#well. that's just dabi being an evil villain! what else is there!

[artofkhaos404]

what are your villain!todoroki headcanons 👀

Thanks for the ask, man! I got a few...

× Sometime before Shoto decides he wants to go to UA, imagine Dabi leaving an anonymous note for him, asking to meet alone, and on the note are some details listed about Shoto's abusive childhood that no one could have possibly known unless they lived in the Todoroki household. That's a mystery Shoto can't resist solving, so he meets up with him. Dabi reveals his identity as Touya Todoroki and explains to Shoto why he's doing what he's doing- to reveal the truth of Endeavor's evil deeds to the world. Dabi offers Shoto an opportunity to help in this plot, or if nothing else, a way out of his abusive household; coming to live with his brother. Maybe Shoto has to take some time to think about it, but eventually, he makes the decision secretly run away and move in with Dabi to escape Endeavor- but nothing more. However, the more time he spends hanging around the League and hearing their own horror stories, the more time he spends bonding with his brother and experiencing new things with him he was never allowed to before, Todoroki begins to realize just how much damage has been done unto him by his parents. As time goes on, he begins to see their perspective and understand their plight intimately. He grows to hate commercialized heroism in general; because if someone as terrible as Endeavor can become a hero... what could the other greats be hiding behind their masks? And how much pain could be relieved from victims of fake heroes, such as himself and Dabi, if someone were to stop these "heroes?" Wouldn't that act be heroism; true and unadulterated? Shoto then makes the decision to join his brother in the mission that Stain began before them; to tear corrupted hero society to the ground.

× I don't think Shoto would abandon his morals completely as a villain. He would consider himself more akin to an underground hero that works with villains for a common goal. Most of he and Dabi's arguments would probably revolve around this 😅

× His villain costume would be just as simple and practical as his hero costume. I imagine the same design, but in white and black rather than the dark blue.

× Even when he's old enough to get a place of his own, Shoto decides to stay in Dabi's apartment. Growing up with so many siblings, living alone sounds more lonely than it's worth to him despite his introversion. Dabi and Shoto are both quiet types who enjoy their own spaces, but they also both value the comfort of a presence being in the other room.

× I could see Shoto taking in a stray cat, maybe one who is injured or blind or missing an ear, and bringing it back to Dabi's apartment. At first, Dabi said it was a waste of time and money and that he should throw the thing out. But after seeing how much comfort the little furball brought Shoto, he stopped complaining about it.

× Dabi would train Shoto to use his left side; insisting on helping his brother get over the fear of being like their father in order for Shoto to realize his full potential.

× Shoto would have trouble getting along with the more impulsive, violent League members such as Shigaraki- Dabi would often end up playing referee (all the while chuckling at the colorful yet painfully accurate insults Shoto would throw).

× Despite this, Shoto can be just as impulsive if you trigger him on the wrong day. Instead of becoming warmer through the series, like in canon, Shoto would become colder and more heartless as time went on. He would never hurt someone for the thrill, but if he feels you need to be brought to justice or if you step to him, he'll do what he feels like.

× And if you hurt a child and he sees it or hears about it? Might as well count yourself dead. Same goes for Dabi. They may be cruel people, but they don't stand for child abuse.

× It wasn't always this way. When they were first reunited, Shoto saw Dabi do unspeakable things- even to children. But gradually, through one another's influence, Shoto became a better villain and Dabi became a better person.

[hella1975]

hi sorry i dont even go here (bnha) i DO go here tho (your fics are pretty cool) but i couldve sworn most of the story in bnha was the pain that moral purism puts on a society, especially one of heroes and villains? and i couldve sworn that especially later into series, it got even more in your face about the morally grey and dubious nature of pinning all your hope into the black and white dichotomy that society would have you believe in? and that its healthier to BE morally grey rather than deny its existence all together and stick to your Idea of Purity Above All Else. or somefin. again i dont even go here, it just seems like "This is an abuser and this is the victim" is probably the simplist version of that idea horikoshi couldve written.

yknow. in the middle of a plot thats absolutely thick with it.

sorry you have some weird anons rn, but its my understanding that youre properly assessing the curtains

yep, you hit the nail on the head! ive said multiple times that ive adored mha's handling of morality so far, because it puts you with these excited young kids who want to be heroes because why wouldnt they want to be? heroes are the coolest and this society happens to be built around them and, cooler still, they're some of the lucky few that get to be trained to be heroes at a top school! and the viewer follows that, thinks the plot really will be that simple where we follow these lovable teens on their journey to become heroes, all the while with villains causing problems and testing their resolve.

but the heroes arent all good. and the villains arent all bad. and it's revealed to you very, very slowly but very, very thoroughly and the end result is devastating.

and the fandom looked at it and went 'okay! so these are the good characters and these are the bad characters'

[kingtomura]

Vitality | 5

Summary: You were always told heroes and villains had no place in your home. Not when there’s an increase in crime, not when there’s monsters on the loose in Hosu and certainly not when the man in your home raises a hand to you.  All it takes is one impulsive decision to change your life forever. content: shigaraki tomura x female reader, slow burn, hurt/comfort, mutual pining, reader has a quirk, graphic depictions of violence, past abuse, past sa, angst, pstd, eventual smut, dark themes, found family LoV, mdni wc: 5.8k | prev | chapter 6 | m. list | read on ao3

Shigaraki can’t seem to figure out what it is about you that pulls you to him. It’s something that gnaws at the walls of his brain and it makes his skin itch. 

When he’s plotting schemes — you’re there. When he’s in the field, away on missions that will progress his goals — you’re there. And when he closes his eyes at night to go to bed?

You’re there. 

Haunting his mind like a ghost. 

A ghost of his past, a ghost of his present. He just can’t put his finger on it but there is a familiarity in you that only he can see. 

Shigaraki has always had hazy memories, but this one is so distinct — it replays in his mind at the worst of times. 

Is it your face? So innocent, so kind, but filled with hidden valor. Something so easily overlooked by your usually skittish demeanor. 

Shigaraki has taken notice of that. It was one of the first things that caught his eye about you. 

But is it your personality? The way there is more than meets the eye — a budding courage and fortitude growing under the concrete of your fragile frame of mind. 

He didn’t know. All he knew for the time being was that this bothered him. It gave him things to think about that had nothing to do with the new society he would bring. 

It was a distraction. 

There’s a sharp pain along the side of Shigaraki's neck and it’s then he realizes his bad habit of scratching has made itself known again. Something he’s been trying to work on has pried its way back into his mind. 

Whatever. 

It doesn’t matter what these feelings mean — all that matters is his goal and his plans to bring it into fruition.

Anything else is a distraction. 

———————

You have to leave today. 

The mission shouldn’t take long — three days max, but you still feel anxious about it. Dabi is in charge and you trust him to know what he’s doing. 

You don’t really trust him to keep you safe, though. 

It should be simple enough — stay back, do your job and come back to the base. 

A quick and easy mission. 

Or it would have been, until Dabi paid you a visit. 

“Do you understand?” his voice drags, air of boredom present as if he didn’t just turn your world upside down.

Dabi wants you to help on the mission. He wants you to—

“But that wasn’t the plan! I’m a healer.”

His cerulean eyes narrow, slight hint of irritation flashing over his features before it's gone again, “I know what you are. This would be more useful.” 

You stare at him as he flippantly waves you off and starts towards your doorway, unaware that you are sick at the notion of helping someone cause harm. 

“It’s not optional.” He tacks on, words ringing in your ears. 

You're struck still as Dabi departs, leaving you alone to bear the burden of silence as you anticipate what your new role will bring. 

It’s clear that you’ve lost. 

Dabi wants you to help him interrogate the moles.

He believes that your healing would pair well with his burning. A tactic that can wear the moles down enough to give the information Dabi seeks. It’s a cruel task and one you were not sure you could go through with. 

You may be a villain now but you are not evil.

You were not cruel — no matter how cruel the world had been to you. 

The thoughts weigh on your mind as you move to stand, nerves buzzing as you begin to pace around your room.

No, no, you were a healer. Maybe you were never intending to be a hero, but you never want to harm others either. Even if those others hold the title of villain. 

There had to be another way.

You stop, still in your tracks as the metaphoric lightbulb goes on in your head, steering the gears on your mind into action as the thoughts fall into place. 

You had an idea — a plan.

A small smile makes its way onto your face and you feel as though you’ve solved the unsolvable. 

Maybe, just maybe, no one had to get hurt on this mission.

———————

The sound of dripping pipes and scatter of steps too small to be human grate your ears and make you shudder. 

It’s creepy down here. 

That’s the only thing that comes to mind as you trail behind Dabi through abandoned tunnels. 

You sidestep some fallen debris and realize that the underground tunnels here are a reminder to never take the tunnels below the bar for granted. 

It’s slummy, it’s dark and it smells like abandoned agony. 

There are graffiti stains along the walls, leaking pipes against the ceilings and the floors are littered with fluids of all colors. 

Just being down here makes your stomach twist as your body subconsciously moves closer to Spinner, who trudges beside you as you all navigate through the area. 

Your father would have never allowed you to roam a place like this. 

But he’s not here anymore. 

And you’re a villain now. 

(Kind of.) 

Dabi is in front of you, leading the way as you all trek the halls of the abandoned underground. He moves with the confidence of someone who has seen and done this a million times. You absently wonder if he has. 

You knew next to nothing of Dabi. Nothing about where he’s from, how he’s grown up or where he got his burns — nothing. 

But with his steel gaze and uninterested tone, you think it’s better that way. 

Maybe knowing nothing could be a gift. 

“How much longer?” Spinner breaks the silence as his voice echoes through the halls. 

Dabi doesn't look back, only continuing his trek along the tunnels. “Just keep moving.”

As desperate as you are to know where this trek is heading you decide to hold your tongue. The air of this place is eerie enough and the sooner you get there, the sooner you can leave. 

But it’s odd, you’ve been walking for what feels like hours and you can’t help the nagging feeling that nothing has really changed. 

Not until you all come up on a large corridor. One with two identical, dark pathways. 

Dabi stops in his tracks, leading you both to follow his actions. “Alright wannabe, you go left, I’ll go right.” He throws you a glance, features as indifferent as his tone. “Healer, you’re with me.”

“We’re splitting up?” Spinner pipes up, frustrations of the endless trail palpable and you silently wonder if sending him alone was the safest way to go.

“To cover more ground. You have your way to contact me if you find them.” the arsonist shrugs, mind set on the given direction and you hurry to keep up with him — Spinner going in his respective direction with more brevity than you had previously given him credit for. 

There’s a slight ping in your chest and you kick yourself for thinking Spinner couldn’t hold his own alone. He was still a part of the League afterall. 

You and Dabi both veer right, into the limitless corridor with dim lights sparking like they could go out at any moment. 

This is not a place you would want to find yourself alone in. 

With the crunch of broken beer bottle glass and deep red splatters of what you could only assume as blood along the walls, you truly wonder what you’ve walked into. 

You decide to tread beside Dabi, catching up to his stride and ensuring he won’t leave your sight. 

The warmth radiating from his body is as nice as it is intimidating. It shows just how hot his body naturally runs from his dormant quirk. 

But it’s comforting. It blankets you and soothes the goosebumps that had spread across your skin in the chilled air of the tunnels. 

The silence between you feels natural and not forced, even though your curious questions about his past pry themselves to the forefront of your mind. 

You prefer this, you think. Wandering in silence while looking for the moles. You almost feel.. safe with Dabi here to guide the mission. 

“Hey—”

You gasp and turn back, swearing you heard another voice.

But there was nothing there. 

“Spinner?” You call out into the depths of the hall, walls fading into pitch black as you stare and wait for a response. 

The dark abyss is quiet as you wait for any signs of movement, but everything is stock-still. 

You turn back to Dabi, eyes lingering on the darkness, “did you hear that—?”

You look around but the arsonist is nowhere to be found. The sinking feeling in your heart deepens as your palms grow sweaty with simmering fear.

“Dabi?” 

Nothing. 

He was there just a moment ago, there was no way he could have left your sight. It’s a one way hall with no other doors. 

No, you think, panic rising as you move to sprint down the hall, go the way you know he has to be walking, Dabi wouldn’t leave you in here alone. 

Before you’re able to take your next step, hands engulf you, the sheer shock causes a cry to escape your lips only to be quieted by another hand covering your mouth. 

“Gotcha.”

———————

There's a sluggish and slow pull as you fight to open your eyes. Your nose twitches as your body feels like it's been thrown underwater and brought back to shore just moments before an inevitable demise. 

You feel heavy.

