Chapter Text
His death was nothing like he expected.
What he expected was to go up in glorious flames. What he expected was to let his body burst from the flames and take everything and everyone around him down with him.
What he expected was an execution of some sort. For the government to take his life from him so that justice can be served in some way. God knows he wouldn't have survived long enough for a more meaningful punishment anyway.
And he expected to burn in hell for his sins.
What he didn't expect was for the doctors to let him out of the life support tube and onto a hospital bed. His family gathered around him. His mother held his hand even though he could no longer feel it, and Shoto cried softly into his chest. Both were gentle in their touch. They had to be as his skin and muscles had all but burned away, and his bones were barely held together by their ligaments.
Enji sat out in the hall, Dabi didn't want to see him, he still didn't forgive him. He'd seen him enough in the past few weeks anyway. Talking at him, taking up valuable time that could've been spent with the people he actually cared about.
Natsu had his hand in Dabi's stiff, straw-like hair; keeping a smile on his face even though his eyes were watering and his throat trembled with restrained sobs. Fuyumi was less subtle though she tried to be, hiding her face in their mother's hair.
The heart rate monitor slowly gave out, "It's alright Touya," His mother's voice was splintered, "Go to sleep baby, I love you."
Touya wanted to apologize, just one last time, but he didn't have the strength. No words escaped his throat, just a pained gasp. He closed his eyes and let out one final, shaky breath.
That was the end of Dabi.
^v—^v——^v———^v——————————--
And then, he was in the forest.
"Touya? You wanted to show me something?" Enji stood before him, at least a decade younger. When he looked at himself, so was he. Short and thin, but not skin and bone. Skin marred by the occasional burn, but mostly soft and pale; with no staples that got pulled or caught on clothes. Soft, clean, white hair; undamaged by years of heat and cheap dye.
Touya looked around in surprise, he was on Sekoto peak.
Was all of that just a long, detailed dream?
It felt so real.
"Dad! You came!" The anger he had felt for his father just moments before temporarily slunk away to the back of his mind. He decided to play along for now, recalling all the things he wanted to say if Enji ever did show up, "I could be stronger than Shoto!"
Enji knelt down in front of him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Touya, I told you already-"
"Just hear me out!" He knocked Enji's hand off of him. Before Enji could retort, Touya ran into the stream, he wasn't going to let this opportunity slip by him twice. He didn't care about his past (or was it his future?); he didn't care if Dabi was a dream, this was his second chance. He'd become a hero, and he'd still expose Enji for his actions. He'd take some of the pressure off Shoto. If anything this was his opportunity to make up for the wrongs he'd done as Dabi.
He'd finally get Enji to look at him.
His father turned after him and he let loose a column of blue flame towards him, immediately dipping his arm in the near freezing water of the stream to remove the heat and prevent blistering, "They turned blue recently!"
Enji was silent, staring in awe at where the flames had just been. Finally he spoke, "I can see that."
"I know you don't want me using my quirk anymore, but come on! This is why you made me right? What else am I supposed to do with my life?" Touya argued, reminding Enji of his involvement in Touya's self harm and desire to become a hero.
"Touya."
"Dad, there's gotta be a way! There's gotta be some kind of support gear I could use! Something that can cool me down when my quirk gets too hot!"
"Touya," Enji was more stern this time.
"Please! I could be better than you!" Better than him, that's all Enji ever wanted. For one of his creations to surpass him, to surpass All Might.
Enji was silent for a moment. The air was tense as Touya waited for an answer, he was preparing for the circumstance in which Enji denied him.
"Fine, I'll look into support gear for you, but," Touya's heart rose, then swiftly sank at the incoming stipulation. Enji continued, none the wiser to his child's panic, "No training until we can get something in."
Touya understood the gamble presented to him. There was no guarantee that the support gear he'd need even existed yet. He ll if it did Endeavor would've added it to his arsenal instead of buying a woman to create custom children with. He needed to make a deal the would guarantee he'd be able to become a hero, and the solution was simple in his mind.
"Okay. But you have to promise that if it doesn't exist that you'll find someone who can invent it," Touya knew Endeavor had enough money and influence to do such a thing, he just needed to convince him to do it, "I mean think about it. It would help you too wouldn't it?"
"I considered it a long time ago, but the technology didn't exist yet."
"Well maybe it does now! And even if it doesn't you can definitely convince someone smart to start making it!"
If Touya had played his cards right, Enji wouldn't have a way out of this. Touya would get what he wanted. He'd get to be a hero.
Finally.