"Endeavor, as the Number One hero, we need you on this mission!"

"As I said: I don't want to take it!"

A hand was placed on his shoulder and he turned, frantic and angry. All Might's eyes caused him to calm down; the worried look on his face lessened when Endeavor's flame started to go out. He smiled, "Now, Todoroki, you always wanted to be the Number One Hero. Why are you denying it now?"

"I didn't want it this way, Yagi. I didn't want you to lose to All for One."

"It couldn't be helped."

"If I had only arrived minutes earlier, seconds earlier…"

All Might gave him a light shoulder squeeze, "It couldn't be helped, Todoroki. My time had come to step down. I could no longer keep up as Symbol of Peace, and it might break my heart but I can at least dedicate more time to my family now. I can teach my son alongside Gran Torino, the way my master always wanted me to settle down like."

"Yagi…"

"Don't argue, you know I'm right. Take the mission, it wouldn't hurt, would it?"

"You're right."

"I'll buy you a drink after, to celebrate your first mission as the Number One Hero."

They both chuckled and Endeavor placed a hand on All Might's shoulder, "Thank you, Toshinori. For all the years of rivalry, for inspiring me and I'm really sorry for being a jerk for so long."

He laughed, "Don't you worry, Enji, I have long since forgiven you. You're changing, and I can see for the better. Take care of yourself out there. Make sure to come back home to Rei and the kids."

Endeavor nodded his thanks, both smiling as a goodbye and All might took his leave. He turned back to Tsukauchi, nodding in agreement as the other started speaking about the mission.

"It wouldn't hurt, would it?"

He let out a rushed breath as he clutched his injured side. Dammit, dammit it hurts so bad. He looked at his bloodied hand and glanced back out from his hiding spot, he was at a great distance from the scenery but he still saw that Edgeshot was driving Shigaraki mad, Kamui kept putting up a fight with Kurogiri, despite the heavy disadvantage Kamui had against the wrap quirk, Toga was prancing around, grinning whenever Mt. Lady missed a punch. Hell was breaking loose and when Enji heard Kamui scream, he rushed out but a figure appeared from the shadows, blue flames sprouting from his hands. Those flames… They're like...

"D-Dabi?"

"You recognize me, old man?"

"Is it really you?"

"Course it is," the young man smirked, extending his arms to show emphasis, "who else would it be?"

"I… I thought you were dead." Enji dropped his arm, the fire he had gathered as a defense started to burn out, "You… you're a villain? Why?"

Dabi sneered, "what, you wanted me to be a hero? Are you kidding?" He scoffed, "after everything you put me through, you expected me to become a hero? Isn't Shouto a good enough son for you already? Do you really need to pressure your disappointment even more than you did when I was only a child? Tell me, father, did Fuyumi become a hero? Did Natsuo?"

"You know about him? Does he know you're still alive?"

"You really are stupid, aren't you?" Dabi stared at his father, the one he used to look like an exact clone of, the one he despised the most, the one he had come to fear at a young age of only 6 years old, "Natsuo was the one that helped me leave. The one that found Fuyumi hovering over my almost dead body when I inflicted all these scars on myself so I would look less like you. Natsuo was the one that paid the hospital to tell you I was dead; he hid the truth from you, mom, Fuyumi and Shouto. He was the one that left the hospital with me that night. He protected me, like the best older brother he could manage to be, because he felt that even if he was a failure to you, then he wouldn't let me be one too. He hated the fact I turned into a villain, he opposed it, but it was the only path I knew, that I had learned, because there's was no way in hell that I wanted to be like you."

Enji stood helplessly in front of his second youngest son, the one he had hoped wouldn't be a failure; how foolish of him, to think that his kids, his bearing fruits, could ever be failures. Each one of them was great, in their own way, with their own quirks. It was so goddamn stupid of him to think his prodigy child had to have both his and Rei's quirks. He reached out with a hand towards Dabi, who was shaking with anger or sadness, who knew, "Dabi, my son…"

Dabi took a step back, his eyes going wide in fear he was so damn sure he diminished once he became part of the League, "Stay away, old man."

He didn't. He continued his path onwards, his arm reaching towards Dabi, "Please… Son."

Flames started forming in his hands, the fire cackling as it came to life, "I stopped being your son the instant I left that hospital bed. I am no longer Dabi Todoroki. I'm only known as the villain Dabi." He lurched forward, right into his dad's arms, a hand aiming for his face and the other for his abdomen. Right before impact, Enji was pushed out of the way, and a young boy took the hit to his back, yelling as Dabi's flames burned into his soft flesh. Dabi gasped as he drew back, catching the boy in his arms, eyes wide again with fear, but this time not directed to his father but for his youngest brother, his treasure, his world, "Shouto!"