It’s a struggle to move your arm and it takes even longer for you to realize they’re being held together by your wrists. You fight harder to blink yourself awake and it’s then that you notice the voices speaking amongst themselves in the foreign space you’ve found yourself in. 

Your vision is blurry but you flutter until there’s clarity. 

Their voices sound muffled, like you were really underwater as they spoke, but the more you focused the clearer things became. 

There were three men in this room. 

One had dark hair and gleaming red eyes, while the other looked to be much younger. He sat atop a dusty desk and leered at you from a distance, speaking with the third man in a tone too chipper for the line of work he must be in.

The third man in question had you held by the wrists. 

He was behind you, laughing as one hand held your wrists and the other roamed in places that made you feel sick to your stomach. 

“Oh look, she’s awake. Morning princess.” The younger one spoke, green eyes almost glowing despite the darkness of the room. 

Morning? No, there was no way it was morning, but you couldn’t tell up from down right now. You tried and tried, but the grogginess you felt just would not go away.  

You move to speak, but the man behind you is faster, bringing a hand to your mouth to stop your voice before it's free. 

Your eyes dart around the room, seeking any form of familiarity. You only spot a worn down chair that one of the men had occupied, an old, dusty office desk and several metal wire shelves. 

Nothing helpful.

You try again to release your wrists, body slow moving and feeling as though it had been made of lead, but you fight with the strength you have. The man behind you only chuckles, easily amused by your struggle. 

“Whoa there, don’t hurt yourself. My quirk has you doped up with enough tranquilizer to take down a bear.” 

His quirk. Of course. 

You mentally kick yourself at the oversight. How could you be so naive? 

He leans closer, breath ghosting your ear. “Just relax.”

You scramble to remember your training, your fighting skills, anything but it all comes up short against a real life threat. The reality of the situation only makes you sick to your stomach and you cannot believe how woefully unprepared you are.  

You look at the two men in front of you through dreary eyes and know that it doesn’t take a genius to see where this is going. 

Your brows knit in frustration as you begin to feel lightheaded once more, but you desperately try to stay centered. 

“We really don’t have time for this.” A voice speaks up, it's the man with dark hair and narrowed eyes glaring at the other man holding you. You finally notice his lit cigarette and the way it’s awful smell clouds the room. 

The sleeze behind you only chuckles, dark and low as he removes the hand from your mouth to grab your cheeks, squeezing them as he releases your wrists, knowing his quirk has made you weak enough to do so. He pulls you closer by the waist. “Don’t we? Look at her. You don’t come across this often.”

The other nods in agreement, rising from his place on the dusty desk in the corner of the room. Even in your haze you can tell this place is dingy and abandoned — filled with old worn furniture that wouldn't sit on if they paid you. 

“Yeah, you should loosen up.” He mocks, stalking towards you with a sly grin, calling back to the third member of the trio. He places a hand on your head, moving your hair from your eyes. “She’s cute.” 

Your breath is ragged as you struggle against the hold, forcing the man to release your face and he pins your arms behind your back again instead. “Whoa there, feisty.” 

His laugh echoes in your ears and you desperately wonder where your comrades could be at a time like this. 

The man before you watches as you search the bare room for any kind of exit, an amused smile on his face.  

“Any chance that Blue Flame guy will interrupt us soon?” The one behind you speaks, and you close your eyes, knowing he’s gotten you figured out. 

“No way. He’s still stuck in disillusion. By the time he breaks out of it we’ll be long gone.” They both laugh at the idea and it puts your stomach in knots. Of course the other would have a quirk like that. 

No wonder it felt like you were going in circles. 

It’s because you had been. 

“That’s what I like to hear.” 

The next moments feel like a blur as you struggle to catch your breath. 

He is swift as he turns you toward the desk, pushing you forward and bending you over the dusty surface with ease. The panic from before is back and beating against your chest at full force. There was no way this was happening. 

Not like this.

You start to thrash again, even though your body feels like you're trailing it through sludge. 

It's pointless.

You try again to yell — to call for Dabi who was supposed to be with you throughout this, but nothing comes out. God only knows where he could be now, trapped in some illusionary quirk, blind to the time passing by. Wandering for hours. 

Completely oblivious to the danger you were in. 

Your knees tremble when you feel the heat of the other man leering over you, it makes you turn your head, eyes locking with the third guy in the room. 

He meets your eyes, reluctantly watching as his comrades make lewd comments about your body and move in on your space. There is obvious disdain in his crimson eyes but he makes no move to comment further. 

Damn it, damn it, damn it. 

There was nothing you could do to shake the effects of this tranquilizer quirk. Goosebumps rise along your skin as you feel the sticky residue left behind by the other man’s quirk as his hands ghost any bare skin he could reach. 

You were going to be sick. 

“The plans…” the seated one interjects, desperate to stay on topic. “We have to rendezvous with him again tomorrow night. We can’t stay here any longer.”

“Yeah, yeah, we know.” You heard the younger one interject, disinterest clear in his tone. 

“This is our last stint working with the league. Maybe we can leave them a parting gift.” The other breathes from above you, slowly dragging his palms along your clothed sides. 

The response makes the third guy roll his eyes and the younger one laughs. 

“N-no…” you find your voice, as small and meek as it may be, you choke out a whispered plea, so faint you almost didn’t hear it yourself. 

“What’s that girl?” You can hear the grin in his words, to think you had derived a plan that would save these assholes. 

To think you didn’t want them to die.  

“You scared?” He mocks, “what, you a virgin or somethin’?”

The warm tears begin to fall, pushing past your waterline and onto the dirty desk. 

“She’s crying! She is!” The blond shouts, excited at his unspoken discovery. 

“How lucky.”

The third of the trio sighs, removing the cigarette from his lips and rising from his place on the chair, but not before making eye contact with you, real eye contact. 

The kind that makes your heart jump at the notion — and then you see it.

The flash of pity. 

Your heart skips at the flash of his reluctance. 

It's so firm and so clear that you can almost feel the idea of him stepping in to save you, knowing that being a villain doesn’t mean you have to be downright villainous, but your hope is crushed as soon as it arrives. 

Stomped out onto the asphalt along with the man’s finished cigarette. 

The man sighs again, rolling his eyes at his comrades as he makes his way to the door, taking your hopes and wishes with him. 

“Well you fuckers better not take too long. I’m leaving.” 

And then he’s gone — leaving you with the men who will use and abuse you. There was a chance to stop something horrific but he couldn’t care less. 

It makes you think. 

It takes you back to your father and his never ending rants of how all men feel the same about girls like you. Stupid, naive and never able to stand on their own.

He put men like this away while wearing the mask of a public servant only to strip the mask and become the same of those he claimed to hate behind closed doors. 

But he’s not here anymore and now you were left in the hands of the unfamiliar.

You can’t help the bile that rises in your throat as you wonder if this was destined to be your fate in the end no matter what. 

You wish you had a choice. 

God, how foolish had you been. 

How naive of you to want to save these men from the League's wrath. 

You should have known better. You’ve been shown time and time again. 

They are all the same. 

They would always only want one thing from you and there was nothing you could do to stop or change it. 

But…

There’s a flash in your mind, of narrowed red eyes and soft pale hair. 

You think of his gloved hand, offering his drink to you. Of his hushed laugh late that night when you unintentionally insulted him. The leader of this group of villains you’ve found yourself a part of, the one who has treated you with nothing but respect since he’s met you. 

The sickness returns. 

The humiliation burns at your eyes. 

Tomura trusted you to be here and now you will pay for it. 

It’s as ironic as it is cruel. 

You were going to be sick. 

“What a prude.” The guy scoffs and turns to his younger comrade, bringing you out of your dissociated stupor and back to your unfortunate reality. 

He lifts you once more, putting your body on display for his younger friend and brings a hand around to cup your clothed breast.

He’s loose with his movements, halfheartedly holding your wrist with one hand and gloating with the other. It’s enough to leave your other hand free and you wince as it dangles by your side. 

You feel the breeze of the open door, pitch black outside of it and wish you had the strength to make a run for it. 

You were so close, like a carrot dangling in front of you face, but just far enough to be out of reach.

His words feel loud in your ears and you close your eyes, resigned to your fate.  “He doesn’t know what he’s missin’ out on.” 

“Oh, yeah?”

The man tenses and that’s all you register before you feel a strong pull. 

A heavy hand grips your forearm and pulls with a force you’ve never felt before. It’s so hot you almost feel burned but your mind is too groggy to care. 

And then it happens. 

You feel it before you see it. 

Blue flames erupt into the room that you were pulled out of. 

If there were screams they are too distant to be noted now. All you feel is heat and you’re beginning to sweat. You can't tell if you’ve been overdosed by the guy’s intoxicating quirk or if your mind was too stressed to care. 

All you can do is pant and struggle to watch as the familiar blue flames lick the frame of the door and incinerate those inside of it. 

(And as you watch the room bathe in flashes of cyan blue and purple hue, the sleezy men wither away into ash — into nothing — it finally clicks in your mind that oh.

His villain name means creation for this reason exactly.)

The men who held you before were no more. That thought alone would have sent you into another fit of tears if the heat from Dabi’s flames hadn’t dried the trails of them from before. 

The flame user in question stands beside you, breathing heavy and teeth bared. You can’t tell if the smell of burning flesh is coming from him or the two bodies he’s just burned and you don’t think you can stomach another thought towards the answer. 

His brows are pinched in anger and you don’t think you’ve seen this much expression from the man since you’ve known him. 

The hand holding your arm is gripping you so tight it almost hurts, but you couldn’t pull away if you wanted to. 

As if the idea of letting Dabi go would take this all away — as if it would make you wake up and face a reality where Dabi is not fast enough to save you. 

A reality where your nightmares are realized. 

“One of them got away.” Dabi low voice rasps and you can only register that conclusion by the footsteps echoing from farther away. He ran the opposite direction, with a head start and far away from Dabi’s wrath. “Maybe Spinner will catch the fucker.”

You can’t bring yourself to speak nor nod. The effects of the quirks toxin are still sweeping through your body with its wrath. 

There’s a lasting lump of dread in your stomach that makes you feel bolted where you stand. It pulls and pulls, dragging you lower and lower until you can no longer keep yourself upright.

You tense, mentally bracing yourself to meet the cold hard feeling of concrete, but somehow, the feeling never comes.

———————

There is something to be said to those with heavy quirks. Those who have quirks that stay for much longer than they should and linger well past their welcome. 

The intoxicating quirk of the sleezy villain before is definitely one you’re happy you’ll never encounter again. 

Your head feels full of cotton as you struggle to catch your bearings, hands gripping the sides of the toilet. It’s been this way since you woke up from the outing. 

The unpleasant remains of the toxins have ruined your stomach, and you’ve found yourself here, on the floor of the bathroom for the better half of an hour. 

A seesaw of back and forth nausea from the quirk and the fact that those two men are dead. 

Gone forever. 

Incerated. 

You don’t think you’ll ever forget the smell of their burning flesh and the final sounds of their screams. 

You wearily eye your cell phone, tossed onto the tile of the floor and locked. It’s inviting, almost calling to you as your hand hovers over it. 

You could call Shigaraki and tell him about the disaster mission you’ve just experienced, but you stop yourself. 

What did you expect would happen? That he would comfort you like he did on the roof? 

He is your leader, not your friend. 

You scoff bitterly at your spiraling train of thought. 

If you called him now It would just be a show of how incapable you are, and you can’t risk this new home you’ve found. 

So, instead of fighting a losing battle, you bring shaky hands to your forehead, the warmth of your own healing quirk soothing you in a way that feels reminiscent to your mother’s ways. 

There was no use waiting around in a stuffy bathroom. Men were dead because of you. 

You know you shouldn’t feel guilt for it — they were trying to hurt you — but the deaths are so heavy on your mind. 

Forcing yourself to stand on wobbly legs, you walk back to your temporary room. 

Shigaraki set you all up with a cover home, seemingly belonging to a family of three but long abandoned. You took the room of the young daughter, the place covered top to bottom in lace and frills. 

You try not to wonder where she’s ended up. 

Your temporary bedroom is down the hall from the bathroom, not too far for any emergency nausea. 

And from the short distance you can see that there’s someone in your room. 

The closer you get to the door the clearer it becomes that it’s only Dabi, seated and awaiting your return. It would be a lie to say the nausea you felt in that moment only came from the quirk. 

“Have a seat.”  He wastes no time breaking the air, thick rasp of his voice making you hesitate as you linger in the doorway. 

Your eyes fall to the ground as the persistent dread in your gut grows, but you do as he instructs. The bed below you feels too soft, a stark contrast from the firm one you’ve grown to know at the hideout. 

You know what this is about, but the anxiety fills you all the same. 

There was nowhere to run. 

