let me know how you are and indicate any new injuries that you may have. Nedzu is working on getting you somewhere safe. We'll come to get you tomorrow. If you change your mind and want to return to UA, just say the word, and I'll get you back immediately. Please consider this option and don't be an idiot.
Shouto TodorokI: Hello. I'm okay.
Shouta Aizawa: Any new injuries? Don't lie to me.
Shouto couldn't entirely be honest about the fact that every damn limb hurt so bad, and it was easy enough to downplay the situation so that he wouldn't give his teacher cause for concern.
Shouto Todoroki: Not really. Ribs hurt a little more, though. Yesterday's training was tough. If I rest well, I'll be okay by the time you guys come. Sorry for bringing you into this, I hope I'm not inconveniencing you.
Shouta Aizawa: Knowing you, you're just lying about the injury part. Why do I even ask…
Shouta Aizawa: I'll see about bringing Recovery Girl on the rescue. In the meantime, please, please take care of yourself. And you're not an inconvenience. You're one of my students. It's my job to protect you. Now it's your job not to be an idiot. Let me know if you change your mind and decide to come back to school. Contact me or problem child or someone at UA regularly so that we know you're okay.
Shouto Todoroki: Will do. Thanks for all your help.
Shouta Aizawa: No need to thank me. But please change your mind. Please let us take you back to UA.
Shouto Todoroki: I appreciate all the help, but that's something I just can't do. If something happened because of me, I'd never forgive myself.
Shouta Aizawa: Dammit, Shouto. Nothing is going to happen if you come back. I promise.
Shouto Todoroki: You don't know that.
Shouta Aizawa: Yeah, I do.
Shouto Todoroki: There's always a chance
Shouta Aizawa: It's a very slim chance. We'll ramp up security. We know the threat, so we'll be prepared for it. They won't come. If they did, they'd have to face some of Japan's greatest heroes.
Shouto Todoroki: It's not a chance I'm willing to take. That's final.
Shouta Aizawa: You're an idiot.
Shouto Todoroki: I'd rather be an idiot than be responsible for someone's death.
Shouta Aizawa: No one's going to die. Just let us help you.
Shouto Todoroki: What you're doing now is more than enough.
Shouta Aizawa: If Nedzu and the other UA teachers weren't watching me all the time, I'd have come and grabbed you the moment you said the word.
Shouto Todoroki: If you came, I'd refuse to leave.
Shouta Aizawa: I would drag you out of that house, then.
Shouto Todoroki: I'd call my father.
Shouta Aizawa: Shouto…
Shouto Todoroki: I'm not going back to UA. Not until this all blows over.
Shouta Aizawa: I recommend you reconsider. Like, highly recommend you reconsider.
Shouto Todoroki: My decision is final.
~<3~
A part of Dabi regretted his decision to tell Shigaraki where Endeavor was, but he had no other options. He was more useful to Shouto alive, and if he refused to give Shigaraki intel, he would've been killed. They'd find another way to get Endeavor's location, and then he wouldn’t be able to watch Shouto. If he lied, they would know soon enough.
He had to save Shouto, no matter the cost. That was his only goal.
After Dabi told Shigaraki the location of Endeavor's home, he was filled with anticipation and anxiety. Did he make the right call? Was this the right decision?
He needed to put his nerves away. God, so many things had escalated since he first contacted Shouto. Just a little bit ago, everything was normal. And now, everything was so much worse. It was unfathomable.
"Hey, Shigaraki? Where's the stuff?" Dabi asked.
"Third cabinet under the sink," he responded nonchalantly.
Dabi heaved himself up and grabbed a needle full of amber liquid, injecting it beneath his skin until he felt his heart rate calm down. He collapsed onto the couch and rolled onto his side. He closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep...
...and he awoke to chaos. The light streaming in from the window indicated that it was daytime. Voices were engaged in a heated debate, those whom he quickly recognized to be Toga and Spinner.
"I want to collect his yummy blood!!"
"We have to follow through with the mission!"
"I don't-" Toga paused and turned to face Dabi. "Enjoyed your nap?"
Dabi shifted, and the remains of a fading high escaped his limbs. "What time is it?"
"Eleven. In the morning."
"I slept that late?!"
