Chapter Text
Dabi isn't ashamed to admit how often he finds himself hunched over his cracked to hell phone, scrolling through pages and pages of text and posts and comments from mindless hero worshipers who take everything they see at face value. He isn't ashamed to admit how riled up they'll get him, his fingers tightening around the phone until the metal is hot enough to burn and the device stops loading; the stoic face of Endeavor himself practically burned into the screen.
No, its nothing short of an obsession, but at this point what is Dabi other than his hatred for heroes? He's come to accept that so why bother withholding himself from scratching an itch? He's given in and can't stop scratching until it bleeds. So here he is once again, sprawled out on his shitty mattress in his shitty room in this shitty leagues shitty hideout trying to enjoy his rare moment of peace and quiet before everyone's up his ass again.
It takes effort to keep his hands from flaring up with heat as he taps on the purple link to the hero forum. Leaning back against his chipping, possibly (likely) molding wall, he does the familiar dance of navigating the site to the specific hero he's looking to see updates on. Endeavor himself. As usual, the page is bursting with news and is a flurry of activity; unsurprising for the current number two hero. But even with the sheer amount of people, its nearly impossible to find anyone who shares in his...opinions. Dabi groans aloud and lets his foot tilt to the side to thunk against the wall, a small sheen of dust sprinkling down from the ceiling from the movement. His eyes scan over the mind numbing headlines with barely feigned interest.
Number Two Hero Endeavor Pulls Shocking Recovery Move In Musutafu, Saving Dozens Of Civilians Trapped...Click Here To Read Article:
Comments:48
Heroboy56
dude how did he move so fast?? number two for a reason holy shit
1LanaDelReyluver1
omggg the kids hugging him afterwards its literally so cute
1goontofeet69
abs abs abs biceps biceps bicpes holy dilf
23 replys
Dabi scrolls past that one with little interest, but the next few are pretty much the same. A few are covering the incident in Musutafu today, some are discussing quirk theories, or when they predict he's gonna become number one, dumb, brain rotting topics like that. Nothing that even justifies a click, even if its just to leave a nasty comment on. To make matters worse, the comfortable buzz that was thrumming through Dabi's body has all but disappeared, leaving behind the ever-present ache of his scars and the itch of too-tight flesh. Today's been worse than most and the ache is bordering on pain, little flares making it jump over to 'fucking hurting' territory without nameless painkillers from Spinner to numb everything. As if some god above was just around to spite Dabi, the staples digging into his bony hips throb, skin hot to the touch when he flexes the tingling muscle. Great.
Shifting his legs to the side and tensing to prepare for the inevitable pain of standing to go bug Spinner to give him more pills, something on his screen catches Dabi's attention. It's a post, outside the more professional article sections and in the discussion forums where you don't even need an account to post. Though, nothing about this website is too monitored. All fan-made and fan-run, easy as hell to do whatever you want on with little to no repercussions. Not as if Endeavor himself would ever care to check up on something as stupid at this. But even still, the hate comments are rare and far between. That's why the headline catches his attention. One word.
Monster
Thats the entire headline. Yet so different from any of the others filling his screen. Dabi scoots back against the back of his bed, where a headboard would be if anyone in the League could afford one, and lets his thumb hover over the link. It says it was posted 12 minutes ago. Pills can wait. He clicks, eyes sharp like a hawk as he scans the short but thick block of text. His gaze snaps to the username immediately, anticipation churning in his chest as he presses chapped lips together and reads.
numbertwo_hoax
12 minutes ago
this is gonna get taken down again but wow some of you hero glazers are so painfully stupid it's impressive how hard you work not to think. Did no one actually WATCH the Musutafu footage? Not the tv stuff- go on youtube and watch what really happened. Endeavor didn't 'subdue' that villain. They stopped fighting way before he stopped punching. Also worth noting: the 'villain' was 17, malnourished, and stealing food when the heroes got involved and he got spooked. Yeah, his quirk went out of control and damaged the building, but he was trying to run away, not attack or hurt anybody. is this what were using our tax dollars to have our pro's take care of? and its not even the first time Endeavors been unnessisarily brutal. but nobody cares and we let him get away with it. watch any video of him in action and ask yourself if that reminds you of someone worthy to be the next symbol of peace or if he seems like a bully being paid to do whatever he wants. We as civilians have put these people in positions of power without knowing if its deserved or not, and now we need to take that power away. open your eyes to the monster Endeavor is. If you aren't a mindless idiot who see's a hero and can't think for yourselves anymore, dm me.
Dabi can't even stop the grin that's slowly growing as he reads, firmly stretching at the staples in his jaw as he rereads the post once, then twice more. It's all true; its been almost ten years and he can still smell his flesh burning from the grip Endeavor would have on his forearm as he dragged him outside to keep training. He can taste iron in his mouth from biting his tongue when he was hit so hard his neck popped. He remembers his mothers concerned gaze flicking away as his small collection of baby teeth filled the plastic container from school before his adult teeth even began to poke through tender gums, knocked free too soon. Because that was all so crucial to becoming a hero. Obviously, the poster doesn't know any of that, but Dabi's at least impressed they managed to see through the hero act without any insight to Endeavors home life. Its refreshing in a way he hasn't experienced before.
Pills all but forgotten, Dabi swallows the thick, pained lump in his throat in lieu of clicking on the username and navigating to the 'private message' button. Usually, he keeps arguments public and discards them when hes bored; but up until now he hasn't seen someone bash Endeavor so openly before. There's a small, suspicious voice in the back of his head that reminds him this could be a common internet troll, desperate for attention and replies, but isn't that what Dabi himself is when he's doing this? So he ignores everything else and types out a message.
hero_lover_123
have you had posts like this taken down before?