Dabi would tell Shigaraki of your failure today and let him know how you weren’t cut out for this. You would have to leave. 

You would have to—

“What are you gonna do?” His dreary voice drags, cutting through your train of thought. 

You look up at him. 

“What?”

“There’s one more left. Are you going to sit here puking your guts out about this or are you going to finish what they started?”

You eye Dabi wearily. 

Was he.. was he trying to encourage you?

With his narrowed eyes and crossed arms this feels more like an attempted pep talk from an emotionally stunted relative than a scolding from a higher up. 

“I… I don’t know.” You murmur, unsure of how to heed this conversation. Shouldn’t you be on the chopping block right now? “Two of them are dead. I think I’ve done enough damage—”

You don’t miss the eye roll Dabi couldn’t be bothered to hide. 

“Why do you feel sympathetic? They wouldn’t give half a shit about you.” He spits and you flinch at the harsh words, knowing they were nothing but the truth. “Nobody cares about people like us.” 

People like us, you think bitterly. Villains. Outcasts. People that aren’t worth saving. People that are lost causes. There are no heroes for those like Dabi — and now, people like you. 

The thought makes you choke up, vision blurring as you bring a hand to your mouth. It’s too late to melt from the humiliation of this, and the weight of the day is just too heavy to carry anymore. 

“This world is cruel.” He continues, tone even and leveled despite your come apart. “You need to learn to stand on your own. We may not always be there to save you.”

It’s the truth. The cold hard reality you face. You would be lying if you said those hands wouldn’t haunt your nightmares for years to come. 

But you wanted to try. As futile as it may have sounded. It’s why even through your tears you speak, “I-I had a plan, you know.” 

Dabi’s brow quirks at this, head tilted in interest.

“I didn’t want anyone to get h-hurt. It was stupid, I know! But I wanted to try.”

You expect him to dismiss you, to say how naive and even childish you may sound. You don’t expect his next words. 

“And what was that plan?”

You look up, warm tears still cascading down your flushed cheeks and your nose probably looking less than sightly. “What?”

“Tell it to me and maybe we can work something out.” His cerulean eyes shimmer with curiosity. You could practically see the gears turning in his mind as he begins to piece together his own thoughts and ideas for your next courses of action. 

And you think to yourself, watching as he listened intently to your words that maybe there was more to Dabi’s personality than meets the eye. 

———————

You thought you would never be down in the tunnels again. It was unfamiliar and cold, if Dabi were to light the entire thing on fire you would be fine with it. 

Each step you take through these grotesque tunnels makes the pit of dread in your stomach grow deeper and deeper. 

It’s unsettling to be back here — even knowing the men were dead. 

You look to your right, turning down the next hall and continuing on your way. 

Spinner said the last one never left the tunnels and there’s only one way out. You’re sure he’s been backed into a corner with Dabi patrolling the area and Spinner lurking and listening. 

That only leaves you. If the man wanted to take the easier target, it’s clear he would choose you. 

You almost scoff. Of course he would. 

But you were ready today. There were no more illusion quirks and no more ambushing. There was just you and—-

You stop in your tracks, the sound of a footstep slashing against water draws your attention. 

The nerves almost build again but you force yourself to focus. This is possibly your last chance to make things right, for yourself more than anything, but also for the mission. 

Keep yourself quiet and lure him in, just like Dabi instructed. 

His movements are sloppy, you can tell from the way he blows his cover to tackle you from the back, but the same trick won't work on you twice. 

You turn, fully ready to send a punch his way when he moves, pushing you to the side and through a weakened door beside you. 

You both tumble to the floor, the hard concrete scraping against your arms as you fight for your life with the skills you’d learned from Toga. You know that with her training and your determined mind it will be all the more easy to get the upper hand today. 

And you do. 

It's a cheap shot, but you hit him where it hurts, climbing onto him when he has no choice but to coil over. 

Your bat was lost in the scuffle, forgotten as you pulled out one of Toga’s slender knives she had gifted to you. Training with her had made you adopt many of her ways, but you were thankful for them. 

They remind you of how far you had come.

Remind you that no, you were not weak like you once thought. 

You look down at the man below you, his eyes closed as he begged for your forgiveness. 

You were ambushed. 

Your training was not in vain. 

“Wait!” The man below you pleads and it's now that you can see the bags under his eyes, whether it be from anguish of his fallen comrades or the lack of sleep you know he hadn’t gotten last night. It doesn’t matter, you can clearly see the cracks. 

You pause, holding the knife to his throat with narrowed eyes, the look urges him to continue — to plead his case. 

“You don’t have to do this,” he starts and you have to keep yourself from scoffing, “I-I know what they did was wrong — I know! But it had nothing to do with me.”

Your brow twitches in annoyance, but you let him go on. This was your part of the deal you made with Dabi. You wanted a chance to hear them out, or to hear the last one out — to see if there was any way that a compromise could be made. 

But now that you had the man here underneath you and groveling you felt something you never had before.

You felt… strong. 

“Just let me go.” His words break through your thoughts, they were tired and worn. Like he knew his time was up. “I know you’re better than this.”

This time you scoff at the irony. 

Better than this, he says. As if that would have gotten you out of that room unscathed. As if being better than this would have made him step in and stop his comrades from trying to assault you.

Yeah, better than this is complete bullshit. 

He’s wrong. 

In this world there is no such thing as fairness. 

If you let him go, if you let him leave here there’s no telling what else he would leak. 

You believe this is why Dabi allowed you the freedom of enacting your plan. The plan where you wanted to hear their side, their story. But now you know better.

It's you or them. Even men who were complacent had no room for your mercy.

So with a (not so heavy) heart you stare down at the man, eyes even and leveled.  

“He’s in here!” Your voice echoes throughout the run down building and the man curses you, calls you every name under the sun but you cannot bring yourself to care. 

“You stupid bitch—!”

In a world like this one it’s win or lose. Take or be taken. 

Kill or be killed. 

Dabi is in the room in an instant, whistling an impressed tune. 

“Not bad, little bird.” His grin grows as he assesses the scene, staples pulling at his skin in ways you can only assume are painful. “I knew you had it in you.” 

He steps closer, gravel crunching under his boots as he bends down eye level with the man. 

“Now, let’s get this show started.”

[thisonegirl]

Goodbye, Dabi

pairing : touya “dabi” todoroki x reader rating : sfw warnings : mentions of death, implications of suicide and homicide wc : 1.8k (edited) part I part II part III

She knew it.

As Y/N stood frozen in place, shocked at the image on the screen just like the other nurses and elders in the home, she thought ‘I knew it’. He had found Dr. Ujiko, he had found Shigaraki and worst of all he had found All for One. She knew it would be a disaster. In that moment she couldn’t help but blame herself for being such a blabbermouth and mentioning the doctor around him, especially when she already had reservations concerning him and the character he had developed. 

Now, here he is. Becoming everything I had feared.

The gasps of disbelief filled the room as Touya revealed his identity and affiliations. The League of Villains. The name wasn’t unfamiliar nor were a few of the members within it. 

She had met Shigaraki when they were little. Mostly in passing as he wasn’t in the home with the rest of the kids but she could vividly remember when Dr. Ujiko took her to meet All for One. The evilness within him radiated off his body like waves and chilled her to the core. He had wanted to meet her because of her quirk. One he deemed useful for his cause. She remembered the frail looking white haired boy, she took notice of his little twitches and his empty eyes and couldn’t help but pity him while wondering if she’d become such a shell if she accepted his offer.

She remembered how annoyed- and quite frankly, scared - Dr. Ujiko had been when she refused All for One’s invitation to join him and his protégé, Shigaraki, in their quest. As they left, he told her she was lucky to have left unscathed AND with her quirk. He explained to her who All for One was and how his quirk functions. By the end of that explanation, she agreed with the doctor that she indeed was lucky. That encounter had her doubting everything and everyone she had ever known. They had all been raised for the sole purpose of becoming All for One’s sheep. She couldn’t believe someone as kind and caring as Mr. Sunny has been affiliated to such a cause. Dr. Ujiko, however, was more believable.

She knew then that she didn’t want to be around Dr. Ujiko more than necessary, and that she didn’t want the children back home to have this same path as an option as she wasn’t so sure All for One would be so kind as to let another rejection pass by unchecked.

That was when she made the decision to leave. Luckily enough, Dr. Ujiko and Mr. Sunny let her leave with a few of the children, and though it seemed like an action of uncharacter-like kindness, she knew they were the ones they deemed useless and unworthy. It was better than nothing yet her heart still ached for the ones she couldn’t save.

Are they now villains as well? Murderers and thieves?

Y/N’s stomach churned as she listened intently to Dabi’s words, just like everyone else. His journey to the league and his motivation for the destruction he had caused. 

Endeavor’s first born son. The number one hero created a villain. She mentally kicked herself for her naivety and lack of critical thinking. That firepower, of course it was related to the number one hero somehow. That’s the someone he wants to take with him.

“My goodness, what type of father does that to their own child?!”

“All Might would never.”

“Some hero that is.”

And so it began. Y/N knew that this was just the beginning of the death of Endeavor. The end would be with Dabi, at his hand.

“So this is all his fault!”

“What a terrible human being!”

“He shouldn’t even be a hero.”

The elders in the home all made their opinions known. Sentiments shared by many throughout the country. Their faith in heroes was dwindling and they wanted All Might back. They didn’t want whatever or whoever was left after his departure. They, or rather, we needed the symbol of peace back.

As she walked back home at the end of the day, her mind was in a state of turmoil while her chest tightened at the thought of all the children she left behind. Her thoughts then shifted to Dabi, as she finally came to terms with the fact that Touya was indeed dead and gone. She wondered if he would’ve done all this had she been more insistent in him staying that night, if she had gone after him the day he left years ago, when his burns weren’t nearly as bad as they now were. 

The atmosphere was off after that revelation. It was as if you could see the hope evaporate from every being as we all now had to come to terms that our greatest hero was in fact someone’s monster. We had entrusted everything to him and now we felt like we could trust nothing and no one.

She felt uneasy walking at night. Villains had become emboldened by the chaos that followed All Might’s departure and with the truth about Endeavor and his family coming out, even heroes didn’t look so appeasing. 

With her home in sight, Y/N quickened her steps not wanting to stay out another minute longer than what was necessary. She once knew for a fact that her children would be safe and sound at home but the fact slowly changed into an everyday hope.

“You should be more aware of your surroundings,” a hoarse voice boomed from behind her. His voice.

Stopping in her tracks, she turned to him. His hair, snowy white once again. She stared in silence, not because she was stunned into it but rather because, what words could be said in that moment.

“The streets are a lot more dangerous nowadays,” his tone was proud and smug as if the lack of security she felt was a commendable achievement, “What? Cat got your tongue?” he mocked.

“W-what are you doing here?” she whispered, “the authorities must all be looking for you,” she mentally cursed at how her voice trembled when speaking.

“You knew, didn’t you?”

Her heart sank, and her legs almost followed.

“You knew what that doctor had been doing. You knew about All for One and his plan. You knew about the Nomus.” Y/N’s lips quivered and her eyes stung as tears formed in them.

“I thought you were this pure and kind person but you’ve been letting all this happen all the while taking money from that man.”

“I-I didn’t-”

“What? Have a choice?” He interrupted, “Don’t worry, I’m not here to judge you. I know who you were dealing with.”

“What are you doing here?” she asked again, this time with tears rolling down her face as the weight of her guilt finally crushed her.

“I don’t know to be honest,” he responded, “I don’t like anyone, matter of fact, I hate everyone… but not you. I actually tolerate you.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means I don’t want anything bad to happen to you in this mess,” she didn’t know what to feel at that point, much less what to say so she said nothing at all.

“There’s gonna be a war,” he announced, “Just a heads up for you to be out of here before it starts…And to be on the right side.”

A scoff escaped her lips before she could stop it. “The right side? And what side would that be?”

“Our side,” he said matter-of-factly, “I don’t plan on being on the losing side, so that’s the side you should join.”

“Did All for One put you up to this?”

“Nope.”

“Did Shigaraki or Dr.Ujiko?”

“No.”

“So why do you want to recruit me?” she asked, now more confused than ever.

“Because like I said, I don’t want anything bad to happen to you. You’ll be safer with us.”

“No I won’t, Dabi.” The smugness fell from his face at the sound of that name, “I - we won’t be safer with you. In fact, no one is safe as long as All for One is around, so I sure as hell don’t want to be on his side.”

“So that’s the side you choose?”

“No! I don’t choose anything! I don’t care about heroes or villains or any other label there is. I just want peace. That is all everyone wants and you are the one threatening it,” she burst out. Damned be the fear she felt. “Please just leave.”