"Yeah, of course. Given how much you took last night, I was surprised you weren’t out longer."
Yeah, yeah. Whatever.
"The plan is to be exacted tomorrow," Spinner explained.
Oh right. The plan.
"We're gonna spend the rest of the day preparing!! You should help out!!"
"Yeah...sure…" Dabi responded as he got up.
The plan to murder one of the most important people in Dabi's life was all going to happen in just a few hours. It was Dabi’s job to protect him, no matter what extents he had to go through. The situation made his skin crawl. Shouto couldn't get hurt. Dabi wouldn't know how to live with himself if any harm came to his…
...yeah. Shouto wouldn't get hurt. Dabi would never let that happen.
Tomorrow, first thing in the morning, Dabi would (hopefully) prove himself right.
~<3~
It seemed as though after every passing moment, Shouto's body hurt more and more. His chest was on fire today, but quite frankly, it didn't matter.
Today would be a good day. Endeavor had left for an impromptu mission that would have him out of the house for a while (though for how long, it was unclear).
Fuyumi had taken two weeks off from work, finally using her stockpiled vacation days all in one go. She decided that she wanted to spend the week with her brother and get him feeling better, and spend the next week taking time for herself. Shouto felt a bit guilty; he would be leaving tomorrow anyway.
Did that make Shouto a bad person? He was putting Fuyumi in danger just by being here, and yet he refused to make that knowledge public. Shouto was irresponsible. He needed to keep as many people away from him as possible for the time being.
"Hey," Shouto started.
"What do you need?" Fuyumi responded.
"You're pretty bored nowadays, right? Since you took the week off. I know I'm not much fun."
"I want to get to know you, Shouto, and I saw this as the perfect opportunity to-"
"I'll just cut straight to the chase, then. I need you to do me a favor."
"Sure! I’ll do anything you want."
"I need you to go somewhere for me."
"Go somewhere? Where?"
"America."
"Ameri...huh?!"
"I know it's sudden. I've just always wanted to try a hotdog, but-"
"We can get them in Japan if you look hard enough!"
"I'm talking about real ones. Real hotdogs."
"Shouto," Fuyumi began, sighing. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure..."
"Do I look like an idiot to you?!" She snapped. "That's the stupidest lie I've ever heard. God, you suck at this. Touya sucked at this too, you guys are so similar. If you want me out of the house for a little, just say the word."
"It's not like that…" but Shouto stopped himself. He had to come as clean as possible. "Look. I can't really get into the details, but can you please do this for me?"
"Can I ask why? Is it dad, Shouto? Did dad ask you to-"
"This isn't dad. This is me. I need you to stay away from me for a little while."
"Shouto, you have to tell me what's going on. I can't help but be worried."
"I can't say. I really can't. Just go as soon as you can. Come back after tomorrow."
"But why?"
"Just-" Shouto stopped himself. This was his sister he was talking to. "Please, Fuyumi. Will you do this for me?"
"I knew something was wrong," Fuyumi responded with a dry laugh. "I don't know what's going on in that thick skull of yours. But I guess I don't have a choice. I'll spend the some time with Natsuo. And when I come back, you'll tell me what happened."
Shouto's heart twisted into a guilty knot. "Yeah. We can talk."
Fuyumi had left before sunrise.
~<3~
This was it. This was the fateful day that decided everything. This was make it or break it. Save Shouto or lose him.
Dabi had followed Compress and Spinner to the subway station that morning. This particular station was dilapidated, but people kept their heads down and didn't ask questions. Word on the street was that Endeavor was on a business trip somewhere around Musutafu, and it was their duty to cause a commotion there. Naturally, Shigaraki had sent a Nomu their way too, just to spice things up a little.
As the doors to the subway opened, Dabi turned on his heel and ran as fast as he could.
"Where the hell are you going?!"
"Just go to Musutafu without me. I'll meet you there," Dabi responded.
~<3~
Early the next morning, Fuyumi had left her home. She was to catch a train and visit Natsuo at his college. Lost in thought, she tripped over an unknown object and scraped her knee with the fall.
"Dear, dear," an old lady said. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Fuyumi responded. The lady helped her to her feet, surprisingly sharp and confident for someone her age. "Thanks a lot!"