There. Something simple but not too incriminating before he even knows if he'll get a reply. The small dot next to the username glows green, showing the mystery poster is online, but Dabi doesn't have his hopes up. While he waits, Dabi lifts his neck and stretches out his spine with a wince, swearing he can hear the bones audibly creak and groan along with him. Relaxing again, a small shudder rolls up his back at the temporary relief. A few minutes pass and right when he's convinced himself this is stupid and its better to waste his time on bugging Spinner, a ding catches his attention; and now he is slightly embarrassed by how quick he's opening his phone again to check the message.
numbertwo_hoax
yea.
i guess the endeavor worshipers dont like when someone bursts their perfect little bubble
my posts usually stay up about an hour before a mod takes them down and everyone dms me ab how awful i am yk
Dabi blinks down at his phone, shifting to sit up, propping his head on his knee and hunching over the screen. The rough, ripped fabric of his jeans snag against the staples and blood trickles down, but he's too focused to even care all that much.
hero_lover_123
lmao
cant say im a fan either
Now the reply he gets is instant. The three bubbles indicate they're typing, then disappear.
numbertwo_hoax
thank god
i couldnt tell if you were serious or not
like about replying
hero_lover_123
yea me neither
not many people share our opinion on endeavor dearest
numbertwo_hoax
no kidding
im not even as anti hero as i seem
its just anti endeavor and anyone who wants to follow in his footsteps
hero_lover_123
im more or less the same
Dabi huffs humorlessly to himself. If you had to think of one person when asked to describe someone who hates heroes, it would probably be him or anyone else in the League. But a stranger online doesn't need to know that. Especially a stranger who somehow makes even less sense than the fanatics grouping together to post about how amazing heroes are. What about them makes them so different? Before he can finish the thought, Dabi's back to typing.
hero_lover_123
you seem pretty serious about this lol
what did he murder ur puppy or smth?
Now it takes a few beats for the message bubbles to pop up. They appear then disappear just as fast, only to pop up again and stay idle for an irritatingly long time. Dabi yawns, wrinkling his nose at the dots of blood staining the knee of his jeans as he waits for the long, probably dull and depressing backstory he's about to get. But this is the most fun he's had on one of these forums in a long time, so he wont complain about some trauma dumping, no matter how little he honestly cares. He knows Endeavor is evil and he has a plan to kill him. Anything else is moot at this point.
The phone balanced carefully on his leg buzzes, scarred hands snagging it before it falls on the bed. Dabi frowns at the message, nearly rolling his eyes at the mellow-dramatic, cryptically short reply.
numbertwo_hoax
no
my best friend
hero_lover_123
what were they a villain or smth?
welcome to real life. heroes arent as merciful as they try and seem
Sure, Dabi knows he's being cruel. But thats who he is and he can't deny the rush he gets knowing the other person is probably whining on the other side of their screen, not aware of the fact they're talking to one of the most wanted villains in Japan right now. When the bubbles don't immediately return he assumes they've realized he's wasting their time and turns the phone off, something ugly settling in his stomach. There goes possibly the only person on there that agrees with him. But its what they get for dming with strangers online; if one nasty comment scares them off, they need to take their own advice and grow a fucking spine.
But once again, the buzz of his phone makes him blink in confusion.
numbertwo_hoax
how villainous could a thirteen year old be
Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. Dabi blinks, mind teleported back to Sekoto Peak and the unforgettable feeling of his own skin burning so hot its bubbling and the realization he couldn't control his quirk anymore and that he was completely alone. Sure, he didn't feel like a particularly villainous 13 year old at the time; even now he'd hesitate to say he was inherently bad. But Endeavor didn't think so. In his mind, anything less than the best was the worst. So, Touya was killed and buried on that mountain. Dabi blinks hard enough to see stars and reminds himself of that. Touya's dead, so why would Dabi have any reason to remember that day with anything other than indifference? Wiping suddenly clammy palms on his scratchy sheets, he rereads the text. Suddenly, an idea takes root in his head, and his heart speeds up as his mind races like its trying to beat it.
Endeavor killed a kid? And obviously people don't know about it; even the stupidest hero fanatic would recognize that as something bad. It had to have been hidden and covered up. But if it gets brought to light...Dabi can't even let himself think that far or he'll start giggling like a maniac. It would be over for Endeavor. Dabi has a plan, and knows he'll die in the final fight along with Endeavor, but this might allow them both to see some consequences before then. There's nothing Dabi wants to see more than the look in his fathers eyes when he has to come to terms with the fact that he not only killed a child, but that the whole world knows that he did and then paraded himself around as the perfect little hero, a psuedo symbol of peace. And now he might be able to see that look twice??? He's a kid on Christmas morning.
Its surprisingly hard to reply like what hopefully comes across as a normal person, not a homicidal villain fishing for information to use to destroy the number two hero. While he has no doubts 'numbertwo_hoax' dislikes Endeavor, not many sane people would be pleased with his...methods in bringing the truth to light and serving justice as he sees fit. Honestly? Dabi has no qualms in being unjust. He's a villain. It's just especially bad in his eyes when a hero has the same mindset while calling themselves a hero. Worrying his lip between his teeth, feeling the small silver ring clink against them, he replies.
hero_lover_123
thats fucked up
how do people now know about this? seems pretty big.
Sure, people die all the time. Heroes can't save everyone. But Dabi said murder, and that's what they replied too. Either they're being dramatic or this is gonna be huge.
numbertwo_hoax
it got covered up, duh
i knew him so thats the only reason i know ab it
obviously when it happened some people were suspicious
but thats the thing ab heros
people tend to trust them
hero_lover_123
i wish i could say thats the first time ive heard that happen
some "symbol of peace"
tell me about what happened
Hopefully that wasn't pushing too hard. They offered the information so it probably won't scare them off?
numbertwo_hoax
i gotta go to work
talk later?
Dabi stands corrected. It did scare them off. Barely biting off a curse, he shoots up in bed, stifling another pained curse when that yanks at his staples and a warm trickle starts its way down his pale stomach under his shirt. He can't talk later. If there's even a later; there's a 90% chance that's just an excuse to blow him off and not get bugged. He scowls, dark hair flopping in his eyes as he thinks of how he can get them to tell him now.
hero_lover_123
aww have u never snuck ur phone at work before
cute
numbertwo_hoax
im talking on my computer rn
and yea no wifi at work smartass
bye
numbertwo_hoax is offline
Oops. Dabi barely resists the admittedly childish urge to chuck the phone across the room and bury his face in the shitty, hairdye stained pillow and scream. But he hasn't reacted like that in years, and he won't for years if he has anything to say about it. So he clicks the overheating phone off with a mumbled curse and tosses it on the bed, opting to ignore the whole situation until he can track down Spinner and hopefully get some painkillers. Now a migraine is building behind his eyes, throbbing in anticipation. 'This is gonna be a fun night' Dabi thinks bitterly.
