(Endeavour POV – Hospital Room)
"So… it really is you…" I mutter under my breath. The words leave my mouth before I can stop them.
My eyes remain locked on him as blue flames crawl along his skin. They burn fiercely, hotter than my own… but are unstable… violent. Under them, thin sheets of frost creep across his limbs, trying desperately to reduce the damage.
Fire and ice.
Just like Shoto, he inherited both… just as I had once hoped for.
"Oh?" Toya scoffs loudly. "Now you wanna believe?!"
His flames flare higher, roaring to life as his grin stretches wide with manic delight.
Instinctively, I brace myself for an attack, my flames rising along my own body as I prepare to subdue him, but that when I notice…
The fire isn't spreading.
I feel its heat, but it causes no discomfort or damage.
'What's going on…?' I ponder. 'It can't be Toya. He doesn't have the ability to do thi—'
My thoughts are interrupted as Toya speaks again.
"It's way too late for that, Dad." His words drip with venom. "Way too late."
His gaze drifts down toward his own body.
The ice creeps further up his arms, crackling against the searing blue flames.
"Guess I wasn't such a complete failure after all, huh?" He laughs hollowly. "You regretting it?"
I notice the damage instantly. While the ice mitigates some of the damage, it doesn't stop it completely.
His flames continue burning his flesh, but he doesn't even seem to notice.
"You're still not resistant to your flames." I say gravely. "You're just burning yourself alive, and prolonging your suffering."
"You should stop now." My voice comes out firm and commanding.
The way it always has.
Toya failed to live up to my aspirations.
That much was undeniable.
His body simply couldn't endure his own power.
Even now… even with the ice manifesting… he still falls short of the ideal I pursue.
But—
'I never intended for this.'
"I didn't want you to destroy yourself." I say, my voice lowering. "I told you to stop back then for a reason."
My flames surge slightly, filling the room with heat.
"It's not too late." I continue. "Stand down." My gaze hardens. "Stoo this foolishness and return to the family."
The words feel strange when said out loud.
But they're logical.
With time… this situation could be corrected.
'The fracture caused by Toya's death… Perhaps it could finally heal.'
I can't help but think that maybe, things will go back to the way they used to be.
"Heh…" Toya's laughter interrupts my thoughts.
It's soft at first… then grows louder with each passing second.
"Guess you really don't get it, Pops." He tilts his head, staring at me like I'm crazy. "You think you can still fix this?" He asks mockingly.
"You think you can still tell me what to do?" His flames surge higher as the temperature in the room climbs again.
"Yes." I reply without hesitation. "No matter how far you've fallen… you're still a Todoroki."
I take a step forward. "And right now, you'll—"
"—What?" Toya interrupts instantly as his grin widens. "Disgrace the family name?"
The mockery in his voice is almost playful.
"You worried people might find out about me?" He continues. "About all the shit you did?"
His eyes gleam with vicious amusement. "Worried that your time playing hero might finally be over?"
My jaw tightens.
'That isn't what I wanted to say.'
But…
'His words aren't entirely wrong.'
Toya notices immediately, making his grin stretch even further.
Then suddenly—
He bursts into loud, uncontrollable laughter, covering his face with one hand.
"Even now!" He howls. "Even now you're still thinking about your god-damned reputation!"
His laughter stops abruptly, and the silence that follows is chilling despite the surging temperatures.
"You're irredeemable, old man." He states simply, his voice devoid of all emotion.
My flames flare in response.
"Toya—"
"And I'm sick of watching you play hero." He continues casually.
His eyes lock onto mine.
"So I figured… I'd help you out a little." He spreads his arms slightly, like he's presenting something magnificent. "At the very least, your hands won't look so clean anymore."
My brow furrows.
"And any hopes you had of surpassing All Might?" His smile sharpens. "Those end today."
'What is he talking about?' The thought barely forms before Toya continues.
"Let's see…" He hums, tapping his chin theatrically.
"Abusing your family…" He says lightly, humming. "That alone could ruin you."
He glances around the room, enjoying the tension.
"But that's not the fun part. I didn't feel it was enough." His eyes gleam with sadistic enjoyment.
"See… once people realize how many people a Todoroki has killed…" His smile becomes monstrous. "…Your little hero career is finished."
The room falls completely silent.
Gasps echo around us… and my flames flare violently as dread begins to settle in my chest.
"Toya…" I say slowly, my voice heavier now. "What have you done?"
"Oh?" Toya claps his hands together, delighted. "That's a good reaction!"
He grins.
"Obviously I've killed some people." He shrugs casually. "It's no big deal. Just around… twelve?" He says it like he's talking about the weather.
"If I knew we'd meet so soon, I'd have killed a few more!" He laughs.
I stare at him, and my eyes widen despite myself.
'Twelve people…' The words echo in my mind, heavy and suffocating.
For a moment, a deep sadness grips my chest.
'Toya…'
But I force the thought away before it can take root.