“A few months ago you were begging me to stay,” he scoffed.

“Yes, but you didn’t! You left and did very bad things, Dabi. Now please leave.”

Dabi stared at Y/N stunned. Her figure was trembling, he wasn’t sure if it was fear or cold causing it. His face drenched in tears that poured out of her pain stricken eyes. When he made no attempts to move, she took it as her sign to leave.

“Hey-”

“No! Stop Dabi, please! I am begging you,” she spun back around, “Do not come back here. Please. I’m doing all I can to keep them safe and they don’t deserve to be caught in the crossfire of whatever you’re up to.”

“That was their purpose!”

“No, it wasn’t!” she all but shrieked at him, “You don’t get to dictate what their purpose is! They have their own lives and dreams and they don’t need to be led down the same path as you,” her words had struck something in him. He felt the fire within him light up and he tried to control his anger as it brewed.

“I am begging you. I know you don’t care about anyone, but please, please, don’t come back here.”

“Fine,” he let out. He could see the relief wash over her at the sound of that word.

“Goodbye Dabi,” she said as she turned to leave. Her pace was much quicker than before, as she rushed to get away from him. 

He left a tug in his chest. He was reminded that there was something in there, still beating after all time.

He watched from afar as she entered her home. A sense of déjà vu passed by him and he couldn’t help but compare his feelings to what he felt the first time he was in that position. The anger that boiled as he thought of Endeavor’s rejection verses the anger that simmered as he thought of Y/N’s rejection. Only one of them drove him towards evilness while the other weakly pulled him away from it. 

Keyword: weakly.

His hate was still far too strong. Whatever he felt for her wasn’t enough to quench it, so the anger that grew from her rejection was added to the hate that drove him because at the end of the day, he was still Dabi.

——————————

masterlist

[isabeauwolf]

What's does it say about me when Overhaul and Dabi are my top two favorites in MHA?

Just as Tomura Shigaraki parallel's both Dabi and Overhaul, so do they.

Yes, Kai Chisaki was founded and adopted by Pops. He had a home, someone to care for him and raise him, but he wanted more. To repay Pops and raise the Shie Hassaikai's glory and power back from the edge of extinction.

Touya, unlike Tomura and Kai had no one. He tried to go back home, back to his family, but witnessing that nothing had changed even with the three years that he was gone and comatose, he left.

Hero society and citizens turning a blind eye to children in clear need of help, refusing to step in and wait for a Hero when they could have helped, reached out a hand when they were literally right there!

So many falling through the cracks and forgotten.

Outcasts and broken, being forced to pick up the pieces and shoving them back in themselves, all crooked and jumbled, holding on by sheer will alone.

They are both well written characters and villains, driven and obsessive about fulfilling their goals.

In a messed up and twisted way, they were right. Even if it doesn't justify what they did.

Wanting to tear down Hero society.

Wanting to be seen and acknowledged by their fathers figures.

Wanted to be praised and accepted, loved.

Leaving their old names and lives behind to become terrifying Villains in their own right. Pushing themselves to the brink of insanity, justifying their actions and twisted morals.

Becoming the monsters they become.

A demon with no heart.

Frankenstein monster, half alive and half dead.

People can argue that they didn't care about anyone, but themselves, but they're wrong. They did care. They cared too much. Giving up everything: their pasts, their present, their futures, their time and energy, all of it for someone else and got burned for it.

Endeavor and Pops. -_-

Nearly killing themselves over and over again for someone else's dreams and ideals.

Anyone can become a Hero in someone else's eyes when you've reached the lowest or darkest part in your life. Doesn't matter to that person if they are a Hero or Villain. They were their when you needed them most.

False Heroes and the true destruction of quirks growing more powerful, unstable, accepted or rejected depending on your power.

We see the men behind the monsters.

Glimpses of who they truly are underneath the mask they wear and strong front, hiding their insecurities and weaknesses. How truly frail they are beneath their powerful quirks, hidden behind the shadows and darkness they surround themselves in.

Two clearly traumatized men who went through so much physical and mental suffering from a young age compared to most normal, healthy kids. Bottling up their repressed issues, mental scars and striving forward, to be seen, to be loved and accepted in the form of destruction and tipping the balance of "peace" that's covered by the Safety Commission. (That's a whole can of worms that I understand, but frustrates me to no end!)

Instead of choosing to living for themselves and finding their own form of happiness, they instead chose to give their all for someone else's sake and paying heavily for it.

There's a very thin line between: love and hate, revenge and forgiveness, acceptance and ignorance, sanity and insanity.

Good and Evil.

All of it, can change a person.

We see it all, time and time again in fandoms, not just in MHA.

Despite what we already know, theirs still so much that we don't.

So many mysteries, unanswered questions and pieces of both Kai's and Touya's pasts are unknown.

They were both considered candidates for AFO's new body, but were considered failures.

Kai could have escaped the orphanage and been experimented on by The Doctor. Been called a monster, non human. His quirk might have killed his parents or previous guardian's on accident when it manifested similar to Eri's.

We never see him smile, hear him laugh or god forbid make a sound when he's in pain after being hit with both Lemillion's and Deku's powerful punches and attacks. Yes, he's mentioned that overhauling and fixing his own body is painful, but it's clear that he's used to the pain.

Yes, he's grunted and hissed, but hardly flinches. No doubt being forced to fix himself over and over again, growing numb to the pain.

With Touya, all of the mental shock and physical changes after he had awakened, after being burnt alive. You don't tell someone something so live changing right away. It should have been a slow process. Hell, we didn't see him eat anything before giving the poor boy the shock of his life.

Seriously? What the hell was AFO and The Doctor thinking? No, I take that back. They were hoping to use Touya for their own selfish gain and plans.

As fucked up as it is. I'm glad that they both got away from those mens clutches.

God, I just want to give both them hugs, even if they shove me away.

Ugh, I'm rambling again. lol How can I not?

Seriously, look at these deadly handsome devils. Can you blame me? No? Do you agree with me?

-- warning more of me rambling again about them --- (not sorry!) XD

I've shared over and over again why I adore them.

Overhaul stole my heart since I first saw him on screen and Dabi wormed his way in as well out of nowhere, I swear!

I don't think I've seen much discussions about these two as far as I've known. I've talked about it with others, but that's it.

Shiggy and Overhaul, yes. Dabi and Shiggy, yes.

But Overhaul and Dabi? Not much, which is a shame!

Tell me down below or reblog ;)

Feel free to talk, fangirl or discuss theories and your head canons, ocs and whatnot with me!

M'kay, night peeps!

[codenamesazanka]

The word used here is actually "extermination" 「退治」 which is very much in the context of getting rid of evil/harmful things, like pests and demons.

I was going to let this one go because, fair. Shigaraki killed her friend, or did something to lead to the friend’s death.

But then I remember that you could say the same about Hawks. Twice passed away. Hawks is a damn murderer! Yeah, yeah, Hawks killed a terrorist, Hawks was doing it to protect people. Hawks is still a murderer, and someone was very angry with him for it. Shigaraki paid for killing the girl's friend with his life, as he should; Hawks is now President of the Hero Public Safety Commission.

A little confused about what this lady means, but it sounds like she thinks Shigaraki couldn't control himself? In any case, in the context of her being the lady that stopped to help but ditched Tenko because he looked wrong to her, this becomes a lie. He could've been stopped. If she had fucking helped him.

(Or, well. With the 419 Reveal, I can't see how AFO wouldn't have just eventually snatched Tenko out of the police box or orphanage even if he had been helped. But at least in Shigaraki’s telling, this lady did make him feel that itch again.)

Also noticed that her occupation is listed as ‘housewife’. I know it's been 16 years, and she’s 70 now, so maybe she retired (wouldn't her occupation be labeled as ‘retiree’, then?) But now I have to wonder if she didn't just lied about needing to hurry to work just to abandon Tenko.

This is false. We know it. Shigaraki wanted to destroy the society that rejected him and his friends. He wanted to destroy the illusion of peace All Might gave everyone. He wanted to be a Hero to the League, to the Villains, to those who suffered under Hero Society. He was never able to release a statement about it, so I can't blame people for thinking this of him, but he did have a cause and he did have ideas and it wasn't just a tantrum.

And because the League is an Alliance, the goals of each of his teammates was part of his goal - Dabi wanted to destroy Endeavor (succeeded, portrayed as right just last chapter); Toga wanted to destroy the idea of normal; Spinner wanted heteromorphobia dealt with; Compress wanted reform.

(Unless—Shigaraki meant what he said to Deku. That he was just a crying child. However, that is also later contradicted by him depending on Deku for the destruction to be staying and complete.)

This is the thing that Spinner’s book can counter… Like I said before, it seems like he's valorizing empty destruction, but it really isn't. But will it seem that way to anyone else?

Talked about the "police investigation" and "tragic past" here. Does this mean people know about the Shimura and AFO and the grooming? Do they know???

Do they know about Shigaraki’s tragic past or not??? That he wouldn't have existed without All For One? Or do they think kids like that do get kidnapped and groomed into evil often enough for the next Shigaraki to already be existing and is in fact waiting for a chance to strike?

As for All For One, people definitely don't know his past, so of course they think he’s just an evil that pops up. I wonder if they think he’s evil because he's a lonely man (what Deku said) or because he has a too-strong quirk that is easy to take advantage of people with?

Mostly I think they should make sure there’s no homeless people out there without healthcare (AFOFA Mom).

[bibibbon]

MHA chapter 425

Iam not really sure how to feel about this chapter. Well I can definitely say that I still think that the entirety of the second war arc especially the last few chapters weren't my favourite and ruined the series for me but we have the power of rewrites on our side so not to worry

So we finally have a 1A member that left. It's surprising that it took a total of 425 chapters for someone to finally leave the hero course. This low-key makes me question if 1A just all has neglectful parents that don't care about them because I think any sane parent would of took their kids out of UA a long time ago and the first war arc should of been a wake up call. Now that yuuga has left it does make me wonder what he will do. I mean he has to continue his education somewhere 🤷‍♀️

Shinsou joins class 1A and Iam surprised his parents let him. I get that shinsou was due to join the hero course in their second year but like this series sometimes make me question if any of these characters have sane parents because why would you let your kid join in such a dangerous job?!?! Also I respectfully think that shinsou is heavily underdeveloped and didn't get any moment to shine in the war arc. Also there isn't much of a relationship between 1A and shinsou so it does feel a bit off I guess and maybe this is just me but I always thought that he fit in better with 1b

Pacing is hella fast! How are they going back to school already and throwing a graduation ceremony. It hasn't been a week and somehow everything is rebuilt like that, we get little to no information from what they plan to do in the future. We do get a tiny speech but we don't get them starting to do such things and personally I would of at least enjoyed a panel seeing some heroes help rebuild and clean the damage caused. Plus I think everyone can tell that the MHA society is flawed so saying that they want to go back to their old ways seems very iffy to me. I also would of liked an acknowledgement in what actually happen in the war arc but considering that not many people died they weren't gonna do any type of memorial thing or anything.

Is that shigaraki?!?! Or kurogiri?!?!?!? Who is it!!! Iam totally unsure of who it is but I don't think it would make sense if it was shigaraki because he literally died unless hori is actually going along with the plan of separating Tenko and shigaraki and thats not shigaraki but the innocent and crying Tenko type of bs (I absolutely hate this idea tbh) also what happend for tenko to come back as a child I suppose? Or is this someone completely new who has been effected by society and we're supposed to be like well evil is still brewing as society hasn't changed type thing? Maybe it's kurogiri idk I just want to see kurogiri again.

Enji is in a wheelchair (don't really care for him). This makes me question if endy is even a hero anymore and if he ain't who is the number one then? ( I still think they're going by that system because they said they wanna go back to the old ways)

Wait are we gonna see Dabi next chapter!!!!. Enji is facing somewhere with a ton of wires and all so maybe it could be where Dabi is being held at? I mean we don't know if Dabi is dead and we didn't get todoroki talking about it at all

I need Izuku's old hair back!! I miss the fluffy hair and I get that the convo was supposed to be lighthearted and all but I would of enjoyed the pages being used for something else like them actually checking up on eachother. Is tokoyami quirkless? How did they spend their time? Questions like that would of sufficed but I hated Izuku's hair at least he has some people telling him it's cool even if they might be lying

This chapter didn't give us much clarification on much to be honest. Yeah I was expecting this chapter to have huge focus on other villains and characters yet it didn't. I know I have to be patient blah blah but the last two panels of 424 did give us ochako and Todoroki but we got the least focus on them this chapter. I was hoping the villain situations might start to get addressed but I guess that will be next chapter with maybe Tenko making a comeback?