You're late for work. Really late. Almost detrimentally late. But your boss, a frail, 70-something year old woman with a quirk that lets her know the exact amount of change to give back without doing the math doesn't have anyone else desperate enough for work to take your job. So, you can probably afford to be half an hour late to your night shift at the worlds shittiest corner store in some ass-crack of the city. Probably. Hopefully.
Did you mention you were desperate?
But it isn't completely your fault. No, mystery hero-hater made you lose track of time. But even so, that isn't something you can explain to your boss, so you double your strides, practically sprinting down the grimy streets at this point. Usually it would be a fifteen minute walk from your shit-hole apartment to the store, but you make it in eight. Sure, panting and barely able to speak, but only 20 minutes late instead of 30. You have to take a minute hunched over in front of the store before you're presentable enough to enter.
"Honey? Are you alright?"
Your head snaps up, focusing on the tiny fingers waving in front of you.
Keiko purses her lips and drops her hand to her side, eyeing your heaving frame. Hunched over like this, you're eye level with her. You grin sheepishly at your boss.
"Erm, yeah, sorry Keiko." You duck your head in apology, taking a deep breath and straightening up to follow her inside the store. She just hums, not judgmental but not approving either, knowing you'll take care not to repeat this. But her eyes are kind as she watches you shuffle behind the cluttered checkout counter, clipping on your badge and jotting your name down on the same sign in sheet you've written your name on for the last three years. Pretty much the only people who are willing to work here longer than a bad summer job are you, Keiko, and a heteromorph boy who stocks the shelves and helps with the heavier shipments. But night-shifts are all you.
Once you're somewhat settled and not about to keel over, Keiko reaches out her hand towards you. You bend and retrieve her purse from under the counter to hand over. "Be good tonight all right? There's a lot of bad eggs out there and they like to act up on weekend nights. If anything sketchy happens-"
You interrupt with a good-natured wave. "Call the heroes. I know Ma'am. Go home, I've got it from here." Your quirk is useful, sure- being able to take on the pain of anyone you touch for as long as you touch them- but all but useless when it comes to defending yourself. Unless you want to take on a villains pain for yourself. Which you definitely don't want.
Her eyes crinkle, years of kind smiles making her skin creased and rough. You smile back as you both say your goodbyes, and she drops the work logo hat on your head before she leaves you alone in the store.
'Corner Convenience'. Very clever. Very original. Keiko's owned the store for longer than you've been alive, and shes seen the neighborhood slowly deteriorate as crime increases and heroes turn a blind eye to the frankly depressing area. You can't blame her for holding onto tradition, if her stories have any truth to them at all. You're helping out as much as you can to keep the tiny, cluttered store up and running, scraping along on your own with the meager paycheck. Groaning, you slump down in the creaky metal chair and press your cheek to the cool metal of the counter, looking through the flimsy plexi-glass covered in ad stickers to the other side of the store. Empty, as it probably will be for the rest of the night.
The suns only just set, the fluorescent lights barely hanging onto life as they flicker and cut in and out of power, the OPEN sign in the window losing letters by the week. You're feeling as burnt out as them, dark bags sitting heavy beneath bruised and exhausted eyes. Just the short conversation about Touya earlier really took a lot out of you. He's a topic you find on your mind more often than not, but you haven't mentioned him to another person in years and years. You're not even sure why you brought him up; to a stranger no less. (as if you had a non-stranger to tell) You honestly expected them to be just another troll.
Scrubbing the heels of your palms into your eyes you laugh humorlessly, voice raspy as you mentally hit yourself.
"You didn't even talk about him, you idiot. You vaguely mentioned him. Grow up. Move on." You mutter to yourself, upper half hunched over on the counter with your head cushioned in your hoodie sleeves. The fabric is well worn, and smells like cheap detergent and your shampoo. Its also a stand in hair towel until you can save up enough to buy some discount towels after your others fell apart. You sniff sadly.
"Who'r you talking to?" A sweet voice pipes, inches away from your ducked head.
You jolt, kicking over a stack of papers and magazines and who knows what stacked under the counter in your shock. Head popping up, you grin sheepishly and meet the girls curious gaze with wide, guilty eyes. Shit. I did not hear the bell ring. When did she, no, they, even come in?
The pair is quirky, though as is anyone who comes in the Corner Convenience past a certain hour. A short, cherub faced blonde girl with shaggy hair and sharp teeth, and a tall guy in a black hoodie with the hood up. Not suspicious at all. You give them both your best customer service grin, but the guy doesn't look up from his phone. The girl on the other hand looks like she would hug you if there wasn't a plastic wall between you.
Recovering quickly, you take the items slid through the gap in the plastic and start to ring them up. "Sorry, taking to myself. I didn't hear you guys." You laugh, and the girl giggles. Her voice is high pitched and sweet, matching the dollish buns in her blonde hair.
"Be careful. There's some bad guys in the area. Be alert!!" She has a little grin on her lips, and the twinkle in her eye tells you shes in on a joke you're not privy to. Story of your life.
"You sound like my boss." You huff, sparing a small glance to the clock on the wall. Shit. 9:38. You had totally zoned out. Hopefully no one came in and stole anything. A quick eyeing of the hoodie guy places him as a potential shoplifter in your mind, but no matter how much profiling you do, you're not stupid enough to act on any of it ever. "Can I get you guys anything else?"
The younger girl nods vigerously and bounces up on her tip toes before rolling back eagerly. "Do you have hair stuff?" She asks with wide eyes, tugging the sleeves of her oversized sweatshirt over her painted fingernails. You nod your head towards an aisle tucked by the wall, crammed floor to ceiling with products, magazines, canned goods, basically the cheapest version of anything you could ever need. Keiko has a method to her madness...a method you've never been able to crack.
"Should be in that isle. I can come over if you need any help." You offer, and she squeals out a thank you and runs off, Leaving you with hoodie guy. "Um, need anyth-"
"A pack of whatever cigarettes are the cheapest." A gruff voice interrupts without even looking up, scarred hands adorned in silver rings dropping a box of black hair dye down on the counter. You add it to the pile next to the cash register, clicking in the price manually and scratching it down on a piece of paper. You eye him nervously, then throw a glance behind you to the cigarettes and tobacco...right next to the obnoxiously large 'We card! No Tobacco Products for Patrons Under 20' sign. Shit. You can't really see his face, but the girl seemed awfully young.