~<3~
Nedzu and Aizawa had booked the day solely to retrieve Shouto from his home. They left Shouto with a message informing him of their leave, and the two of them took off.
But of course, Bakugou and Midoriya had insisted that they come as well. Of course, they had. They moved through the city as fast as they could. They were only an hour away from Shouto.
~<3~
Shouto awoke to a knock on the main door. Endeavor was still on his business trip, he observed. He sluggishly made his way to the door and opened it, but the pain in his ribs made him wince with every step (would it ever go away?).
"Fuyumi? What are you doing here?"
"Shouto! Are you okay?"
Why didn’t Fuyumi leave?
"Yeah, what’s going on?"
"I saw the League of Villains at the station! They said they were coming home to try and to kill you! I came home as soon as I could!”
Shit. The League?! They were planning to attack today?!
“Okay, okay. Calm down Fuyumi.”
“We have to get out of here. Quickly! God, I should’ve known something was wrong since you spent so much time in Hosu!”
“Look. The League doesn’t know where we live. It’s safer inside.”
“They said they were coming for you anyway! They must’ve figured out where we live!”
“Okay. Let’s go.”
Shouto nodded. Something about this situation didn’t add up, but he couldn’t quite place his finger on it. There’s no way Fuyumi was lying to him, since she never knew that the League was attacking. If he trusted his gut instinct but he was wrong, Fuyumi would be placed at risk too. For now, it was better to follow along.
"Let's make this quick. We should go in the opposite direction of the train station, if that’s where they came from."
Shouto and his sister raced through the streets, trying to evade the League of Villains as best as they could. The streets were empty as usual, given the fact that few people lived near the Endeavor residence.
But then, it clicked. Shouto stopped running, and Fuyumi slowed down herself.
"Hey, Fuyumi?"
"What's up, Shouto?"
"I never told you I went to Hosu."
"Wha-of course, you did!"
"No, I didn't. I came home, and you offered to make me soba. That was it."
A chuckle escaped his sister’s lips. Slowly, Fuyumi's body melted, and a Cheshire grin replaced the small, soft smile. "Very good. You’re smart for a pretty boy."
Shouto's heart raced; he made the wrong call. His only choice was to think logically, but he couldn't. Sheer panic and the agony from his ribs hindered his thought process.
“That’s too bad,” Toga said. “I kind of liked you.”
“Huh?”
He heard a rustle from behind him. It was if the world moved in slow motion; Shouto’s head whipped around, only to see Shigaraki's five fingers placed right above his face.
All of a sudden, a raging blue flame grazed his forehead, and Shigaraki’s hand recoiled instantly.
"You almost died there, Shou-kid."
Sh-shou-kid?
"Hang on. Shou-kid? That's what my brother…"
And then it all clicked. The incessant messaging, the shopping, the dinner. The extreme care for a random schoolboy. The adorable cat pendant that lay untouched on his table.
"Oh, my God."
"Figured you would've put the pieces together a bit faster, Shouto. Dad did always say you were the special one."
"No," Shouto started. "What? This can't be real. You're Dabi, not Touya. Touya's quirk burned him to death years ago."
"Yeah, I had no idea what bullshit Dad fed you. He was half right. That's where all the scars came from. Anyway, just relax. You won’t be dying here today."
"Yeah, okay. But after this ends, just come home, okay?"
"Can't do that, I'm afraid. It's too late."
"It's not too late!" Shouto shouted. "Fuyumi's waiting for you. Natsuo's waiting for you." Shouto panted. "Hell, even I'm waiting for you. Just come. Home. You can still be a hero."
"Oh, but it is too late. I'm a villain at heart. Once that bastard of a father kicks the bucket, then we'll see. I want him dead." Dabi–no, Touya–turned around and ruffled Shouto's hair.
"Oh God, enough with the chit-chat , mister Touya Todoroki," Shigaraki responded, clapping his hands sarcastically. "Your cover was awful. Just awful."
"You knew?"
"'Course I knew. I'm surprised I'm the only one that's had you all figured out."
"What gave me away?"
"I've known ever since I read the conspiracy article and saw your quirk. Also, 'I go by Dabi now' wasn't the smartest thing to say as a first impression. Idiot."
"I really should've known."
