"As excited as I am," Hide cleared his throat. His crimson eyes refused to maintain anything besides the man of scars. His tone of voice drew everyone out of the reunion, as it was deep and full of the most strained disappointment. "I miss you Touya... I really do..." A pain to pierce his chest much like he had feared. "You... You've contributed to everything the League's done, like kidnapping my damned sister. I'll admit, as did I. I get that you're fixing your mistakes, but at least I didn't run away like you whenever things get tough." Dabi sneered at that last comment. "What?" Hide scoffed in return. "Yeah! I'm fuckin' going there! You've crossed the line even for me! What in the hell are you planning?"

"Something I should've done a long time ago," Dabi's glare was deafening. Nobody here was exactly sure what it meant. Was it remorse? Anger? Annoyance maybe? "I'm a villain, yes, but everything the League is doing goes against my beliefs more so now than when either of us joined. I thought Shigaraki was better than this and I'll admit I was wrong to put all my eggs in one basket."

So he finally admits it... Hide scoffed, "So... You're just gonna ignore how I'm involved in all this? How your family's involved too? You were totally okay with everything up until then. Correct me if I'm wrong," Hide crossed his arms. He was edging Dabi on, and yet, he wasn't getting any rise over the ravenette. "If you think everything you're doing is gonna smooth things over, forget about it! I wouldn't just let the League kidnap my sister, if I were in your shoes, I'd kill myself before leaving my brother on the verge of death!!! Just look at what you did!" Hide stomped over to Shoto, of whom had been frozen in place trying to comfort (Y/n), and pulled the boy's shirt nearly above his head. Upon seeing Shoto's stomach, a dark patch of stitched up flesh, Dabi's fierce expression melted away to that of disbelief. The response Hide had been waiting for. "You're my best friend Touya... I see you as a brother to me... I know you're better than this."

"I love..." Dabi smirked. It was unsettling, "I love how... You're pointing all the fingers at me. At least... I didn't fake my death, run away, change my name-"

"Go on," Hide challenged. "I've done wrong too, Touya! But at least I'm not here plotting my own death unlike your scarred ass! If you think you're going back to the League after this, it's your damned funeral!"

"Your point is?" Dabi growled.

"Quit ignoring your damn brother and come home," Hide shook his head. "If you're truly sorry for everything you've done, show it. I don't think you're risking your ass for (Y/n) because you want to. It's for me and Shoto, Right? Am I wrong? You genuinely don't give a damned about her-"

Dabi stood there in silence unwilling to comment on anything but he couldn't let Hide finish that last strike. "We need to get out of here before it's too late..."

"Dancing around the truth huh?" Hide huffed. "But at least you said we instead of me."

"Let's go..." Dabi threw up his hood in a shaky breath. "We've wasted enough time as it is..."

The group had begun the trek back to UA for the time being. Hide and Dabi remained in the back. Neither of them talked yet they remained close to one another. When the time felt right, being that the air wasn't as thick as it was before, Kirishima broke the air with a light yet urgent tap to Shoto's shoulder. "That's your brother dude?" The boy's eyes kept interchanging between Shoto and the villain in disbelief. He say the similarities but also a mountain of differences.

Shoto grinned, "his name's Touya."

"Touya..." (Y/n) grinned as well. "Without him, I'd be dead."

"I never did get to ask," Shoto hummed, locking eyes with (Y/n). "You look... Horrible."

"Way to give the welcome wagon," (Y/n) snickered.

Pain, that's what she saw in his eyes. "You don't look okay..." Frost bitten hands, the near inability to walk, it pained him to see (Y/n) in this state. More than the time she was admitted into a hospital for a long while what feels like months upon months ago. "I thought he was protecting you-"

"He was doing what he could," (Y/n) responded as best as she could. "Was it really his fault that I kept attacking everyone that I could whenever I could? I rarely use my quirk for this exact reason and I kept going back on my word. If it meant losing a few fingers, I'm more than happy being here with all of you."

"It's so great seeing you too!" Midoriya and Kirishima cried together in unison.

"What about you?" (Y/n) hummed. "You don't look all that happy to see me."

"You know me..." Shoto's cheeks were a faint pink. "I'm not very expressive."