Cringing, you gesture awkwardly to the sign, but he doesn't even glance up. "Uh, may I see your ID please?" It comes out hesitant, and makes you cringe at yourself even harder. Now he looks up, piercing turqouise eyes pinning you to the wall and making your stomach drop. His dark eyebrow raised, face still mostly covered by a disposable mask. Any willpower you had shrivels up and dies immediately.
"You're kidding." Its not a question, and you find yourself nodding.
"I'm kidding." You agree, moving on auto pilot to grab the cigarettes, making sure your hat is still pulled firmly down over your eyes. You've never been as thankful to wear the ugly uniform as you are now. Fingers drum on the counter behind you in slow, controlled movements, the little thuds making you tense as you slide over the pack.
He doesn't even say thank you, just turning around to the blonde girl and calling for her to 'hurry the hell up'. You can't help but share the sentiment, wishing you weren't alone with this weirdo. Thankfully she skips back over, albeit a little more dejectedly than before, dropping her choices down on the counter. A small, cute pink hairbrush, the same strawberry conditioner you use, and a tube of mascara. With this last choice, she bats her eyes up at Hoodie Guy, giving an awfully convincing sad puppy expression. He just scowls.
"Toga no. We came here for my dye and your hair stuff. We're not wasting money on that." He says, and she pouts.
"You're getting stinky cigarettes! No fair." She, who you assume is Toga, huffs, fists clenched. You watch awkwardly, shifting foot to foot. Neither one of them either acknowledges you which you're slightly grateful for.
Hoodie Guy hums patronizingly, but it doesn't seem to be in an overly cruel way. "I got two things, you get two things. That seems fair to me." He says in mock thoughtfulness, flicking her forehead. She frowns.
"I lost my makeup when we...moved. It's gonna take sooooo long to replace." She whines, and he shrugs.
"We can always...come back later and get it. Don't fuss." He murmurs, which gets her to quiet down with a sad look. This grabs your attention; he means he was gonna come back and steal it. You knew your profiling was right!!! You were already planning on just sneaking the mascara in their bag-its like three bucks-but now you're even more sure in your decision.
Ringing up all the items, you add up the totals on your crappy little paper and slide it over. "That'll be 2,500 yen please." You say politely, and Hoodie Guy slides over the money. Bagging their items, you snag the mascara and slip it in with a little wink to Toga. Her face brightens considerably and you swear you see a damp sheen to her eyes before she blinks and mouths a silent "thank you." If Hoodie Guy noticed he doesn't say anything. You hand over their change and say bye, watching them leave and hearing the bell ding.
A weight is off your shoulders once they're gone; but you can't help but wish you got another look at Hoodie Guys eyes before they left. With a small sigh, you readjust in your chair and prepare for another long, event-less night.
Toga won't shut up about you the whole way home, and its pissing Dabi off. The cheap, plastic smelling bag swings along with her arms as she skips, blond curls bouncing as she chitters about her 'new big sis'.
"Shes so so cute and so sweet!!" Toga squeals, nose scrunched. "Do ya think we could get her to join the league??? She did steal this for me, I bet we could convince her."
Dabi barely stifles his groan. "No and no. Did you already find a rebound from the UA girl?" Everyone in the League knows about Ochako at this point, Togas newest obsession. He himself has already been subject to many 'girl talks' about love and how 'pretty her hair is'; he can't say he wouldn't be relieved for a bit of a topic change.
But Toga just pokes her tongue out at him. "No. Ochako's my soulmate. She's just my new big sis." She hums happily, hopping over a crack in the sidewalk as they weave through the alleyways back towards the League. Kurogiri's been busy with whatever plans Shigaraki and the Big Boss are coming up with, so now the lowly villains like themselves are stuck hoofing it to shitty convenience stores on their own. But Toga doesn't seem too broken up about it. "Anyways, she looked older. " Toga pauses, eyes lighting up. "Closer to your age maybe."
He wouldn't know; he looked up maybe one time and barely caught your eye from under the ugliest baseball cap he's seen in his life. "Maybe. I didn't really look."
"Boo. You're no fun." Toga wrinkles her nose in disgust as he slides a cigarette from his hoodie pocket and lights it with a small blue flame. "And I wasn't kidding when I said those smell stinky. You'll never get a girlfriend if you reek all the time."
"Oh no, what will I do?" Dabi drawls lazily, taking a deep inhale and holding it before letting the smoke curl up to the sky. If he focuses, he can almost pretend he already feels the buzz that helps him forget the ache ingrained permanently in his skin. Toga scoffs but quiets down beside him, and they walk in silence as they turn the dimly lit block.
But good things never last, and she's piping back up not even a yard later. "I really miss Big Sis Magne." She mumbles, scuffed shoe catching on a small rock by the curb and kicking it halfheartedly. Even Dabi's shriveled up heart pangs slightly for the young girl.
He shrugs, eyes on the nearly starless night. Maybe there are stars; but from this part of the city there might as well not be. A flickering street light hurts his eyes and he looks down again. "I know." Dabi takes another drag of the cigarette. "Maybe...Maybe if Kurogiri is too busy to bring us to the store we could just come here. See that girl again."
Once the words are past his lips hes cringing, wishing they were something physical that he could reel back in. But Toga's wide, incredulous eyes are already zeroed in on him, stopping in middle of the sidewalk so fast he almost crashes into her without slowing his pace. "Oh my gosh really Dabi???" She crows, arms thrown around his neck in a crushing hug.
Damn, this kid has a grip.
He already knows some staples are gonna be irritated from that later, but he tries to shove that to the back of his mind to awkwardly pat her head and get her untangled from him. "Yeah yeah, don't make it a big deal." He huffs, trying (and failing) to force some irritation into his tone. His phone buzzes in his back pocket right as she lets go, and he starts walking again. "Now lets get back. It smells like sewage out here."
Dabi tries to ignore the strange tug he felt when he met your eyes for that brief flash when you passed over the cigarettes. It was nothing.
Nothing.
Hero_lover_123 is online!!
You're a little ashamed when the first thing you do once you wake up is reach for your computer to scroll on.