Also I love how we got Toruu's quirk glitching but no one acknowledges it or helps her with it (sarcasm if you couldn't realise)

I also hate whatever convo that was between Izuku and ochako, it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth for some unknown reason

Why the hell is a third year In charge of something a teacher should be!!?!?!! Poor fuwa UA corruption and hypocrisy goes deep.

How are children still joining ua?!?! Like yep society moves on like nothing happend even though Japan was turned upside down in chaos

In conclusion, it was ok I didn't expect it to be amazing because it was a chapter that was gonna expand on stuff I didn't like 🤷‍♀️.

[sapphic-agent]

Ranking MHA Arcs

Vs. Hero Killer Stain: A 9/10 arc. It had great tension, character development, character interaction, and villain. The friendship between Iida, Izuku, and Todoroki felt 10x more genuine than it ever did with Bakugou. The only thing I would change is maybe make Tensei not so virtuous. Maybe he made mistakes in the past or contributed to toxic hero society in some way. Perfect way to develop both Iida and Izuku

Shie Hassaikai: Again, just a great arc. Great villain and tension and love how the LOV are involved but aren't the current enemy. I love Mirio and his sacrifice for Eri was done perfectly, and him rejecting OFA made me love him even more. One of the only arcs where anyone cared about how Izuku was doing (love Iida and Todo forever). The only reason I'm putting it at #2 is Nighteye being a pretentious prick who pissed me off the whole time.

Battle Trial: One of the only arcs where Bakugou's actions aren't depicted as okay. Also calls out his behavior by making him lose because of it. Izuku's actions are recognized wholly, both what he did wrong and what he did right. Back when Momo was analytical and sharp. Also, evil Iida kills me every time. Just a pretty solid arc overall, good balance of tension and humor. There's only one thing I hate and it's that Izuku felt so guilty that he told Bakugou that he inherited his quirk

Meta Liberation: The only saving grace of season 5. The LOV was so well-written and Shigaraki's progression into a leader was so well done. I would have made it top three if it wasn't for Shigaraki's autonomy immediately being taken away by him wanting AFO. Kind of ruined the whole point of the arc

Entrance Exam: I had to make it top 5. It perfectly captures what made early MHA so great. It's so inspirational to everyone whose dreams have ever been discouraged. Some things could have been handled better which is why it isn't higher, but in general I love it

Sports Festival: I've talked about what I do and don't like about the Sports Festival before. There were a lot of good and bad things about it. Uraraka and Todoroki had great development, Izuku's and Tokoyamk's were okay, and Momo's was terrible. But what really keeps it out of the top 5 is the Bakugou pandering. It's the first arc that really starts to do this and it really ruins what could have been a really good arc

Hideout Raid: Again, the only reason this isn't higher is because it's so centered around Bakugou. If it wasn't just an arc pandering to him and his "development," it'd be a lot better. But I'm putting it at 7 because of the awesome fight between All Might and AFO. Easily one of the best in the series. And how that saved Bakugou was pretty damn cool ngl

UA School Festival: Gentle Criminal is tied for my favorite MHA villain with Stain. Not only is he relatable as fuck, his quirk is so unique. He was just so enjoyable. The festival was cute, though I felt as though this arc could have focused more on Eri's trauma. It's great that the festival was something for her to look forward to, but there could have been more done here. Also, Aizawa blaming his students for the other students being resentful and making them take accountability. Also, Bakugou being good at the drums for no reason

Paranormal Liberation War: As far as major arcs this one is okay. I feel like some parts of it were too drawn out, but it wasn't terrible. I liked Dabi exposing Endeavor, and Mirko chasing down Garaki like a bat out of hell was funny. Hawks' fight with Twice was also very impactful. BUT it also felt like a lot of the pros were useless. Like, Mount Lady struggling so much with Gigantomachia felt odd. She should have been more effective imo. I also wasn't a fan of how Midnight died in the manga, that felt unnecessarily brutal

USJ: This arc does a great job of introducing Shigaraki... And not much else. Like, I don't think it's bad at all, but it was a little boring. It does get points though for Tsu casually drowning Mineta, little moments like this make it watchable

Quirk Apprehension Test: The only reason this arc isn't lower is because of Izuku proving that he belongs at UA as much as anyone else. That was a great moment for him. But the QAT is quirkist and honestly just mean-spirited. Why would you humiliate a student in front of their classmates like that? Not to mention that Aizawa was blatantly singling him out with it. Just the beginning of Aizawa being a bad teacher

Provisional Hero License Exam: I struggled where to put this arc. Because honestly? It was good for the most part. I liked seeing how the kids each handled their tasks and opponents. Bakugou failed (I know I've said that this is undercut by Todo failing too, but it's still satisfying) and it really got into the nuances of rescue work. I liked it... Until Deku vs Kacchan Part 2. This fight ruins the entire arc for me. Bakugou fails because he couldn't stop being a dick for 2 seconds and decides he's allowed to take it out on Izuku? Then he trauma dumps on him while playing victim. And then coerces him into a fight. And then is rewarded from throwing this temper tantrum by being given what he wants (knowing about OFA). This was the arc where my feelings towards the series really soured. I really debated putting it at the bottom, but I didn't want to dismiss the good things about it so easily

Forest Training Camp: Only good thing about this arc was Izuku's fight with Muscular and his relationship with Kota. But after that it's Bakugou making bad decisions and everyone else having to suffer for them. I do appreciate Kota slapping Mineta though

Dark Hero: Just... So much potential. But it feels like we never really go below the surface with Izuku. This is supposed to be his arc and it barely focused on who he is. He should have spoken with the vestiges more. Also, while I can understand where they were coming from, 1A ambushing and then antagonizing him was terrible and Bakugou's bum ass apology was even worse. The only reason it isn't lower is because of my unhinged love for Lady Nagant. She's one of the best written characters in the series and I adore her. Unfortunately, it feels like Hori doesn't allow her to influence the overall story

Pro Hero: So this one is just... Weird. I mean, I don't think I hate it? The fight was pretty cool. I love seeing Hawks' quirk in action because his use of it is so creative. I don't like him and Rei being used to prop Endeavor's development though. I just don't think this arc was that good

Joint Training: So I mentioned this in a reply somewhere, but Bakugou's flawless win felt so unearned. He hasn't put any work into getting along with others and working with a team (all the "progress" he made was others- Izuku- doing the work for him). The fact that he didn't so much as struggle like everyone else was just bad writing. Momo losing even though she did put in the work to learn to strategize better and cover her bases just felt like a slap in the face to her character. Every time it feels like Hori wants to do right by her character, he ends up making it worse but had no problem propping Bakugou up every five minutes. I liked Uraraka being the unsung star of this arc, Monoma's team underestimating her and then living to regret it was nice. It's one of the only times the progress she's made as a hero is ever acknowledged. This arc didn't do a good job of making me care about Shinsou though, no substance to his character. Monoma was pretty entertaining

Endeavor Agency: Boring ass arc. It wasn't funny or entertaining and had zero character development for our main characters. Natsuo is antagonized for calling out Endeavor and poor Fuyumi gets yelled at by Bakugou in her own home for sharing her feelings. And then Izuku's bs "i tHiNk YOurE geTtINg REaDy tO fOrGiVE hiM." Like I love him but wtf is that line? Hori trying to force Endeavor's redemption down our throats

Final Exams: This arc is all kinds of bullshit. Sero takes a hit for Mineta and is incapacitated and fails. Yet Bakugou is continuously uncooperative, attacks him teammate, and is also incapacitated and passes? Not to mention it's all on Izuku to be the one to teach him how to work with others when that's supposed to be Aizawa's job. Every other match was also useless. The only one that has real development and interaction was Tododoki and Momo. Todo gets humbled and learns to stop acting above his classmates (even if he didn't do this with the intent of being harmful, he still did it) and Momo gets more confidence and agency. But no one else really learned anything or improved. This arc just proves how bad a teacher Aizawa is tbh

Remedial Course: I feel like this arc is evidence that Bakugou would suck as the main character. I was bored to tears during the entire thing. It felt like forced Bakugou and Todoroki interaction first of all. And truth be told I didn't know that kid was supposed to be mini Bakugou, I thought he was representative of Monoma. He was nowhere as bad as Bakugou was as a kid and felt a lot more chill. Also looked more like Monoma. Idk if this is how Hori wants us to see kid Bakugou or what but we know this isn't how he was. And then Bakugou gives him this whole lecture only to turn around the next arc and still treat Izuku like shit. Fucking hypocrite. Camie telling him to shut up was the only good thing about this arc (stan Camie)

And that's the list! I'm only doing these arcs because they're the only ones I've read/watched completely. I don't want to make judgements about the next three arcs without fully knowing what I'm talking about. Though the leaks for the Final War don't bode well for its ranking.

So what do we think? Agree? Disagree? Let me know!

[yandere-kokeshi]

Hello! Could I please request poly dabi & shigaraki x villain! male reader headcannons?

I absolutely love your writing esspecialy with dabi!

Also don't forget to take care of yourself! ❤

Warnings: yandere behavior

A/N: hiii!! Tysm!! You're so sweet ;((! YOU take care of yourself! Stay well :]!

Sorry this is short, I tried my best!

They’re both extremely protective and possessive. At best, one of them is always near you. Even the members of LOV get annoyed by how much they follow you.

Dabi has his hands always around your hips, waist, or shoulders; giving anyone the fiery look to back away.

Shigaraki tends to connect one of his fingers with yours, making sure to squeeze it while he’s anxious or upset.

Incredibly touch-starved. After doing business outside, the two of them will follow you and cling to you like koala bears; pet names being thrown around, Shigaraki whines about how he wants you alone while cuddling and Dabi yelling at him to zip it or else. Quite hectic if you see!

Speaking of cuddles, the embraces are very tight and comforting. The two of them fear you’ll get hurt — especially by them. While they do know you’re a villain and capable of taking care of yourself, just like them, it pains them to see you get hurt or think of you fighting. That being said, when on missions, at least one of them is always with you.

They fight… a lot. So much so, that sometimes you have to cut your time with them alone equally. But, that doesn’t stop them from working well with each other! If someone even looks at you or talks to you with disrespect, you have two growling men behind your back who are ready to set the world on fire for you.

Super duper fun date nights! The three of you tend to go to a market just to steal candy and slushies.

Purposely, getting sour candies to prank Shigaraki or simply switch the candies out with Twice. Or, some quiet nights, sitting on a tall rooftop, hearing police sirens all night while looking at the stars, talking about life and trauma of all things.

While in the public eye, they both are seen as intimidating people who are extremely sadistic and evil; but in the presence of you, they let their guard down almost completely and let you do things that other people definitely wouldn’t be able to.

Kisses all day and every day!! Dabi’s kisses are very hard and swift; extremely forceful that will leave you wanting more.

But Shigaraki is soft and somewhat slow. His chapped lips have the most of it. He makes sure to put a lip balm before kissing you.

They both suffer from deep insecurities. While they won’t show it, they do give clues. Dabi being his scars and rough personality; fears you’ll leave him when he teases too much or simply gets irritated too fast. You will see a slight look in his eye in the mirror, purposely ignoring his form while he holds you. Or how he’ll re-pick at his skin, talking to himself while sitting on the bathroom floor.

Shigaraki, on the other hand, is complicated. It's his rough skin and paranoia; he constantly suffers from anxiety, possibly thinking of worst scenarios when he’s with you. His skin is always roughed, and he fears you’ll hate him for not being like ‘someone else’.

Fights are interesting. While Dabi won’t hold a grudge, he will ultimately ignore you to make sure he doesn’t say anything rude or hurtful again; he rarely apologizes due to his ego. But, if he does see that what he said was mean, he will go ahead and buy your favorite snacks, dinner, and drink; possibly give you a kiss with a small “I’m sorry.”

Shigaraki, on the other hand, holds grudges. He will not talk to you, unless you apologize; even if it’s his fault. Sure, at rare times, he will get up front and apologize, otherwise, he will make you do it. When you do, he will look at you and pull you into a hug; promising to let you play some video games and eat snacks with him.

Sleeping is chaotic. Since they both love to be held and want to hold you, they practically lay on you for attention. Mostly, Shigaraki is either pushing himself into your lower stomach, and laying on you as Dabi is laying his head on your shoulder. Or, Dabi lying behind you as you coddle Shigaraki to your chest.

—

Masterlist || Please consider reblogging and commenting instead of liking, stay well!!

Do not plagiarize, repost, modify, translate or copy my work.

[princess-of-the-corner]

Amnesia!Dabi

K, I’m still not done with the Togas TV interview And class 1-A.

like. Just. 