"Can we stop with the shit show?" Bakugou wretched.

"You really can't let them enjoy one moment of peace?" Kirishima whined.

"No!" The blonde snapped. "Something doesn't feel right..."

Midoriya looked about his surroundings with unease to such a comment. Just a bustling city street. "I understand where you're coming from Kacchan... But would a villain really attack us in the open like this?" That'd be suicide. Especially when there's a few heroes patrolling the streets as they spoke just ahead.

"I don't blame him," Hide commented as the topic was enough to pull him out of his fruitless conversation with Touya. Fruitless because the ravenette refused to speak. "This escape feels too easy and... Nyah attacked me in the open, remember? I wouldn't be surprised if it happened again. Especially if Toga can shapeshift and crap. It'd be way too easy to ambush us then."

"Should we take shelter?" Shoto suggested. But where would they take shelter was the question.

"And what help would that do us?" Touya hissed. Shelter isn't a bad idea... For them. For himself, an ugly man burnt to horrific degrees, shelter would only shut him out.

"Again... I really can't disagree," Hide frowned. "We need to get back to UA as soon as possible..."

"Why did I let you pester me into going on this rescue mission?" Bakugou growled. "I was fine before the villain showed up. AND DON'T YOU DARE THINK I FORGOT WHEN YOUR ASS KIDNAPPED ME!!!" Bakugou nearly butts heads with Touya like competing goats. Thankfully, they only growled and glared like rivaling girls.

"Because we did the same for you when you got taken bro..." Kirishima, as usual, was de-escalating the situation as best as he could.

"So you ARE helping the heroes after all you wretched rat..."

The group heard the low hiss of a woman and everyone slowly turned to a woman standing with the most dead of features and crossed arms only a few feet away. Shoto instinctively threw (Y/n) behind himself into Kirishima's arms. Meanwhile, Hide was frozen on the spot with eyes so large, so dilated, he's surprised they haven't fallen from his head yet. Thankfully, Midoriya read the air and connected as many dots as he could to piece that this girl was the root of all problems and snatched his mechanical boyfriend up only to rocket away with a trail of blue electricity.

They took cover behind a building. "Do you think she saw you?" Midoriya sputtered out.

"I... I don't think so," Hide's heart was thumping horribly against his chest. Despite being mostly mechanical, his body was trembling.

Is he having an attack? "J-J-Just breathe-"

"Just get back there and help them before she hurts anyone else!!!!!" Hide snapped. Midoriya was frozen in astonishment. "I'll be fine..." Hide muttered, a tear rolling down his cheek. "Shun's dead right?"

"Try and look for some pros alright?"

Hide grinned, "promise... Just don't die on me okay?" Midoriya nodded his head once knowing that their promise was set in stone. His body illuminated once more for he sped off within the blink of an eye. Hide took a few short breaths, picked himself up and ran in search of a hero of sorts. Anyone for that matter, to help everyone out and maybe, maybe, end the wicked witch once and for all.

"I knew it was weird that the facility lost power out of the blue," Nyah began walking forwards. "I also knew it was gonna happen because there was such a long long long string of coincidences." Dabi tensed up just hearing the woman speak. "Shortly after Tomura sent you and his little pet away for testing, I noticed how little Toga and Twice would show up at our meetings. I thought they'd finally got a room but little did they know, I tracked them down. They were scoping out the facility's surrounding buildings, an electrician was hospitalized little over a week ago claiming that 'a blonde girl came at me with knives and nearly bled out' and after looking into this a little bit more, a few powerlines AS WELL AS the backup power supply for the lab were cut. Dabi, maybe you should've hired someone other than your comrades to do your dirty work."

"Do you ever shut up?" Dabi growled, black smoke began to waft from his limbs. "Why is it that some villains feel the need to explain everything? Cause I don't give a fuck!"

"Cause I want to make sure you know how much of a failure you are?' She smirked. "It's almost comical how much you don't cover your tracks. And now you're walking around in the open with no disguise at all? Oh my god wear a mask to cover that ugly mug of yours!" Just as she had leaked a snicker, a frenzy of blue flames whipped in her direction before she jumped high within the air striking a magnificent landing a few feet away.