After getting home from work around three, you barely made it to bed before crashing and sleeping a solid four hours. The shrill beeping of your alarm clock woke you up at 7:30 sharp, mouth dry and eyes bleary. Blinking, you had sat up and peered over the edge of your bed to make sure you actually took off your shoes before you crawled on top of the sheets, relieved to see them kicked carelessly by the bedroom door. Once you checked that, you just slammed a fist on the clock and tucked back into your warm sheets to check the hero forum you've been obsessed with recently.
No interesting posts, as usual. Just zombies obsessed with the stuff the media force feeds them and asking for more. You can't hide the disgusted face you make reading the posts salivating over Endeavor and All Might and Hawks and any hero with a decent haircut and abs. Where were these heroes when your mother locked you outside in middle of winter so her boyfriends wouldn't realize she had a kid? Where were these heroes when Touya shoved you in his room while he got beaten black and blue? You know where Endeavor was. And everyone needs to know.
A yawn builds in your chest but you stifle it and click out of the articles page to browse the chat forums. Your new friends last message sits in your inbox, but you just let the mouse cursor hover over the 'open chat' button without clicking. It's been a few weeks since you first started talking; since he dmed you about a mutual dislike for the number two hero. Neither of you have shared names, but you've deduced he's a he, and that he's in your general area.
The two of you fell into a routine. It doesn't seem like either of you are in a position to answer personal questions, so neither of you bother to ask. Every once in a while one of you will offer a little tidbit of information-like him mentioning he's a dude-but its left at that. So far all you've revealed is you have a shitty background with Endeavor, and you're in a little crap apartment in the city. No more mentions of Touya; no matter how hard he pries.
You understand the curiosity, but Touya's yours. For some in-explainable reason you feel possessive of his memory and want to keep it to yourself and far away from anyone who may have an opinion on any of it. Plus, the memories still feel raw to the touch, bringing fresh tears to your eyes at any reminder of your former best friend. So, you stay quiet and talk about other things. And it works.
Finally you man up and click on the inbox button.
hero_lover_123
hero_lover_123 sent a link:open?
have u seen anything ab this?
seems like smth you wouldn't take at face value
You click on the link with zero hesitation, feeling a vague but also detached sense of relief when it doesn't immediately steal all of your personal information. At this point if you were gonna choose not to trust Hero_lover_123 you would've stopped messaging weeks ago. Yawning again, you scroll down the page, noting its from the UA website on the Sports Festival. It went on a few days ago, but personally you weren't too interested in following along and watching a bunch of teenagers play field day on steroids.
But a thumbnail makes you pause, eyes wide and horrified as you take in the familiar gray and blue eyes staring back at you. Last time you saw Shoto was when he was nothing but a tiny tot waddling around after you and his big brother, babbling for you to play with him. When he got old enough to show signs of a quirk, around the time Endeavor started giving up on Touya, you saw less and less of the kid.
If there was an ounce of hesitation about whether or not its him, its all but confirmed by the heading under the video.
UA Sports Festival Runner Up, Shoto Todoroki, Son of Endeavor Himself!
Nausea wells up in your throat when you scroll back to the photo, barely even able to stomach looking at the large scar covering his eye. Last time you saw Shoto, that was definitely not there. Definitely not. And unlike the burns Touya often had sprouting up, this doesn't seem even slightly self inflicted.
Shoto also looks...older. Much older. No longer the chubby cheeked nerdy kids you remember him as. It hurts almost as much as the reminder Touya's gone too. Pretty much every one in that family is all but dead to you, considering how well you know them now. When Touya died, you died with him. Rei, who was almost a mother to you with how often you were at their house, couldn't bear to even speak to you after he died. You ended up getting the memo pretty fast, disappearing from them and your own family only a month after the funeral and never looking back.
Sometimes you'll look around your apartment and wonder if you made a mistake. But then you'll turn on the news to Endeavors ugly mug and remember what you had to get away from; who you'll have to bring to justice. And you couldn't do that in that house. Blinking, you snap out of your daze and close the tab, typing out your reply.
numbertwo_hoax
i hadn't seen that
can't say i keep up with the next gen of 'heroes'
hero_lover_123
well? what do u think
numbertwo_hoax
giant burn scar on the son of a flame hero known to be quick to anger?
not rocket science
has no one pieced this together??? or like asked questions ab the 15 yr old with the giant burn on his eye
You gnaw on the edge of your thumb before you hit send, rereading your message to make sure your...closeness to the Todoroki family isn't hinted at at all. For all he knows, you're just a random civilian who has a grudge, not someone privy to the firsthand experiences of that household. Judging it to be fine, you hit send and set the computer down while you wait for a reply, standing up to pop your sore, aching back. Your bare foot sinks in the piles of clean laundry on the floor you've put off folding for days.
Padding around the room, you pick an outfit for the day, grabbing your toothbrush from the bathroom to brush your teeth. Mouth full of toothpaste, you peek over at the screen and read your friends reply, foot raised to scratch at the back of your calf.
hero_lover_123
the kid has a fire quirk so its assumed to be just a training accident
but no one really is too interested by it
Spitting in the sink, you rinse your mouth and run back to bed to respond. Pain blooms in your knee as it hits the bedframe in your haste, a bruise surely already forming.
numbertwo_hoax
insane
can you imagine growing up as his kid???
Sure, you can imagine it; you practically lived it, but he doesn't need to know that.
hero_lover_123
i can imagine it pretty well
probably hell
i cant imagine either of us being one of his perfect little hero sons tho
Oh yeah. He thinks you're a dude. A week or two ago he said something and you just never corrected him on it, not wanting to make things weird, so its stuck; Now you feel like its too late to mention it offhandedly. Oh well. It's not like you'll ever meet him in person, so you feel no need to set things straight at all.
numbertwo_hoax
me neither
oh did i ever tell u what happened at work last week
hero_lover_123
no
?
numbertwo_hoax
so my coworker was working an afternoon shift and some guy came in and filled a shopping bag with sodas and a bunch of random stuff and just walked out the door
he was on drugs or smth and really agressive she said
so she called the cops and they sent a hero who was on patrol
and he came in, looked around and when she said what the guy stole he was like 'oh so you called a hero??'
and left
bc appearantly we're too poor to NOT steal from
and we got a notice to not bother the heroes for things so minor again
hero_lover_123
disgusting
u work at a gas station right
numbertwo_hoax
yea basically
hero_lover_123
they act like they have anything better to be doing
they just walk around and turn a blind eye to people who actually suffer
as long as cameras arent around
numbertwo_hoax
literally
im done with them
like if that happens when im on a shift im not calling the heroes
i doubt they'd even come
hero_lover_123
hopefully it doesnt happen again
if it happens when ur on a shift call me lmao ill beat their ass
do u have a good quirk
numbertwo_hoax
yea but not for fighting
u?