Shouto gasped for air in his arms, "Why do… why do you want to kill the old man?" Dabi was breathless before Shouto continued, "What do you have against my father? What does the league want with him?" His heart sank as he realized Shouto didn't remember him. How could he? Shouto was only 5 when Dabi passed. Any memory still withheld was now faint, and with all the scars Dabi had, and his hair dyed, it was no wonder Shouto didn't recognize him. He held the boy close, "Activate your ice quirk, you'll need to it to close the wound."

"Why are you helping me… Don't," Shouto gasped as his ice crept around the fire, "Aren't you supposed to kill me?"

"Why… why would I kill the one I've tried to protect for so long?"

"W-what are you talking about?"

Enji grunted as he stood, still dazed from the hit he took when he was pushed. He groaned as his eyes focused on Dabi, then on the smaller frame in his arms, Shouto. He quickly stood up and headed towards them, when an ice wall formed in front of him, "Dad," came Natsuo's warning voice. He blinked at him and then at Fuyumi who had her arm extended towards him, snowflakes falling from her palm.

"Why... Why are you doing this? Why are you siding with him?"

"Dad, I know you want to change," Fuyumi said softly, "But you've done enough damage to Dabi. He hasn't been in the family, he hasn't seen your efforts to change. He doesn't know."

Enji fell to his knees again as Natsuo and Fuyumi approached Dabi. He looked up at his older siblings, tears in his eyes, it had been ages since he cried; it had been years, maybe even a decade since he had last seen Fuyumi and Shouto and he didn't want to see them, not under these circumstances. Fuyumi ran to them when Dabi turned to look at her, Natsuo following right behind.

"Natsu… Fuyu…"

"Hey, baby brother," she said as she slid onto the floor, "You… you're really alive." Tears started falling from her eyes as she reached to touch Dabi's face. He leaned into her warmth, tears of his own falling as well. Natsuo smiled down on them, then looked at Shouto's face, his eyes half lidded but still contemplative, "What happened to him?"

Dabi looked up guiltily, "He got hit with my flames, his back got messed up," Dabi pressed Shouto closer to him, "I told him to activate his ice to counter the heat of the wound, so it'll close up but he still needs to get it checked out." Fuyumi and Natsuo nodded as he picked up Shouto, he intended to walk out but he stopped causing Fuyumi and Natsuo to turn back to him. He turned with Shouto still cradled in his arms, "Once he's healed up and safe, I'll make sure the League leaves you alone. I cannot confirm they'll stop causing trouble but I'll continue seeing that they cause your family no harm."

Enji was wordless, breathless as he saw his children walk out on him, their backs turned to him as he stayed helpless on the floor; frozen in shock that his son, the one he had mourned for in the dark of his training room until his throat and eyes went dry, was more than alive and well, and that that son hated him much more than he hated himself, he wanted to make amends with his son, despite him being a villain, he wanted to strengthen whatever ties he could have and build up from there; Enji Todoroki only wanted his son back.

"Dabi…."

He kept walking forward, they were nearly at the hospital. He hadn't bothered to tell Shigaraki where he was going and who he was with, it really wasn't any of his business anyway. As long as the League didn't know he was related to the Number One Hero and left his family alone, he was fine.

"Dabi, please…"

"I already said no, Fuyumi. I'm not going back."

"But mom…"

"Mom doesn't need to know I'm alive. I don't want her to, and if I could, I'd erase myself from your memory as well as Natsuo's and Shouto's."

"Why would you even do that? After everything I did for you…"

"And I deeply appreciate that, Natsuo. I am indebted to you for providing for me and raising me when I was alone. I couldn't have asked for better siblings," he clutched onto Shouto's barely conscious form, "I couldn't ask for more than I already have," he choked on air, a lump forming in his throat as he stared down to Shouto's face, last time he had seen him he was a baby and now he was all grown up, "I can't give myself the privilege that wasn't mine to be in the first place. I can't be selfish."

Natsuo placed a hand on his shoulder, and Fuyumi did the same on his arm, they smiled up and down on him, their height differences the same as they were when they were younger. He looked back down, closing his eyes and letting out a shaky breath, he really had missed his siblings much more that he had ever dared to admit.

"Come home to us."

"Think of Mom, Dabi."