The boy I knew is gone. The person standing before me now is something else entirely.
"Toya… no." The name sticks in my throat, and I correct myself as my voice hardens. "Dabi."
Flames erupt along my body, roaring to life as my temper finally breaks through the restraint I've been forcing on myself.
My fists clench.
"Haha! There it is!" He laughs, baring his teeth in a wide, delighted grin. "That's the face I wanted to see!"
His eyes gleam with manic satisfaction.
"You even stopped using that name." He continues mockingly. "Guess it finally sank into that thick head of yours."
His utter lack of remorse.
The thrill in his voice.
The way he looks at me like this is some kind of game—
It ignites a deep rage within my chest.
"What exactly are you glaring at me for?" Dabi continues casually. "You should be proud, old man."
His grin sharpens.
"After all… this is your masterpiece."
My flames surge higher with each word he speaks.
"Don't you dare try to pin your crimes on me!" I snarl, taking a step forward. "You chose this path."
My gaze burns into him. "You are no son of mine."
Dabi doesn't even flinch.
Instead, he tilts his head slightly, studying me like I've just told a bad joke.
"Oh?" He says lazily, raising an eyebrow. "And since when did you ever consider me your son?"
His tone is light, but his eyes are cold.
"Were you ever really our father?" He continues. "Or were we just… experiments?"
His grin widens. "Little experiments you cooked up to soothe your bruised ego after All Might crushed you."
Blue flames explode outward from his body.
They roar violently, flooding half the room in searing heat.
The air distorts instantly, rippling like a mirage and obscuring his body as he bathes in them.
My own flames surge in response, colliding with his in a blazing wall of heat.
For a split second, I glance around the room.
Rei.
Fuyumi.
Natsuo.
Shoto.
Somehow… the fire isn't spreading… nothing's burning, and no one is being harmed.
'How…?' The thought barely registers before I push it aside.
Right now, that doesn't matter.
"I may not have been the perfect father…" I say, my voice heavy but unwavering. "But I gave you everything you needed to succeed."
"And despite that… you turned out like this." My flames flare brighter.
Dabi snorts.
"You're hilarious." He scratches the back of his neck lazily. "You call that being a father?" His voice drops slightly. "After I 'died'… you think I didn't try to come back?"
The words make my flames flicker.
"And what did I see?" He continues, his smile returning. "Dear old Dad, not having learned a damn thing."
His gaze slides toward Shoto.
"And already working on his next masterpiece." He scoffs. "You know what they say. Out with the old, and in with the new."
My flames falter again as a flicker of doubt cuts through my thoughts.
But I crush it immediately.
'No. I refuse to let this monster twist the past.' I decide, steadying my breathing. 'This isn't Toya. And I mustn't confuse the two.'
The realization settles firmly in my mind.
Toya died that day.
The thing standing in front of me can't even be equated to his corpse.
And… I know what must be done.
"As a hero…" I say slowly, my voice calm but firm. "Your identity means nothing to me."
My flames roar back to full strength.
"What matters… is what you've become." I say, meeting his gaze directly. "You're a villain."
"A mass murderer." I continue. "And I will bring you to justice."
For a brief moment—
Dabi just stares at me.
Then he smiles.
Different from the mockery and sarcasm it once contained…
It's now filled with a deep satisfaction.
Like every word I just said confirmed something he's believed for years.
"Perfect." He murmurs as his flames surge once more. "Now you finally sound like the man I remember."
He spreads his arms slightly, blue fire raging around him.
"Come on, Dad." His eyes gleam with manic excitement. "Let's settle this."
"Right here."
"Right now."
I say nothing, my heart hardening completely.
Right now… I am not a father.
I am Endeavour.
The Number Two Hero.
'And villains who stand before me…'
'Shall burn in Hellfire.'
My flames explode upward.
And at that, a sigh cuts through the tension.
"So dramatic." A voice follows, as both out flames are instantly extinguished.
*********
A/N: Hello Everyone! How are you all? If you've enjoyed the chapter and book thus far, please consider leaving me some comments, reviews, or power stones. It really helps the book out.
So, this chapter took me a while. Apologies for that. To be honest, there were a few things I got stuck on here. It didn't feel "quite" right before in terms of how Endeavour and Dabi interacted.
They're both complex, but for what I was planning, they both needed to be a certain way, otherwise I can't manipulate the plot in the background the way I wanted🤣.
But, eventually, I got this, which I'm satisfied with. I think it's pretty emotional, and so far, has framed with Dabi and Endeavour the way I wanted. I'm not happy with how long the Todoroki drama is taking, but it felt essential. And besides, there won't be much drama like this for a long long while.
But, do let me know if I've made it run on too long💀. I'll try to keep it shorter in the future😭, but next chap, this'll end. Then from there, I-Island!
You can also read 10 chapters ahead and support me at Patreon.com/AMV_WEAKLY
So yeah, hopefully you enjoyed the chapter, and I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your day/night 😁