hero_lover_123
i do
its strong
A beat passes before he sends the next message, text bubbles appearing and disappearing again.
hero_lover_123
im not a good person
You pause, chewing on your lip nervously. Obviously, with how both of you talk about heroes, you're not some model citizens. But you've tried to avoid thinking too hard about how far down the hero-hate path he is...and how much he's acted on those feelings. Something dark crawls up your spine and you shiver.
numbertwo_hoax
are any of us?
we're on a hero forum bashing them
no one agrees with us
to everyone else WE'RE the bad guys
hero_lover_123
yea but im especially bad
im in a group
we all hate heros
numbertwo_hoax
like a gang?
hero_lover_123
kinda
idk why im telling u this
maybe just so yk where i stand
im not just someone whining from the sidelines
numbertwo_hoax
obviously i dont know u
but i dont think ur a bad person
i mean we've been talking for weeks now
hero_lover_123
yea u dont know me
im a villain dude
how much worse can it get
This genuinely makes you pause and close the computer on your lap. A villain. You can dance around the word in your head, make all the excuses you want and turn a blind eye just like the heroes you criticize so much; but when he says it so bluntly you're no longer able to pretend. You feel sick to your stomach. But you should feel sicker.
Why aren't you more upset???
A villain. A bad guy. That's who you've been talking to all this time. Honestly, its not like he hasn't given hints; they've just been ignored in favor of finally having a friend who you can talk to without them thinking you're the villain. But this takes that a step further. Nervously picking lint off the hem of your hoodie, you open the computer back up and wait for the impossibly slow screen to load.
numbertwo_hoax
have you killed anyone
hero_lover_123
yes
You slam the computer shut again and let it slide down your lap until you can kick it with your toe to the other end of your tiny bed as if it burned you. Oh my god. Now you feel sick. Mind racing ten million miles a minute, you just slump down with an arm tossed over your eyes as you groan and curse the ceiling of your room. Great. Just great. Turns out the only other person who seems to agree with how you see things is a homicidal murderer. What does that make you??
Standing up, you shove the offending computer in its discolored, thrifted case and slide it under the bed to think about its actions. Fuck all of this, you think. Fuck you for ever going on that stupid website and fuck him for being a murderer who makes to be a very very enjoyable person to talk to. You can't help but groan again, loudly, kicking the foot of your bed with your socked foot.
Only later, after you've moved through the motions of your day like a zombie and are finally laying in bed do you realize you're going to have to make the decision about whether or not this revelation changes anything. At first you assumed it obviously does; he killed (kills?) people, and you don't, so you can't be friends. He's the dangerous stranger of the internet every parent warns their kids about. So why do you think you're safe from whatever insane ideas he has in his head about heroes?
Though at the same time he's never said anything you disagreed with. His opinions aren't nearly as radical as some you've seen online when it comes to heroes-you find yourself hoping there's a piece of a puzzle you're missing, some story behind his claims that reveals he's not some horrible person you should NOT be talking to.
Something dull and mean pounds behind your eyes, forcing them shut as you bury your face in your pillow to feebly attempt to escape the headache you feel forming. For the first time in what feels like forever you've been nipped with the day shift after one of Keiko's newest hires bailed on her last minute, so getting sick is not an option right now. Especially if you plan on scrounging up enough cash to splurge on a bike to ride to and from work. Any shift you can get your grubby little hands on is a blessing.
You fall asleep thinking about your little villain dilemma, but its the furthest thing on your mind when you wake up. It feels like something crawled into your mouth and died while you slept. Swallowing to try and regain any moisture in your impossibly dry mouth proves to be futile, your throat too sore to function correctly, so you crawl out of bed with a pathetic whine to peel your clothes off and hop in a shower. It wakes you up a little, but you're still feeling like a bus ran you over repeatedly when you're dry and dressed.
But money is money, so you rummage around your shoe box kitchen to find a disposable mask and slip it on. The hot breath trapped against your face is uncomfortable at best. Steeling yourself, you grab your keys and purse and start the walk to work.
Halfway in you feel a buzz in your back pocket but ignore it with a slight flinch. Shit. You almost forgot you exchanged numbers with hero_lover so you could talk during slow nights when you're at work. In hindsight, its an even worse idea than you believed it to be at the time. At this point you're surprised you haven't chased after a white van giving away puppies with how gullible you seem to be. Ugh. You just roll your shoulders and will yourself not to check if its him. It doesn't matter.
Really. It doesn't.
When you finally reach the store, the little rickety chair you'd normally gripe about looks nothing short of heaven to your exhausted body. Keiko isn't here to question you about the mask, so you crash down and immediately bury your face in your arms with a sniffle. If someone asks, you'd deny it, but you might've snagged a decongestant from behind the counter to swallow down with a stolen borrowed canned coffee. Perks of working at a corner store, you suppose.
It's another slow day; they're becoming more and more frequent lately. Keiko's been anxious about it, even if she won't tell you that. The woman's a powerhouse but she's getting older and its becoming harder and harder for her to juggle all the work, even with your help. Dread pools in your belly and you shove your face deeper into your arms with a sigh. If you lose this job you don't know what you'd even do.
Your new friends float into your head, the customers you met a few weeks ago and who are some of your only regulars. Toga and the older boy who smells like smoke and always buys a pack of cheap cigs, who you only recently found out the name of. Dabi. You roll the name around on your tongue and mouth it, not daring to say it aloud. He scares you a little bit. But so far he's been nothing but normal, just quiet and a little rude.
Toga's gotten even more talkative lately. She's always asking you questions and touching you in any way she can, whether it be a hug or just feeling the material of your shirt and telling you how good your blood smells. Obviously she's a little odd, but nothing malicious. It's a little sad how quickly you latched onto the attention, happily basking in her energy whenever she visits and slipping her tiny goodies with a finger pressed to your lips conspiratorially. You've never had a little sister; but if you did, you would want her to be like Toga.
Though you'd never tell her that. No matter how much you enjoy them, you can't let yourself get too comfortable. Nothing good has ever happened to your friends in the past, and you don't want anyone new to meet the same fate.