"I do, every single day since I left that hospital bed 15 years ago, ever since I joined the league 3 years ago, it's all I think about before I go to bed, before I go out, before I do anything that reminds me of any of you in the most simple of ways. There isn't a day I don't miss you, that I don't miss what we had before Father let his selfishness get in the way, and before I tried to kill myself."

"Dad's trying to redeemed himself, you can too."

He looked at Fuyumi, her persistence the same as it had ever been, her grey eyes big and pleading; he might be 5 years younger, but with her like that, he always felt older. What he wouldn't do to please his sister, to go back home to his mother, to go do stuff with Natsuo again, to be Shouto's big brother again, the one he had always looked up to and the one who protected him and hid him in his room when Dad went looking for him. He would do anything to go back to that, and he almost did, he almost did, but he looked down at Shouto, and then at his arms, all the scars that decorated his skin, a dark hue of purple, his mother and sister's favorite color. Shigaraki's face flashed before him, and then Kurogiri's, and Toga's. Shigaraki had brought him in reluctantly after Dabi had left Natsuo on his own, deciding he had been enough of a burden already. He was one of them. And he couldn't put his family's life in jeopardy for his selfish desires. He couldn't put their safety on the line because he wanted to go back home. He couldn't and they knew he couldn't, but still, they wanted him back home. They wanted to be a family once again.

"I'm sorry."

Fuyumi tried to fight against it but Natsuo stopped her, and Dabi entered the hospital.

"It's the villain!! The one that uses flames! Quick call the police."

"Shit."

"No, no, look hey, I'm Natsuo Todoroki and this is Fuyumi Todoroki, we're the eldest children of Enji Todoroki, the Pro Hero known as Endeavor. That boy in said villain's arms is my younger brother Shouto, Endeavor's prodigy child. We need aid as soon as possible. I'm sure no one in this room would like to see Endeavor stalk in here if he knew you called the police because a villain was here rather than assist his child and maybe save his life now would you?"

Everyone froze whatever they were doing, the nurse dropped the phone as soon as Todoroki rolled out of Natsuo's mouth. They exchanged glances and Natsuo said, "Well, what the hell are you waiting for?" They nodded as a nurse rapidly brought a rolling bed and Dabi gently placed Shouto's unconscious form on it. She rolled it away and the three followed suit. She clicked for the doctor and immediately a middle aged man appeared in front of them, "What happened?"

"Pro Heroes were fighting against the League of Villains and as my father was about to hit by a blind shot, Shouto rushed in and pushed him out of the way, taking the hit himself on the back."

Dabi intervened, "It's serious, near his spinal cord. He used ice to intervene the heat, but I'm afraid it won't counter it much longer. He needs surgery to remove it and it needs to be stitched back together, it'll leave a scar, but try making it as thin and small as you can."

"You know what you're doing, huh kid?" The doctor asked Dabi, "Who are you?"

"None of that matters, please just help him." Help my baby brother.

The doctor nodded and started barking out orders to his nurses, beginning procedures. The trio filed out into the waiting room, in the far corner of the room so no one would notice Dabi still sitting with the Todoroki's and arising unnecessary drama that would only call attention to his family and at this point it was the least Dabi wanted.

"What were you doing there? What was he doing there?"

Fuyumi sighed, "Shouto has been hanging out with All Might's son, Izuku Midoriya, far too often. And that boy is very… impulsive. He sees danger, and he rushes in to save the day. Just like All Might, said so by mom and dad." Fuyumi chuckled and Dabi smiled, "Heard of said kid, he'll be big one day, just like All Might."

"Yea, we believe so. We're happy Shouto's making friends in U.A., he graduates this year actually. But anyway, Shouto may or may not have picked up the kid's habits, and as soon as he heard the heroes were in trouble he rushed there. We were at the mall nearby."

"Guess you can say you were at the wrong time, in the wrong place."

Fuyumi and Natsuo chuckled, "If we hadn't been, we would've never seen you again. And trust us, even if it's only once in our lifetime that we were able to see you again, no matter the circumstances, we're glad it's this one."

Dabi smiled again, and they sat in silence for an hour before the doctor came back out, he approached them silently and smiled when Dabi stood up anxiously, the older two right behind him, "How is he?" They asked at the same time, and suddenly, despites Dabi's scars and hair, he saw the resemblance. Despite him being a villain, he had the same soft eyes as Rei and Fuyumi, and his facial structure screamed out Enji, his body built slightly less buff than Natsuo, but if you stare long enough or even if you shot a glance in his direction, you'd see he was a Todoroki.