Dabi threw another wall of blue at the woman, sneering, then another. The warmth was eating at his flesh hungrily the longer this persisted. "Don't just stand there!" Dabi barked at the students. "I'm trapping her in, don't waste this opportunity to get out of here!"

"You heard him!" Bakugou shoved Kirishima and (Y/n) forward. Midoriya was rejoining their ranks after a falter upon noticing how quickly the district was becoming consumed by these brilliant hellish flames. Civilians were screaming, ducking for cover and coughing horribly as they ran on by.

While Kirishima, Bakugou and (Y/n) were making an exit, Shoto and Midoriya remained transfixed on their spots. "We need to stop this," Shoto declared. Midoriya nodded to show he understood entirely.

"Have you learned nothing from when I was kidnapped?" Bakugou came back in an instant. "Forget about the villains, just get out of here. It's not like the mountains where there were no heroes to help us. They'll be here any minute now, just leave him be!"

"Kacchan-"

"Even I know when I'm unmatched. Now get the hell out of here!"

Shoto can't disagree, Bakugou was right. The pros will be here, Touya has this. However, Shoto just couldn't part ways with this fight. That woman was effortlessly dodging all the attacks. Touya was grunting, almost hissing now with each ball of flame he threw. His fingertips were black and his pale skin was starting to purple. His quirk was consuming him. Dread began to wash over Shoto, Touya's not going to last long enough for help to arrive. Be it his quirk consumes him or Nyah gets the last laugh.

A lift of the foot, Shoto brought it down with a cascade of jagged ice protruding from the road before everything. The flames almost instinctively dodged the ice, only to go back to burning everything. Touya blinked, ice? He thought. Every single person that came to mind who could've conjured ice only made him angry. They shouldn't be here! Before he knew it, Shoto took a place at his side and he felt as if he wasn't burning alive anymore with an atmosphere so bittercold surrounding his kid brother. "I got you..." Shoto hummed locking eyes with his brother. "I want you to come home. Either run away with me, or I'll help you stay and fight. There's no way I'm leaving your side!"

Touya finally allowed Shoto to break through his wall. This kid wants me in his life... All I do is run. Why did I think that was okay? If they care about me enough to risk dying, to put everything on the line, I'm only hurting everyone by leaving. The better question now is, to leave with my brother or... Touya watched solemnly as Shoto jumped backwards dodging a frenzied clawed attack from the purple menace. To end all of my problems right here and now? His hand erupted in flames. "If I run now, I'm only prolonging the inevitable!" Touya latched out and snatched Nyah by her arm just as she went for a killing blow on his kid brother. She shrieked as the flames ate away at her arm. "You're the poison in my veins! I can't believe I allowed myself to be manipulated by you!" Touya pulled her to him, kneeling her in the chest with an explosion. Shoto gasped as such an act was all too familiar. Except, she's not a fire user unlike him. "Shoto, I know this may sound fucked up," Touya hissed as he threw her to the ground. His palm is still glistening with blue. "Let's end her..."

He's asking me to help him... Kill her. Shoto thought with a lump to form within his throat. But he raised his left hand anyway. Sometimes, it's necessary for a hero to kill. Not all people can be saved and she's one of them. She's rotten to the core, through and through.

"You... Rat," Nyah hissed behind clenched teeth as she embraced her arm to her chest. "You know you won't forgive yourself for making your brother kill on your behalf," she began to laugh almost... Sickeningly. "Haven't you noticed?"

"What?" Shoto glared.

All she did was look up as a spotlight shone down upon them from a helicopter above. "He strives to become a hero, correct?"

"So what?" Touya shook his head.

"Recognize the logo on that helicopter?" The boys peered upwards. Renora. The... Renora News Station. "Kill me now and not only will Shoto be labeled as a killer, ruining his hero reputation, but he'll be responsible for murdering his girlfriend's sister! Would you really drag him under like that?"

The conflict in Touya's eyes was greater than ever before. "You tipped off the news didn't you?"

"You can't touch me," Nyah hummed.

"I don't care!" Shoto shouts. Tears streamed down his face. "The fate of the nation or even the world rests on us taking you out! You've hurt so many people including us! You don't care about anyone other than yourself. Why else are you out to kill your family? You... Witch."