It seems everywhere you turn, Touya's there with you. When will you let it go?
Thankfully, the bell dinging breaks you from your thoughts, and you grin up at the familiar mop of blonde waves. "Hey Tally." You greet, hint of amusement in your muffled voice. Apparently unaware Dabi let her name slip the first time you met, they both came up with very unconvincing fake identities. But you've played along well.
It was the next time they visited the corner store, about a week later. Shoving some candies and popcorn packs up on the counter, the girl squinted at your chest, looking for a name tag. Finding none, she frowns.
"Whats your name??" She tilts her head, Hoodie Guy typing furiously on his phone from behind her. You hesitate, your real name popping to your mind even after all these years, but you just supply your new one.
"Makoto" After Touya died and you left home, you landed on that name and stuck with it. No one knows you by your given name anymore. At least no one alive.
Her eyes brighten and she coos the name happily, shifting foot to foot in excitement. "Pretty name. I'm To-" She gets cut off by a sharp kick to her leg you assume, based on the wheeze she lets out as she whirls on Hoodie Guy with a scowl. It's hard to see from behind the counter, but their upper bodies shift as they kick at each other, having a silent argument just with their eyes. Toga seems to lose, because her smile tightens and she turns back to you with an unhappy look. "Tally." She corrects herself, voice suddenly lacking her usual perk.
You didn't find out Dabi's name until later-he never offered it up himself. Toga let it slip eventually, and he tensed up until he saw you looking for his cigarettes casually, acting as if you didn't even notice. But you noticed.
Toga eyes your mask curiously, head tilted much like an owl. Today her hair is gathered up in her usual space buns, adorned in the glittery clips you slipped into her bag last week in cute criss cross patters. "Hiya Makoto. Are you sick?" Her voice lifts in concern, like you're a sick puppy she saw on the side of the road. The bell dings again and Dabi follows in after her, making a beeline to the hair aisle without even glacning towards the two of you.
You shrug, head already feeling clear and less painful than this morning. "I don't think so. I just didn't feel great this morning." Thankfully its true, you already feel a lot better. Maybe a good breakfast and some medicine was all you really needed.
Not even making a move to go grab anything to buy, Toga leans against the counter and grins at you. "Good. Being sick is awful." She hums and taps a finger against the clear plastic, picking aimlessly at a peeling sticker advertising a cream that makes your hair grow back. "Last time I was sick was probably a few months ago? And I didn't even have any blood to drink, which sucked, and my head was hurting soooo bad but I got to watch movies with my friend Twice for like hours so that was alright-"
Her rambling story is interrupted by Dabi dumping a small box of hair dye on the counter like its personally offended him. Toga squawks in indignation, jostled back behind him, but his reply is just a grunt.
Dabi's hood is tugged firmly in place, his head ducked like the first few times he came by. Slowly he got less strict on his face being hidden, as time passed, but his sharp features are carefully hidden once again. He practically is radiating irritation right now, and the black dye is nearly making you giggle as it stares up at you. A tiny tuft of white peeks out of his hood, hinting towards his bad mood.
"Hair emergency?" You tease, eyes on your hands as you put in the price and reach for his cigarettes without even needing to be told. Dabi huffs crabbily.
"Can it." He grumbles, Toga snickering.
She takes her opportunity for retaliation with glee. "It was already fading, then he tried some new shampoo or something and it totally messed up his ends." She giggles, expertly dodging the elbow thrown her way. Dabi scowls and tugs the hood down harder.
"Not my fault someone stole mine and used the rest of it." He defends dully, shoulders tense. You laugh and throw in another pack of cigarettes as an apology. Maybe also as a small thank you for lifting your mood. You ring them up, take the yen, chatting with Toga the whole time. Dabi's attention has drifted again, and following his sharp glare leads right to the tiny, decade old tv balanced carefully on a few boxes in the corner of the store.
The usual sports channel has been switched over to the news; specifically, about a hero rescue that happened an hour or two ago. Just your luck too; its Endeavor. His large frame fills the screen wile the two of you watch, Toga still chattering on, and you just can't take it any more. Not even caring if Dabi was invested or not, you snag the remote to shut the tv off all together, emotions obvious on your features.
You try and wipe the scowl from your face before Dabi turns, but his eyes find yours before you can. His eyebrows furrow slightly, and he stares at you like this is the first time hes looked at you. Really looked. His turquoise eyes linger for a second too long, and you feel a slight pain in your lungs for some reason. But his brows furrow even more at your mask, and he frowns with a slight shake of his head and looks away. You're left with that vague feeling of not being able to remember something, which quickly gets shoved to the back of your mind to worry about later.
Toga pauses curiously, glancing between you too and at Dabi's intentionally turned head. She frowns and goes to open her mouth when Dabi speaks. "Thanks. Time to go Tally." He says curtly, ignoring her confused expression as he stalks towards the door. You match her expression, waving goodbye as she gets pulled out the door.
"Bye bye Makoto!!" She grins, and then shes gone, rounding the corner and disappearing onto the street. The suns already beginning to set, signalling the approaching end to your shift, and it warms you up slightly after your friends abrupt exit. At least you'll be home soon, eating microwave ramen and watching trashy tv until you pass out. Definitely not talking to hero_lover, even though that's been a part of your daily routine for weeks. Definitely not. You swallow and stand, getting ready to close up for the day with a burst of energy.
Probably around five minutes after Toga and Dabi leave, the door swings open with a slam that rattles the soda and sake balanced precariously in the drink fridge, a ruffled looking man in a baggy jacket stumbling in. Your heart jumps in your chest and you straighten up, shaky hands clasped tightly in your lap. Your eyes don't leave his for a second, only shrinking back slightly when he limps over to the counter. The smell of booze fills your nostrils and makes your eyes burn.
He looks to be in his mid-40s maybe, face saggy and unshaven. His mouth opening to speak reveals meth-rotted teeth the same shade of grayish-brown as Keikos hair. "Where's your beer." A slurred voice demands, hand rapping on the clear plastic separating the two of you. Suddenly the annoying to clean barrier makes you incredibly grateful for its existence.
"We're about to close." It's embarrassing how meek your voice comes out, fear obvious. But thankfully he seems to intoxicated and out of it to notice or care.