Pick a 1-A kid. Literally any of them that isn’t Shouto, or maybe Katsuki.

You’ve been through some shit recently. Your training camp got attacked. One of your classmates got kidnapped. By some pretty notorious villains. Another group of your classmates went to rescue them. Any of them could have DIED, including you. So there’s that.

Then you find out two of those villains, pretty memorable ones, turned themselves in. To your SCHOOL. Where you LIVE. And instead of instantly turning them over to the Hero Commission or something, your school takes them into custody. People who have attacked you.

You get the rushed, “not all villains are inherently evil”, but wow. You’ve been through some shit. You are probably having nightmares. You just want to feel SAFE. You trust your teachers, but you know they aren’t invincible.

Then Shouto comes in after a weekend. He looks so pale. He’s dazed, just wandering idly through the day. Someone tentatively asks if he’s alright. And Shouto, who has trouble filtering his thoughts at the best of times, tells you that one of those villains that attacked you is actually Pro-Hero Phoenix. Pro-Hero Phoenix, aka Touya Todoroki, his brother. His brother, that Shouto thought was DEAD. His brother, who’s going by Dabi, and has no memory of being anyone else. Who, apparently, turned himself in because he remembered Shouto. Who is finally coming home next weekend. And bringing with him the vampire girl who tried to stab Uraraka.

You sit, and you stare, and think “well fuck”, cause what are you even supposed to say? What kind of action movie nonsense is this? You sit there, and make hopefully comforting noises, cause your potential trauma isnt going to get in the way of Shouto possibly getting his BROTHER back. But you’re not … on board. You’re skeptical. You have to be.

And Shouto keeps talking about them. Tells you how Dabi can’t remember anyone’s birthday, but did remember that Fuyumi likes two sugars in her tea. Or that Dabi refuses to go in the old training room, but remembers where everything is. Or how he, Dabi and Natsuo went through Dabi’s massive binder full of his conspiracy theories on himself, and wow, they really are related. And in the background of a lot of these stories is Himiko. And-

Dabi used to be Touya. Used to be Phoenix. However you feel about him, there are public records, and videos, and anecdotes of Touya Todoroki being a hero. Of saving people. Interviews where he talks about his family. It gets easier to stop seeing Dabi, Villain Who Tried To Kill Us, and easier to see Touya, Guy Who Was A Hero, A Brother, A Victim. But Himiko doesn’t have that. Himiko Toga doesnt have a public record of being a hero, a family member, a person who loved someone. You don’t know anything about her. She tried to stab some of you and LAUGHED about it. She comes up in Shouto’s stories, and you almost don’t believe they’re the same person. Toga, Who Tried To Drink Our Blood, seems like someone else entirely from, Himiko, Girl Who Keeps Doing Shouto’s Hair. It’s such a disconnect. You can’t reconcile them in your head. Is she lying? Is she insane? Will she hurt someone again? You don’t know, but these two extreme versions don’t make sense. One of them has to be false. You nod along, and keep your mouth shut, but you wonder. You worry. You don’t know how to feel.

And this goes on for months. Months, of this awkward disconnect. Until one morning, someone turns the TV on, and there are two people. A man and a woman, who look kind of familiar. And you see their names on the screen, Toga, and you feel confused, and then they start talking and-

All you feel is sick.

because Himiko’s parents are on NATIONAL TELEVISION, talking about how their daughter is a MONSTER. How she’s sick. A deviant. How they tried so hard to make her be ‘normal’ by making her stop her 'satanic’ behaviour. How her Quirk 'ruined’ their perfect little girl, and turned her into a 'freak’. They talk about making sure she never had any blood, about how obsessed she is with it. Himiko’s parents are on national television talking about how they STARVED her for TWELVE YEARS, as if this is something to be praised. They LAUGH at the idea that Himiko might have needed to drink blood to survive. To be healthy. They talk about her attacking a classmate as if she did it on purpose, they talk about ‘disciplining’ her for it, and all you want to do is throw up.

So, no, you don’t know how to feel about Himiko.

But you know EXACTLY how you feel about her parents.

-

YEAH THEY”RE READY TO THROW HANDS

[sannasruins]

it seems no matter what, i love you

dabi x reader

type: angst

warnings: character death, toxic relationship, violence

a/n: my first ever fic! i hope it's well received <3

word count: 1.9k

He insisted that in this world, no one was innocent, they all had done some wrong, that everyone had a little bit of evil inside of them. He pointedly said those things to you, but you knew that you weren’t innocent, you knew you harbored a darkness inside of you. What you didn’t know was the point he was getting at, why was he so steadfast on reminding you constantly of your misdeeds. 

You didn’t have much left in this world, but you had him, and you had your memories that you held dear, and you had placated yourself into thinking that was all you needed. You didn’t long for security, or for warmth, you had enough. But it’s not very smart to put so much of yourself into one person, you knew this, deep down, but there was nothing stopping you from never listening to reason.

You knew him from before, before his skin was tattered and his hair black, you knew unmarred, you knew snow white. You knew Touya. He had somehow made his place in your juvenile mind as a beacon of light, a source of solace, despite the horrors he was going through. And so, when he decided to burn it all, to disappear, to seek revenge, you were right on his tail. Leaving everything of your own behind as well. All you needed was him after all. And seeing what he had gone through, what he was forced to become, twisted you as well, it fueled your anger, and muddled your mind. But all of that was okay. You had him, Touya, Dabi, you didn’t care who he was or who he became, as long as he was by your side while he did it.

It was a rainy day, and cold, the kind that creeps past all layers to make itself at home in your bones. A simple in and out mission, and you were giddy that you got to do it alongside Dabi, there was even a small skip in your step. It had been a while since it had been just you and him, and excitement to wreak your shared havoc bubbled up in your veins, spilling past your lips as a giggle. Dabi looked over and behind at you from his two paces ahead, slight annoyance passing over his face at your noise, you clasped your lips tightly, but your smile didn’t leave your face. That didn’t matter as long as you were quiet, he really didn’t care what you did as long as you didn’t mess this up. You didn’t mind being scolded, but you didn’t want him in trouble as well, so you held your tongue as you crept closer to the building. 

You weren’t entirely sure what you were there for, Dabi was the one who was debriefed on the objective, your presence was for backup only. That was okay though, you were more than happy to just protect him and nothing else.

There was crashing sounds coming from the building, getting louder as you approached, you could also start to make out muffled shouting, and began to wonder what exactly Shigaraki had sent the two of you to. Following behind the scarred man, you crept your way up the fire escape of an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city, reaching a broken window to peer into its contents. 

You were surprised to see Dabi’s younger brother, Shoto, as well as two of his classmates, the green haired one and the explosive one that the league had kidnapped earlier in the school year, fighting a low-level villain. They must be out on their internship, you reasoned, but what were they doing here? And what were you doing here? You turned to Dabi and asked him in a concerned whisper “what is this?”.

He smiled at you, “if they can’t join you, beat ‘em.”

You blinked at him, brows temporarily furrowing. “Dabi… I don’t think that’s how the saying goes.”

“It goes how I say it goes,” he retorted. You hummed; this won’t be the hill you die on today. “Okay but what are we supposed to do? And what about Endeavor, they’re interns as his agency, isn’t this too risky? Especially when it’s just you and me, 3 on 2 odds aren’t great-” you continued to voice your concerns before he cuts you off

“Shut it y/n.” and you do, “they’re just brats. Are you saying that two of Japan’s worst villains can’t beat a bunch of 16-year olds? Do you lack faith in me that much?” He asked the last question with a smirk, meeting your eyes. A blush rushed to your face, heating your cheeks and the tips of your ears, or maybe it was just the cold getting the best of you.

“No Dabi, of course not,” you trailed off, pursing your lips, “but what exactly are we supposed to do?”

Dabi tsked at you, “Don’t be getting all morally right on me now doll, you know what we have to do.”

You worried your bottom lip between your teeth, yeah, you’re a villain but they're still just kids.

“Now or never.” He stood up, stepping up onto the window’s sill and announcing his presence to the fight below, “Ready to burn?”

The fight was over faster than you had time to rationalize what was going on. The 3 had already been tired out by fighting with the minor villain, who had scurried off once Dabi made himself known. It was cowardly, using a diversion to weaken them, but nothing is fair in love and war. You easily knocked out the green one, not sure how far to take it, you didn’t have much time to contemplate the boy lying in a puddle of mud and blood before the blonde one flew at you in a flurry of explosions. You turned in time to miss the brunt of the attack, only having your side singed, the scent of burnt hair and flesh filling your nose, your eyes watering at the acrid smell, adrenaline keeping you from feeling most of the pain. You turned to look at the boy, huffing and standing in between you and his friend, ‘how cute’ you thought. You took in the blonde, his stance wide, knees bent, ready to attack, but besides that you saw he was injured, a large gash starting on the back of his shoulder and ending on his collar bone that was dripping blood down his arm and chest, and a rip in his baggy black pants, the surrounding fabric darkened. 

You sigh almost disappointedly, this wouldn’t be much of a fight, your morals long abandoned after the little shit burnt you. And it wasn’t, once he charged at you again, you stepped to the side and made quick work of knocking him unconscious, followed by a sharp kick in the gut. “That’s for my jacket, bitch, it was my favorite one.” you dusted your hands off, satisfied with your quick work, and turned to Dabi, who had gone after his younger brother. 

You froze in place, eyes widened, and mouth parted, at the disturbing scene in front of you. In Dabi’s hands, you saw the slumped body of his brother, hand poised in front of his face. It felt as if time had slowed to a crawl as the realization of what was about to happen came crashing into you. “Dabi,” you called out, “no!”

But it was too late. 

You remembered the sweet, bi-colored hair baby, wide eyes and chubby fingers, making grabby hands as he tottled his way towards you and his eldest brother, both of you laughing and urging him to pick you, not the other, and his little dilemma on who he should go to first. You remember a little tot running up to you as you came home from school with Touya, yellow hats and randoseru’s, desperate to show the both of you what he had colored just for you. You remember a little older, still unscarred, him splitting a popsicle with you in the summer heat, and when one side broke off with a little bit of the other’s top, he gave you the side with more. And you remember his little innocent face, wrapped in bandages, and your heart aching, and your rage building, at how can someone do that to him, he was just so little, he did nothing wrong. You remember seeing him for the last time, his burn had healed into a scar, but he still looked so hurt, and he was so alone in that big house, and your rage grew at all the expectations and vicarious dreams that has been put upon his tiny shoulders, already weighing him down, breaking him. 

Then you're back in the present, and you see the blue flames shoot from Touya’s palm, and you watch the boy burn.

You didn’t notice but at some point, you had fallen to your knees, the ache in them distant, being drowned out in the static that filled your head and body.

Touya drops the body unceremoniously and makes his way back to you with his signature smirk gracing his face, but the expression that usually gave you butterflies instead wrenched your gut, making it difficult to breath. 

“Common,” he said, walking past you, “we’re done, let’s go.”

“T-Touya,” you stutter out, unable to take your eyes off of Shoto.

“Dabi,” he harshly corrects you, “Todoroki Touya has been dead for 10 years.”

There was silence as he waited for your quip back at him, but when it didn’t come, he turned to look at you, still on your knees with your back to him.

“What,” he spit, stalking towards your still figure, “what’s gotten into you?” He reaches you, stepping in front of your face, taking up all of your sight. He lifts your face with a finger under your chin. 

“Are you crying?” he asks incredulously. You reach one shaking hand up to your cheek, finding it wet, you pull it back and look down at it. Dirty, covered in dry blood, damp with your tears. 

“Why are you fucking crying?” he asked, as if he truly didn’t understand what had just happened, what he had just done.

“Shoto,” your voice cracked saying his name, “You, Touya you killed Shoto.”

“Okay? And?”

“You killed him Touya, how could you kill him, he, he did nothing wrong.”

Dabi scoffed, “He was Endeavor’s hope.”

That’s all he offered for explanation as he reached down and picked you up, whipping your tears away with the pad of his thumb, and you hated it, but you leaned into the comforting and familiar feeling.

You glared at him, through your tears, rousing a rumble from deep in his chest, a laugh. There you were wondering how you could ever forgive him for what he had just done, thinking you probably never could, and he was laughing. 

“Oh y/n, baby. Somewhere, deep down, in that heinous heart of yours, there’s a part of you that will always love me, no matter what I do. You belong to me, heart and soul.”

You hated him. You hated him so much. Because he was right

“Loving you is torture.” You informed him, maybe hoping to hurt him a little bit, bring a stab of guilt to his heart or build remorse up in his throat, but he just hummed. Making his way out of the warehouse, and behind your retreating forms, setting it up in blue flames. You buried your head into his shoulder, it’s best not to think about it, you told yourself. But you knew.

