Chapter Text
The man-No, he looked younger up close. The boy? The teen? The villain kneels in front of him, looking him up and down very slowly.
“In case you forgot, I’m Dabi.”
The turquoise eyes were hypothesizing in a way, with the villain’s cold, uncaring glare piercing this soul. He felt like he was being drowned.
Toshinori can feel an itch in his mind, a small itch that brings a thought. This thought was how familiar those eyes were, yet his mind keeps drawing blanks as he tries to remember.
Maybe he’s thinking too hard and he misses the sky and the ocean and his friends-
“I couldn’t believe it when I heard, Shigaraki was in shock like a loser and could barely say anything besides “Small Might” and “skeleton”. You really do look pathetic.” Dabi twirls on his feet, dancing around the small room with ungraceful steps. “No offence.” He finally said.
Toshinori scoffs, his eye twitching. “None taken.” He is slightly offended, but he’s definitely heard worse insults than that.
“I wasn’t allowed to have much hero shit, especially your stuff. I asked for a poster once and my old man lost it, we trained for seven hours that day. I was three and adorable.” The teen sits next to him, leaning against the slightly dented wall behind them and sighing.
Toshinori was tempted to scoot away, if only he could. “He wasn’t a big of heroes? Or just me?”
“Mainly you, I don’t think he had a huge problem with any other heroes since none were as big as you.” The heat from Dabi is coming off in waves, it was a drastic change as the room itself was ice cold.
“Is there a reason you’re here with me?” Toshinori asks, not trying to set off the other by being rude.
“That kid, Izuku. He’s in some deep shit right now. With the big boss “taking care” of him, I doubt he’s gonna be the same kid you know. I mean, Shigaraki said he raised and took care of him when he was younger so Izuku’s gonna be fucked when everything’s all done.” Dabi flicks his fingers, and blue flames spark and ignite on his fingertips.
“He can handle it, he’s going to be saved and helped properly. I have faith.” All might grits his teeth together, he knew Izuku can hold on. Just for a little longer until the heroes came for him, this time they’ll hide him away and All for One will never be near him again.
Dabi chuckles, it sounds painful and like he’s struggling to breathe as he laughs. “Well obviously. You’re All Might after all. You gotta keep the brand up, gotta keep smiling and believe, or hope. Whatever.” He’s watching the flames, they flicker and Toshinori begins to smell something foul.
The smell of blood and burnt meat. The smell is suddenly on his tongue and he almost gags at it, he’s smelt burning flesh countless times. But watching someone willingly burn themselves and be so calm about it?
It killed him that this boy was disregarding his body like that. Like Midorya did when he broke and pulverized the bones in his body.
He should’ve asked for help to be a better teacher for him.
“That faith is going to bite you in the ass.”
Dabi suddenly chuckles, “Shigaraki thinks it’s going to be the isolation from everyone you know besides the league and All for One.” Dabi says, “Compress thinks All for One’s going to kill you. And Spinner thinks you’re going to live and even break out and arrest us.” Dabi closes his hand into a fist, there’s a slight sizzle in the air before the smell of flesh burning gets worse.
“I think it’s going to be you seeing little Izuku again. After everything the Boogieman’s already done, I think when he’s finally done “fixing” him, he’s going to bring him here and you’re just gonna-“
Dabi snaps his fingers together, the snap echos off the walls and little flames dance out from impact of his fingers meeting his palm.
Toshinori almost jumps from the sound. His heart is pounding against his chest and his eyes stung. “N-no. Young Midorya is going to be fine, the heroes will come and help him.”
Dabi grins like a shark, letting his hands fall into his lap. “And all you heroes coming and saving him and Hitoshi went so well last time, right? How about the time before that?”
Toshinori can’t find it within himself to reply, because the rescue attempts’ definitely all went to shit.
“It’ll be okay.” Is what he manages to quietly say.
“That’s what I used to say. But we both know that’s a shit excuse to make us feel better.” Dabi rolls his wrist around and rubs at the tips of his fingers. Small burnt flakes of skin fall off and fall into his lap.
“You’re quirk is hurting you.” Toshinori didn’t mean to say it out loud, but it comes tumbling out as he watches the burnt flakes of skin softly fall from the boy’s fingers. He can’t imagine how much it might’ve hurt the first time he got burned by his quirk.
“Everyone’s quirk hurts them. You’re stuck like this, a weak skeleton. Izuku’s broken bones speak for themselves. Eraserhead’s quirk dries out his eyes, makes it easy to figure him out. The whole League has been outcast because of their quirks, now look at them.”
With a shrug, Dabi reaches a burning hot hand out. It gently moves to his left side, it reaches for the edge of his shirt and he flinched back.
“W-what-“
“I want to see.” The hand tries again and catches the edge of his shirt. Barely lifting the shirt, Dabi sees the edges of his scar.
“It’s real.” Dabi laughs, letting the shirt fall back down and he lets his head fall to his chest. “Fucking All Might, the bright sky getting covered by dark clouds. My dad worked so hard to reach your level, for what?”
Dabi pushes off the wall, his hand drags against the wall and some more skin falls off in the hassle.
“For you to die alone in this shitty cage with nothing but your failures. And he gets handed the number one spot. All that work he’s done, his hands are drenched in the blood of his own kids.” There’s a hiss at the edge of every word like he’s a snake spitting out hisses and warnings to not get close.
Toshinori realizes with a jolt. “Your father, he’s-“
“Shhh.” Dabi glares down at him. His hands clenched into fists and there’s fire flickering over his face.
Toshinori feels his eye twitch. “I will not be intimidated by lowly villains like yourself. Your quirk seems to be burning you, I know the heroes could help-“
His scream interrupts him, a foot slams into his side and grinds down.
Toshinori can feel the copper run up his throat, he twists his head to the side and throws up blood while wheezing.
Dabi sighs like a disappointed father who’s upset with their child.
“I think this is the most I’ve ever talked about myself, kind of selfish and narcissistic, huh?” Dabi smirks, lifting his boot off of the hero’s chest.
Toshinori tries to curl in, the pain is a throbbing needle in his side. More blood crawls its way up his throat.
“Let’s change the subject.” Dabi kneels in front of him and grabs his chin. “You attacking the heroes, piling right through them with no remorse and control over your actions. I wonder if All for One has thoughts of making you into a Nomu.”
Toshinori’s eyes widen. The pit in his stomach that was left by All for One is filling with the rotting sensation of fear.
“You’d make a strong Nomu, I mean after three or four quirks in you. I bet Shigaraki’s already thinking about it too.” Dabi lets go of his chin and opens his palm in front of Toshinori’s face.
“I might’ve opened that wound of yours. So hold still for a second, scream all you want though. I won’t be quick.” He pressed his palm to Toshinori’s bloody side, ignoring the thrashing body.
His hand ignites and everything after that is a bloody wail of pain and the sound of sizzling flesh. The smell when Dabi burned himself is roses compared to what it smelt like now.