"Yeah. Well, this isn’t a time for a family reunion. Just thank me for letting you say your goodbyes and move on."
"Shouto," Touya said softly. "You need to run."
"And leave you? Fat chance. I'm not losing you twice."
Shigaraki smirked, and his eyes gleamed with evil. He quickly maneuvered himself such that Shouto was sandwiched between Touya and himself.
The positioning was genius; if he used his fire, he'd only end up burning Shouto in the process. He deftly lifted all five fingers, and lowered them once again to the back of Shouto's head.
The process was instantaneous, the whole ordeal lasting mere seconds, but to Shouto, it seemed to last a lifetime.
Shigaraki was too fast to dodge. He was frozen in place, his heartbeat screaming in his ears. But in an instant, Shigaraki’s hand was knocked out of the way, and he was tackled to the ground.
It was at that moment when Shouto truly saw what was going on.
Touya had knocked Shigaraki out of the way. In turn, the villain had grabbed his brother’s wrist as particles of dust hit the ground. Shigaraki had undoubtedly gotten stronger; his decay work made quick work of his brother’s body. He would be gone in a few seconds.
"Hey, Shou-kid?" Touya wheezed. “I’m glad this time...I finally get to say goodbye…”
And then his brother was gone.
Shouto's body shook with fear, and tears leaked out from his eyes. "T-Touya…"
But it was too late. The first thought that crossed the dual user’s mind was that it was so unfair. Shouto finally got everything that he wanted, all that he had longed for, and it was stripped away from him in under a minute. His big brother was gone.
That was Touya.
That was the Touya who hugged Shouto until he fell asleep after a nightmare, or made Shouto laugh when he was crying.
That was the Touya who would anger his father so that his baby brother wouldn't have to train.
That was the Touya who wrapped his bandages and showed him his very first All Might VCR.
That was his big brother. He may have lived with the world's number one, but Touya was his hero.
His hero...Shigaraki took his hero away from him.
"I-I don't…" Shouto started. His mind couldn't process what in the hell just happened. "I can't…"
A loud cry of Shouto? Where are you? rung out in the distance. Midoriya. They were here.
Shouts from his teacher, the principal, and his two classmates filled the dark, empty silence.
No, no, no, no, no. If they interfered, they would die too. He was the cause of his own brother’s death–he killed his own brother. If more people died because of him…Shouto didn’t know what he would do.
"I-I...Shigaraki. Tell me. If you kill me, what'll you do afterward?"
"Hmm," the villain thought. "I'd leave as soon as possible. After all, there's really no need to engage the pros here and now."
"If I let you kill me, do you promise you’ll just go away? They're coming."
“Interesting. I can’t say I predicted this one.”
“Just let me be with my brother, and leave my friends alone. Please. ”
Shigaraki sighed. "Very well, then. We have a deal. You have my word that I'll uphold my end of it."
And with a brief sigh, the villain grabbed Shouto's arm. He winced as his body slowly crumbled into dust, life flashing before his eyes in a shaky montage.
Over his time at UA, he had done so many things. He reconciled with his mother. He met his brother again. He learned how to be a real hero.
But he also made friends. He learned what it was like to be a part of something, to be cared for.
He learned what it was like to feel good about himself. That’s right, he realized.
Throughout his life he was angry and miserable, and he always thought that nothing good could ever happen to him. But at the end of it all, he wasn’t hurting.
No, he wasn’t hurting at all. He was dying, sure. But he felt something different entirely. People cared about him. Bakugou and Midoriya, Aizawa and Nedzu, Touya and his mother. He was loved.
So, as the world faded from view and the voices (that sounded like Bakugou and Midoriya) that screamed his name fizzled out, Shouto could finally smile.
"Thank you for everything,” he whispered.
And so, this concludes the story of our two brothers; the story of good and evil, of grammar tests and shady restaurants, of cat pendants and a villain whose name meant cremation.
It ends as all things do, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
Though the villains took his life, it was in his eleventh hour that Shouto had won the battle. Because after all these years, he made one last realization. Ever since he came UA, his life wasn’t miserable anymore. He didn’t hurt as much any more. Reminiscing about his times at school, the friends that he made, and the brother he finally met, Shouto Todoroki died smiling.
After all, how could he not smile?
He was happy!