You were just as bad as him.

[bleedingspades]

Moon Spell

Dabi x afab reader (unedited)

Much longer then expected so expect a part 2! Warning: mentions of murder, swearing, and spoilers regarding Dabi’s origin

If there is one thing Touya yearns for, it’s being seen truly seen. He never found that in his father despite becoming one of the most wanted criminals and telling the world who he is. He was still invisible.

Then there was you. You’d just closed up your coffee shop for the night in your small little village. You’d heard a little bit about the big fight between heroes and villains but you don’t pay mind to the news. You specifically choose a simple slide phone to avoid social media.

You like the peace of your simple yet humble life. Holding the paper bag of left over baked goods that didn’t get sold, you’ll have some for a snack tonight and breakfast tomorrow. Your home is a bit of a walk away from the village. You enjoy the night sky to yourself.

That is until you see a tousle of white hair atop a scarred body doing something near the ditch up ahead. Huh? Nobody else lives out here but you. Not since that weird religious group mysteriously disappeared. Their home has been vacant. Maybe someone finally moved in, since your moving past that area you assume the stranger is from that way.

He seems to be looking for something. You swear stranger danger means nothing to you as you approach moving your hand into your pocket to pull out your mini flashlight.

However the stranger is swift to pin you (hard) down to the dirt road and hold your hand with the flashlight above your head. Pinning the rest of you down, yet you’re not scared. You laugh shyly as your lewd mind drifts to places as you notice how handsome he actually is.

He’s got a lot of burns but they entice you. You’ve never trusted someone who has no scars or marks. Perfect people you stay wary of.

“I’m sorry for startling you, but I couldn’t help but notice you were looking for something…so I brought you my flashlight. In hindsight I should’ve said something.” You mutter, embarrassed at yourself. He gazes at you with a dull yet suspicious gaze.

He smells burned but it reminds you of burned popcorn which you love soo.

“You’re stupid. What if I kill you right now.” He says. His voice low and slightly scratchy. He seems worn out a bit and definitely healing from some recent burns. Does his quirk hurt him? You wonder to yourself before thinking of your answer. You look up, thinking with a hum.

“Well then I guess I die, at least it’d be because i was doing something nice and slightly foolish and my killer would be attractive. I mean I couldn’t imagine being killed by someone who’s gross and slimy or something.” You say. Still unafraid, not one ounce of fear.

He makes a confused look and scoffs. His gaze turns to the side. You follow, your eyes land where his are. Your baked goods. Thank goodness you put them in sealed containers or they’d definitely be ruined. You hear a stomach growl.

“If you’re hungry you can have some, though it’d be hard to eat holding me down like this.” You say, pain starting to course from your wrist and the places that took the most impact from when you fell. His grip gets tighter and very hot, but not so much it burns you.

“Idiot girl, I should burn you up, so I can enjoy something tonight. Your screams of agony would be pretty exciting.”

“Are you trying to scare me or something?” You ask, fully serious. His evil smirk he had falls and is replaced with a incredulous expression. With your free hand you lift it to gently touch his face, his skin grows hot immediately as a defense but you use your quirk. An opalescent glow spreads over his skin and you can hear things healing slightly. Unfortunately though your power is based off of moonlight and since there’s none tonight to supply you with energy you feel yourself be drawn to sleep.

“I hope this helps, uhm place me in the ditch to sleep *yawn* I should be fine there…my *yawn* what was I saying? Oh and…help..yourself to the …treats.” And you’re out like a light.

Dabi stares at your peaceful sleeping figure on the ground. Your soft pink hair pooling around your head and shoulders. His recent burns have fully healed. The areas tingle with a cooling sensation. What were you going to say. Whatever who cares.

You were really not afraid of him at all? How could you not know who he is. If you do, then are you a fan of the league? No since you mentioned you’d be fine dying doing a decent thing. And you fucking think he’s handsome? You’re definitely fucked in the head.

Walking over to the bag he grabs one of the containers and opens it. A small little cheese cake with strawberries somehow still perfectly atop the mini cheese cake. He eats it whole and looks back to you. He begins to walk away.

However, if you healed him you could probably heal Tomura. Grunting in annoyance he picks you up and throws you over his shoulder. You don’t budge an inch. That must have really exhausted you. Taking your flashlight he finds his phone that he dropped earlier and glances at the treats.

Arriving at the hideout Dabi through a you on the sofa. Putting the bag of baked goods on the table he opens another box the biggest of all. He freezes for a moment, it’s a cake. It reads “happy birthday to me :(“. Despite the cake being a bit disfigured now probably from being thrown to the ground. It’s your birthday today? He looks over to you. He takes note of the deep set bags under your eyes. There’s an aura around you. You’re lonely, the deepest kind of loneliness. The kind Dabi has undergone his whole existence.

He debates killing you because he’s terrified of this feeling bubbling deep within his hate filled rotted heart. The way you stared at him earlier. Like you would gaze at a beautiful flower. You weren’t seeing Dabi, you were seeing Touya, the real Touya. That’s dangerous. You should watch yourself, if you look at him like that again he’ll burn you to a crisp.

You stir a little, you have a massive headache and your wrist stings, why!? You panic slightly but remember what happened. With your eyes still closed you notice immediately you’re not at home and you’re not outside.

Which means the stranger kidnapped your or someone else did however the ladder is unlikely considering it’s an unpopulated area. You feel leather beneath you so you assume you’re on a couch. A torn up one. But it smells like burned popcorn. So he did take you somewhere.

No doubt the abandoned mansion. You don’t hear anything around you so you peak open an eye. The cost is clear. Thankfully the curtains are closed cause the sunlight would not be welcome with your head blasting the way it is.

You sit up, there’s really nobody in here. You should probably try to escape but you honestly don’t want to. Aside from your daily costumers who’re all elderly folks and the married couples who mostly talk to each other you’re always..alone. So despite the rational decision you should make. You go to the door to find him.

Walking around the building it looks suspicious. Like some fight happened here or something. You’re hoping he’s ok. Despite the battle marks looking kinda old now. Thinking of him excites you immensely. If you were dumber then you are now you’d say it’s something like love at first sight. His hair reminds you of the moon, and you love the moon.

His eyes are like the day sky but they shine much brighter and more blue. You feel your cheeks heat up at the thought of him. Oh no if you don’t stop they’ll come out! You reach a hand to the top of your head and one to your lower spine. Ok your good nothing is there.

However you’re still low on moon energy so you’re getting pretty tired of walking around. Scrunching up your nose in frustration you decided on a different way to find him.

“HELLO! STRANGER WHO MAN HANDLED ME WHERE ARE YOU?” You yell to the top of your lungs. And maybe it’s the fact this place reminds you of a haunted mansion but when you see something green flash way down the hall (with no windows) a chill runs down your spine and you run back to the room.

You’re grandma used to tell you the worst ghosts are green. Really random but yeah. You’re not really scared of ghost but you don’t want to be possessed. You go to the window and open it. Maybe some light will actually be better. Unfortunately you forgot that your head is pounding and it’s seers your brain in half.

You close the curtains quickly and groan in pain. Rubbing around your head you notice a bump. Most likely from when you were pinned to the ground. Speaking of that how long were you asleep? If he’s not going to show up you’ll definitely leave. You have to open your cafe up eventually.

Sighing, you sit on the couch and investigate your other aching places. He burned your wrist slightly. Even if you had moonlight power you can’t heal yourself with that ability you call moon river, but your body does heal faster then normal people. You lay back down and before you have any say you fall back asleep.

“Oi!” Something aggressively shakes you.

“Wake up dumb ass.” You open your eyes and see Casper the friendly ghost well actually not Casper and definitely not friendly. You look past him and see moonlight peaking through the curtains. You shove past him and throw the curtains open.

Your body immediately starts to absorb it and you feel amazing in seconds. “Oh my gosh, just what I need to get rid of this headache.” You close your eyes completely forgetting about me white hair behind you. He is annoyed by how you’re blatantly ignoring him and still are unafraid of him.

But APPARENTLY not SPINNER! Who said he saw you earlier look at him and run away back to this room with a terrified expression. He was only a little offended. But he also said you haven’t made any attempts to leave, and how you yelled out loudly looking for him.

“How are you feeling? Did your burns heal?” You ask whilst you bask in the moonlight eyes still closed. Your pink hair is literally glowing and so is your skin. He’s taken aback. Were you worried for him. There’s something wrong with you.

“Why did you do that?” He asks you rudely

“Because, you were in pain. Why wouldn’t i?”

“Because I’m a stranger and possibly a killer for all you know.”

“That’s not a reason to not help someone. And you know nothing about me so don’t assume anything and I didn’t assume anything about your life.” You say back. Hmph he thinks your so smug aren’t you? You open your eyes and turn to look at him.

Such a peaceful expression full of wonder and wait, he sees it. Loneliness. Deep set in you.

“Are your burns, and your scars from..your quirk?” You ask your expression not changing a bit. He debates if he should kill you or knock you out. He is starting to regret bringing you here. Rolling his eyes he turn away from you.

“I’ll take that as a yes. Uhm, my name is y/n by the way.” You tell him your name a bit shyly. Dabi closes his eyes and exhales slowly. You must truly not know who he is. Otherwise there’s no way you’d not be afraid of him.

Turning to face you his bright blue eyes bore into yours. Your breath catches in your throat.

“Dabi.” A part of him almost said Touya but it stayed lodged in there.

“Hmm.” You hum whilst standing up and walking over to him. You hold out your hand.

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance sir Dabi!” You say, your cheeks tinting a shade of pink. He looks away with just his eyes and mumbles a yeah whatever at you.

Looking down at your hands fumble with each other you sit down on the couch softly.

“So, is there a reason you brought me to your home? Are you…really going to kill me?” You say in a tiny voice. He looks at you, your head drooping down although your tone of voice was unreadable. Plopping himself next to you Dabi yawns big and loud.

“No, your quirk is useful and my uh…buddy needs some help. Unfortunately I’ll have to introduce you a bit slowly to everyone or else someone will actually probably kill you.”

“So, are you going to go to my house and get some of my stuff or can I go home and visit you when you’re ready for doing my first introductions.?” You say like it’s some sort of job interview. Why are you being so pliable?

Since you definitely don’t seem like you feel the need to escape should he let you go home? You don’t treat yourself like you’re a prisoner here. If he’s being honest maybe just maybe a teeny tiny part of him didn’t want to just leave you on the side of the road.

With such a useful quirk it would’ve been a shame if something would’ve happened to you. Now that Dabi has found such a sweet little gem tucked away in that little village nearby.

“What are your thoughts on heroes, y/n?”

“Uhm, if I answer this will you answer my previous question?”

“Sure.”

“Ok, hmmm let’s see. I always thought heroes are the ones who help because they desire to. Not out of obligation or for the rewards but simply because they needed to. I guess if I’m being honest I’ve never met any of the heroes wearing costumes. I’ve met the ones dressed like a normal person. The ones who would drop anything to help you back up if you trip.” You say and you’re not sure if this is your complete answer but it suffices for you at this moment.

“Hero number 1 endeavor what do you think about him. Tell me and I’ll answer yes to your question about goin home.” Dabi says leaning close to you. Underneath the burn smell you find something warm like vanilla. Very subtle.

“Who’s that?” You ask completely dumbfounded. “Wait!” You laugh out “they give ranks to the heroes!?” Standing up you look baffled. “No wonder I’ve heard scary stories about the heroes from the folks in this town who moved here to get away from heroes. They must have the BIGGEST EGOS I mean come ON.” You pace the room going on and on about it. Wow not what he was expecting. You’re really out of the hero society social loop.

“HOWEVER! Now that I think about it the ranks could help determine who’s power can handle the most detrimental situations this knowing to send said hero to the problem to have the best chance of success.” You stop pacing and put you hand on your chin as if it’s some world mystery you need to solve.

“Stop, let’s just go now.” Dabi gets up annoyed majorly.

“Wait where are we going?”

“Your house, how dumb are you?”

“Hey I’m only dumb when I have no context about a situation. Like this!? I can’t read your mind.” He mumbles a “whatever” and takes you to what looks to be like the front door.

“Wait here. Do. Not. Move.”

“Yes. Sir.” You mock putting your hand up to your head to salute him. He rolls his eyes and walks away. He really is debating not doing this but whatever.

He comes back holding a box. “I gave away and ate all your baked good except for this. I may be a jerk most of the time but here.” He hands you the box. You know instantly what’s inside. Your birthday cake.