"He's fine. Thanks to your quick thinking, the fire didn't spread much further or cause any more damage. Luckily, the wound was off the spinal cord by an inch or two. I tried to make the scar as small and as short as I could manage. He's still asleep but he'll wake up in a few hours. We'll need to contact your father and you'll be able to take him home as soon as tomorrow."

They sighed in relief and Natsuo asked for a few minutes alone with his siblings. The doctor nodded and left. He turned back to them, "How the hell are we gonna bring dad if he's out there fighting villains?" And as he finished his sentence, an alarm started blaring, and in came Enji Todoroki, unconscious and beat up much more than they could've expected, and most seemed self inflicted. "Guess that answers the question," Fuyumi said, and despite the state their dad was in, they all laughed. Dabi sighed and nodded to them, "It's time I take my leave. If he's here then it means the others have retracted."

Fuyumi hugged him, "Please stay safe Dabi… please."

He hugged her back tightly, "You too. Please, take care of mom. Never forget I couldn't be more proud than to have a sister like you." She sniffled against his chest and he drew back a little, "Hey watch the shirt, Fuyu, I don't want your nasty ass snot all over it." She let out a wet chuckle and she pulled back, wiping her nose, "Sorry."

He cupped her cheek, "Don't be. It's okay, this way I'll always remember the big cry baby you are." She hit him half heartedly and he drew her back in for another hug, "I love you, don't forget that." She nodded again, sobbing uncontrollably, a muffled "me too, me fucking too" was heard and he let her go. Turning to Natsuo, the other crossed his arm across his chest, "Dabi…"

Dabi just slapped a hand on his shoulder, "Don't lecture me now, man." They chuckled and Natsuo brought him in for a hug, "Be careful man, never forget we are family, no matter what."

He nodded against the broader shoulder, "Thank you, for everything. For being a father, a mother, an older brother, a tutor. For being an exemplary older figure. I will always be grateful for it, for the sacrifice you made for me. And I apologize for any wrongs I have ever done, to you and to our family."

He clutched onto Dabi, "I made a mental note not to cry," he said as he laughed sadly, "I'll miss you so much. But at least I know you're okay. I love you. I love you so much."

"I love you too man."

They let go and Dabi turned to leave when Shouto walked to them, the anesthesia wearing off quicker than it should've, "Dabi…"

They all gasped and Shouto took cautious steps towards him, "Dabi… it's…. It's really you."

Dabi swallowed audibly and nodded, "Shouto…"

"No, listen, I don't know what I did wrong. I don't know what I did to make you leave, but please, please forgive me. I'm sorry, I only ever looked up to you, I didn't want to drive you away. I'm sorry, please."

Dabi embraced the boy harder than he should've, "No, you fucking listen to me. You never did anything wrong. Whatever happened, it was my fault and not yours. I left because I was selfish, I didn't think of you or anyone but me. And I'm sorry, I'm sorry I left you. I shouldn't have. I'm sorry," he was whispering harshly against the other's ear; anger, desperation, sadness all present in his voice.

"Then come back home."

He hung on tightly, as if he never wanted to let go, "I can't," he whispered, his heart breaking into pieces as Shouto's grip on him tightened, "even if I wanted to, and trust me that I do, but I can't put you at risk. I would never forgive myself if something happened to the ones I loved most. Please understand. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Please don't ask me to come home."

Shouto's sob pierced through his heart as they clung onto each other, it was painful to see. His knees felt weak and they both kneeled down onto the floor, not loosening their grip. A series of hushed i love you's and i'm so sorry's were heard between them until Shouto felt he could no longer cry anymore. Slowly, Natsuo helped them up and pulled Shouto away from Dabi. Shouto didn't want to let go but Fuyumi whispered that it was time he left, if not this really could be the last time they saw him. Dabi wiped the tears that still remained and smiled again at them.

"Never forget that I love you."

They nodded and he started walking away, the three following right behind. He stopped at the entrance before looking off to the side then back at them, a small smile playing on his lips, "Tell mom I love her, so much, and that I'm sorry I couldn't see her again; and any pain I caused her, I hope she forgives me someday." He sighed and looked away again, "Tell Dad that… That I appreciate that he's changing. It's good that he's doing so for his family. I'm glad he's reinforcing ties with you again, you really deserve it. But for me, it's too late," he chuckled, "if he had wanted to, he should've done so years ago." He should've said sorry and I love you back when I was a child. He started walking away from them, throwing them a small hand wave, but never looking back," I'll always be watching, I'll keep you safe from a distance. Goodbye, siblings."

May we meet again someday.