"Shoto don't let her-"

"She's manipulating us don't you see it!?" Shoto backed Touya up step by step. "We're not letting her go!"

"But we can't deny that she's right!" Touya shoved him away. Shoto tumbled to the ground. "Your life will be ruined, that's why I'll end her."

Shoto scrambled to get back to his feet. Touya's palm erupted with flames and just as quickly, blades erupted from the witch's fingertips. "Touya!" He reached out, white noise filling his ears. Crimson spattered from Touya's backside. Warmth speckled Shoto's face before he wiped it only to pull back and realize that crimson wasn't his own. Nyah picked herself up, stepping towards Touya of whom... Lost his strength to stand, falling to his knees.

"You've served your purpose," her fingers remained long and pulled back. "You and everyone else..."

"No!" Nyah gasped to the shout from the heavens. (Y/n) was charging for them, hands that glittered a sparkling blue.

"I'll hurt you again, don't try me," Nyah hissed.

"Try me!" (Y/n) held out her hands before her, ice shot out before her in an exploding furry of great proportions. Shoto pulled Touya out of the crossfire and all they heard was a painful yelp before the mist cleared and... Nyah was gone. (Y/n) breathed heavily, clutching at her chest. Her breath was mystified to a dense fog, hair as white as snow, before she too dropped to her knees and struggled to look at Shoto as if pleading for help. Then she... She collapsed altogether. Each icy breath pierced her lungs like knives. "Sh-Sh-Sh-Sho-to..." She whimpered. I'm c-cold..." This is more painful than when... He got me out of the ice...

"(Y/n)..." Shoto breathed. As much as he wanted to help, he couldn't let Touya's limp and fleeting body leave himself.

"Help her..." Touya spoke weakly.The blood to permeate his taste buds was sour. "I'm beyond saving now..." At this point, he had no longer felt the pain of the gaping hole in his chest. More, he struggled to remain conscious. His eyelids were like lead, and he couldn't move his limbs unless he wanted to forfeit what little life he had left.

"I know..." Shoto embrace him as best as he could. "It's too soon to say goodbye..."

A tear dribbled from Shoto's chin, to Touya's cheek. "Don't cry over me," He finally opened his eyes. They were pale, misty, and lacking in life. "I know what you're going to say..." His scarred hand lifted to caress his brother's cheek. "Use your flames for me... One last time." Shoto, a bit confused, allowed his flames to manifest without a thought. Touya's index finger embered with the last of his blue flames and touched a lock of Shoto's red hair. Shoto gasped at this new sensation to take over for his flames changed from red to blue. "You're gonna miss me right? Don't forget that I'll always be with you..." Touya's hand collapsed upon his chest, eyes closing ever so slowly for the last time.

Touya Todoroki was no longer part of the earth.

"Touya?" Shoto shook him. "I-I thought we were gonna come home together..."

"Shoto!" Midoriya shook the boy. The air seemed to clear somewhat, and not in a good way either. He had just realized he had zoned out for... Who knows how long. Sirens of emergency vehicles filled the air, helicopters flew too close to the ground for comfort. Bakugou was nowhere to be seen. Kirishima had (Y/n) tightly embraced to his chest as, much like Touya now, appeared to have been kissed by death.

"(Y/n)?" Shoto's voice came out as a ghostly whisper.

"She's so cold I think her body is shutting down," Kirishima frowned. "Kind of like Tsu whenever she's too cold." Tsu, being part amphibian, her body shuts down and goes into hibernation of sorts whenever it's too cold. Winter isn't her best friend.

"Let's... Go home," Shoto, all so carefully, tried to remove Touya's corpse from atop his body. As morbid as it was, Midoriya helped him out and laid him down respectfully with hands atop his chest. Fitting for a man who died at peace. Shoto stepped up to Kirishima, holding out his arms. "I'll take her... Keep her warm..."

"No," Kirishima shook his head.

"You look like you're about to pass out," Midoriya agreed. "We'll take her... Just collect yourself for now."

"Okay..." Shoto agreed, not really giving a care. Only to zone out as they began their journey back to UA.

And that's the first chapter since my hiatus! Hope you enjoyed.