With a scowl his fist slams against the counter, making you jump as your fingers inch towards your phone. "Isn't this supposed to be a fuckin 24 hour joint or some shit?? Don't try and trick me." He growls, spittle flying.
"Not on Mondays. We close early today." Suddenly you regret antagonizing him, just wanting him to get his beer and leave. "But you can grab your beer if you want. Second aisle on the left." You mumble nervously, relaxing when he huffs and ambles over without too much of a fuss.
Hands shaking, you open your phone and open the phone app, hoping to dial a hero or cop over to make sure nothing escalates. You didn't like the way his eyes roved over you, and you've seen enough news stories of situations escalating like this to know you don't want to wait for a reason to need help to ask for it. Better safe than sorry. Peeking up, you try and keep one eye on your phone and one on the aisles, ears strained to hear what he's doing. But its all quiet, and he's out of your sight, so far enough away that you're safe. For now.
Dread pools in your belly when you remember the heroes getting mad at you wasting their time. It's not like you have anything to say; they would never come if you called and just said "Hey I'm scared, can someone come all the way over here to make sure nothing happens?". Even just thinking it in your head makes you realize how ridiculous you're being. But that still doesn't make the bad feeling in your gut go away.
Glancing back down at your phone, you remember Hero_lovers text after you told him about the heroes. "if it happens when ur on a shift call me lmao ill beat their ass".
You know it was probably meant tongue and cheek; plus, this was before you ghosted him because he revealed he was a bad guy. But still, who else could you call??? Thumb hovering over his contact, you hesitate. Maybe he would come. But would you just be swapping out one creeper for another?
No. You trust him. It's difficult to admit, but you do. And the sound of something falling and a curse makes you jump, twitching over to look at the aisle it came from... On the other side of the store from the beer. Icy fear melting through your veins, you click the call button and raise your phone to your ear with shaky hands. You pray he picks up...
Shitshitshitshit please pick up- The dial tone makes your stomach drop as it rings once, then twice. On the third ring, you debate just leaving the store all together, but you couldn't do that to Keiko. On the fourth ring, you decide you probably could do that to her-
But it clicks and a rough voice answers, piqued in confusion. "What the fuck are you calling me for?" He grunts, voice vaguely familiar but impossible to place in your stress addled mind.
You didn't realize how fast your breaths were coming until you speak, words barely huffed. "I-i'm at work and you said to call if something happened and I think this guy is bad news but the heroes won't come and I think I need help-" You whisper-yell, not wanting to alert the man who's still disappeared somewhere in the aisles.
Your mystery friend pauses, and you can imagine the furrow in his brow. Just when you think he's hung up, he replies. "Send me your location and stay on the phone."
Relief flooding your chest, you send it with shaky fingers, raising the phone back to your ear once you're done. The whoosh of your phone indicates he received it, and you hear a curse, then the sound of feet hitting pavement as he starts running. Voice suddenly panicked, he speaks again. "I'm five minutes away. Has he done anything yet?"
"No. I think he's drunk or something though. And I don't know where he went." You whisper, panic laced in your tone. He curses again.
"Is anyone else with you? A co-worker?" He sounds slightly scared too, but it might just be in you projecting.
Shaking your head no, you remember he can't see you. "No. Just me."
The slight sigh of relief he lets out makes you frown, but the confusion is shoved away when you hear another crash and the sound of something metal hitting the tile. Your blood freezes and you lower the phone as the man stumbles back out of the aisles and towards you. His jacket hangs open, yellowed eyes zeroing in on your paled face.
"You didn't call any heroes right?" He snarls, eyeing the phone in your hand. Quickly shoving the hang up button, you shake your head and try not to throw up. "Good. I didn't even do anything. Stupid girls always thinking I'm up to no good." He growls, but the hand inching towards his open jacket makes any guilt you would feel disappear. He takes a step forward, no beer or merchandise to be found in his scarred hands. You pray hero_lover gets here soon.
A lecherous smile spreads over his cracked lips, greasy brown hair plastered to his forehead. "You have a good day today?" He questions, knocking once again on the plastic wall barely protecting you. You and him both know how easily it would fall down with some force, already shaking from his raps.
No words come to your lips, mind slow and foggy in your fear. "Excuse me?" You ask weakly, and his grin falls.
"Are you fucking deaf and stupid?? Did you have a busy day." He snarls, any pretense gone. When you don't reply fast enough, his hand darts to his jacket and you're staring down the shiny barrel of a gun aimed right at your face. It doesn't even process for a beat; but when it does, your heart speeds up even further. Mouth open like a fish, you flinch back, shaking. "Open the register. NOW." He growls, waving the gun, and you hurry to obey.
The blood roaring in your ears makes you miss the sound of the bell, but the gun-man doesn't miss it, spinning around with a curse and leaving you free to duck under the counter. All you hear is another curse and the sound of a crash, then searing heat licking over your head and filling the small store with smoke and the rancid smell of burning flesh. It brings you right back to training with Touya all those years ago, and you swallow a sob as your arms raise to protect the fragile flesh of your neck. Screams fill the air, and you just squeeze your eyes shut and pray its hero_lover's flames and not the criminals quirk overpowering him.
Slowly, the screams die down and the burning heat turns to a muggy smoke in the air, the whole store stifling hot. You suck in breath after breath, still crouched, ears straining to hear and try to understand whats going on without sacrificing your measly hiding spot. Lungs burning, you cough, flinching when footsteps come around the corner.
Blinking stinging eyes open, you stare ahead at the heavy boots in front of you, slowly trailing up to lean legs, a dark hoodie, and a very very recognizable face peering down at you with the same expression you saw earlier when you shut off the TV.
Dabi crouches down, staring at you silently with an unreadable mask on his features. His hood is down, hair pushed back and streaked with a familiar white. Silently, as if there isn't a fire alarm blaring and a man burning to ash mere feet away, long fingers reach down to the corner of your mask to unhook it from your ear. It falls to the ground and lands between the two of you, but Dabi's eyes stay on your face. They trace your features like he's finding something he lost, familiar turquoise eyes locked on yours. Silently, somberly, he cradles a unfamiliarly rough hand against your cheek and whispers the broken sound of your name like a prayer. Your real name. Tears fill your eyes, but not from the smoke. All the puzzle pieces finally click together and you choke on a sob, cheek pressing into his hand.
"Touya?"