“Oh..” you flush crimson. “Thanks” he just makes a hmph sound and exits the mansion. You follow behind him. A part of you is excited he’s bringing you home but even more excited because he saved your cake for you. You’ll definitely be giving him a slice. It’s your special recipe too. You don’t make this cake often.

As you walk side by side with Dabi the moon shines proudly for you. Enlightening your path home and giving you her energy. The atmosphere between you too is nothing short of magical. As if you have both been cast under a Moon Spell.

[x-neurotoxin-x]

thoughts on the new BNHA chapter if you've seen it

Imma be so real, i haven't been all that invested in the recent chapters. I've kept up with them but I don't find them all that interesting to me personally. I'll share my thoughts, just fair warning i may have some unpopular opinions;

First of all Izuku losing is arms is crazy. That panel is brutal. I do think there's a possibility of it being reversed/healed/etc bc I don't see Hori committing much when it comes to maiming or killing off the students, so I think he'll be okay

I'm also 100% positive Shigaraki is not dead, won't be permanently possessed, and will be fine. He's basically the only safe villain that isn't going to be killed off and will be given a redemption no matter what.

Those two points are kinda why I find this fight boring. There isn't any real stakes imo because neither of them will die and they're just kinda doing the same "fight, talk, fight, talk" thing the whole time. I find it uninteresting.

I also have no idea why afo is here again. Didn't he reverse to a fetus? Why are you here? That being said, he's silly and dramatic and i kinda love his evil mastermind swag, he makes it a little more bearable between Tomura "woe is me" shigaraki and Izuku "I need to be Morally Right even if I'm killing myself to do it" Midoryia.

Afo being revealed to have a hand in literally all of Tomura's upbringing down to his birth is SUCH a dumb plot point imo. It takes away all of the responsibly factor from Tomura's villainy, shoots a HUGE hole in the "one bad day" theme with the rest of the villains since it wasnt his choice - something that makes every other villain relatable and complex, they all (Dabi, Toga, Twice, Spinner, etc) were dealt terrible hands and subjected to horrible upbringings too but they fell into these paths of villainy by their own choices, and let it shape them. It makes them all very deep while Tomura... Just kinda ruined that theme by making nothing his choice. It's lame and unnecessary, imo.

Speaking of the other villains and plotlines, I really wanna go back to them and I DO NOT WANT them to be pulled into the Shigaraki vs deku thing. None of them are in the place for that physically (they're all half dead), none of its necessary since Shigaraki *is* being saved and has been met with more sympathy from characters/narrative than the rest of the villains, and their character plotlines are still not finished. Toga's fight was rushed, the "acceptance" she received was forced, and we don't know if either of them are okay. Last we saw Dabi he was possibly dying while cursing the entire family and saying he wants to die, none of the todofam stuff is resolved at all and if it gets off screened for the main fight I'm gonna be upset because there's so many complex layers to everything there. Last we saw Spinner he collapsed on the ground somewhere, he may very well be dead. No villains arcs have been finished, properly handled, or wrapped up and it's unnecessary and stupid to have their stuff be tossed aside for "saving Tomura." THEY need to be saved. How about Shigaraki vs deku gets wrapped up and Shigaraki saves THEM. That would fit the narrative better then them being used for more Tomura man pain.

That was a rant wow

Uh what else???

Idk. Im hoping everything gets wrapped up in this chapter bc this war arc has been... Shitty tbh. I wanna hope the aftermath arc is better.

I know everybody freaking out that my hero is coming to an end but I think we still got at least another arc to tie things together and wrap up all the mess of the war arc.

[razorblade180]

My Hero Manga Stuff

Ya know…I’ve liked villainous characters before and the rude people; some might say I’m too sympathetic to multiple things perspectives. That being said, I never excuse their actions and the current circumstance. So I absolutely mean this when I say…

If Endeavor ends up having to kill Dabi or Dabi dies at all by the end of this; that’s perfectly acceptable. Now I know that upsets a lot of people, but that’s okay. At this point there’s a section of the fandom that hates Enji no matter what he does regardless of its actually his fault or not. They can’t be pleased unless it’s him dying and that’s pretty wild.

People want to argue it would make Shoto’s efforts and the story meaningless, no it wouldn’t. If Enji kills his own son it solidifies that if his atonement and safety for his family means him not being around or resenting him, then he’ll still do it because it’s not about getting to an ending where he’s still in their lives. He’s not fighting for that right. And isn’t like he’s been disregarding or regressing to old mindsets since his arc.

Trusting his family, acknowledging his wrongs, facing them, listening, and asking/letting others help. He even is addressing Dabi as Touya, but none of that means this ends pretty because Dabi himself doesn’t feel wrong or wants to change. Not only is he at the point where he’s basically a flaming corpse, but Shoto developed an entire move to contain him but Dabi does not care. He’s still killing and ramping. If he were to die then it wouldn’t be fault on any of his family or heroes. He rejects all opportunity despite them trying and despite it being upsetting Shoto, the message he can gleam for that is while it’s invaluable to try, you can’t save a person who doesn’t want to be. Dabi is after friends, family, civilians, everyone. There’s a point where being concerned for him can’t take priority or else everyone else who matters to him will die.

I’ve always thought Dabi is cool and his story is interesting, but there’s also a point it becomes the most selfish and less about tragic for me personally. I originally thought Enji personally pushed to do a move that burned him regardless of his well being and led to his “death” but no! Endeavor was never shitty enough to let a child burn to death; he wasn’t even there at the incident! Dabi is fully aware that he got stolen off the mountain so his father could not find him and was then trained viscously to be stronger than him. Dabi saw the memorial and life going on and while he’s definitely right to be upset and messed up in certain regards, he did nothing to change his own circumstance after the incident. Enji never hid him like a secret, didn’t look, or stopped thinking about him. He was misled to think Dabi was dead which made him spiral into worse habits! So all his monologues about Endeavor being the absolute worse fall a little flat when you realize all of his mistakes didn’t lead to Dabi, but it was several mistakes and All For One orchestrating to make it the worst thing possible.

It’s why I really don’t get Dabi stans when hating Enji so feverishly because yeah, he definitely did terrible things, but a portion of how he became was the byproduct of All For One capitalizing and off of Touya’s tragedy and Dabi never going back. AFO is evil, so I never expect him to do anything good. Enji is a fuck up, but partly do to circumstances and knowledge he wasn’t aware of that could’ve radically changed his mindset and actions if Dabi actually tried returning, who is also a victim in the beginning. Honestly Enji and Dabi have both been played by AFO for personal gain.

I guess that’s all I wanted to say. It just feels so bizarre how this late in the story people still want to put everything on Enji when he can’t be accountable for everything without people truly believing Dabi willingly killing people of his choice is entirely Endeavor’s fault and that’s insane. After all, Deku says it best, “It’s your quirk, not his.”

[tonya-the-chicken]

I mean though Enji could have been a little less OTT and not done everything wrong. Its just too much really. Like his predecessors being Gaara's dad or Shinji Ikari(or Zuko's dad) more or less were just fated to be villains who die or get a redemption that now feels quite deserved for Erina's dad but none of them did anything as much as Enji. At this point Endeavor has more number of villainous acts depicted than AFO and his kids together.

I feel like it's less about what he objectively did or didn't and way more about the way it is depicted, ye

Some bad fathers are written in a way that hints they are meant to be perceived as the flattest most one-sided dudes out there. And I think it's ok because sometimes you just can't dwell on the character for too long, you have to make priorities. And when you make more complex characters you have to prioritize where you spend your time too

In Horikoshi's case FOR SOME REASON the need to balance between "Enji did all those horrible things and tormented all his family members" and "Enji is capable of growth and has some genuine care for his family and is a person with his own struggles" is resolved by gently writing how his desires overshadowed any care he had and how he had bad ideas he might've not registered as *that* bad and how he didn't necessarily have intended to cause all that harm but he did anyway and he is analyzing he is growing he is finding new priorities trying to become better REMEMBER HOW HE BEAT UP SHOUTO???? LOOK AT THAT. IT IS SO CRUEL HE IS A MONSTER and the way he felt he can't stop if he went so far already and how he once took a genuine interest in his wife and he remember it for years HE IS A VIOLENT ABUSER DO YOU REMEMBER THAT???? OK???? MAYBE A RAPIST TOO and the way he tries to fix things that can be fixed and we see him worrying about Natsuo and others... And how he cried after finding out Touya is alive. Like, he is so deeply human A LITERAL MONSTER LOOK AT THIS FACE

I don't think anyone else receives this kind of treatment. Dabi almost caused Natsuo's death and openly says he wants to kill Shouto but that doesn't influence the way he is treated by the narrative. There are no constant throwbacks to him hurting someone. No trauma in our protagonist, whom he attacked and Shouto has no hard feelings, only a desire to save him. Enji is trapped in the past he can't fix but none of the literal villains terrorists mass murderers are treated this way. Sure, their storyline is different but how come the things THEY did in the past can be forgiven and forgotten but with Enji we have to constantly keep in mind all the evil he did. Like, if the manga doesn't end with him alive and moderately well while redeeming someone like Shigaraki or Dabi I'll tell you honestly I think it would be the most trash writing ever. You can put all the effort into becoming a better person and all you get is "past never dies" or you can put zero effort but have sad childhood so of course you will be saved!!! Let's forget everyone who ever suffered from your treatment. We are not mad at you

It's confusing and inconsistent. It reminds me of the way people would write something and then get mad if others don't see certain characters as bad/good enough. Like, why do you love this and not that? And so they start being aggressive at fans. How dare they liked someone I created not in the way I want it!

But then, I don't want to be too mean to Horikoshi. Maybe he is just that shit at keeping a balance. A sorta straight line between past Enji and present Enji though I feel like it would be easier if we had his motives explained in detail. Past Enji and present Enji don't feel consistent with each other enough which makes little sense when he is the one telling the story of his past. "I didn't mean to neglect you" but no sign of him thinking about not neglecting them in the past? You have the opportunity to confirm every Enji's word. Idk man

It's a lot about perception and depiction and what is important to the plotline. If you are going to drag the backstory so much and keep on returning to it, then shape it out nicely, show new details, change perspectives. We don't dwell on anyone's backstory for as long as todofam

Sometimes I just feel I like the idea he wanted to write but not what he actually wrote you know? But then, how do I know what was his idea

[linkspooky]

THE TOP THREE HEROES ARE ALL FAILURES

In the sense that Enjdeavor, Hawks, and Jeanist all embody the failures of the hero system. The first clear sign that all three people who were set to inherit All Might’s Legacy would fail in doing so, is that none of them really understood what kind of hero was in the first place. 

Endeavor only ever saw All Might’s Strength, and thought All Might’s genuine desire to save people was just him playing to the crowd. Hawks thought Endeavor’s desire to surpass All Might was heroic, and what made him a better hero because he didn’t give up when everybody else said it was hopeless, but we the audience know Endeavor gave up early and took it out on his family instead. Best Jeanist thinks what’s most important of all isn’t saving people but rather “The Image” of Heroes to the public. Except, the only reason All Might was a hero obsessed with image is because he wanted even those he could not reach to be able to live in peace and save themselves. 

The top three heroes are all lacking in what All Might had, in that none of them actually believe that Heroes should save people. Enji believes in strength above all else, Hawks in sacrificing one’s self for the faceless masses, and Best Jeanist in the image of heroes to the public. 

It’s really showing that the option of “Saving Dabi” did not even occur to them once, despite the fact that they are completely willing to give a helping hand to the man who made Dabi.

The current number one, two and three heroes are all obsessed with All Might’s Legacy, however all of them are failures to All Might’s Legacy as well because they don’t understand the underlying ideal of heroes saving people. All three of them represent the failures of hero society, which is why they aren’t shown being overly concerned at hero society’s victims. Even when it’s revealed that one of hero society’s greatest villains Dabi, was actually one of hero society’s greatest victims too, created by one of their own, their beliefs barely change.

1. Enji Todoroki 

Enji was never concerned with saving others being the job of a hero. His one and only focus was just to be the strongest. He even has a shallow view of All Might’s ideals and goals because of this. He thinks the reason that All Might won number one was because 1) his all powerful strength and 2) his popularity with people. 

Enji never once mentions that All Might became the hero he was, because his number one priority in every situation was to save as many people as he could. Because, Enji doesn’t view it as the job of heroes to save others. 

Toshinori worked so hard because he genuinely wanted to be the shining light for others. He didn’t become the number one hero because it was his own personal dream, but rather because it was others needed of him. All Might isn’t a perfect hero either, but there’s still a difference between someone who wanted the number one spot because he genuinely thought it would save the most people, and someone who wanted the number one spot because he wanted to be the strongest.

Even after Endeavor’s supposed revelation where he saw Shoto being gentle with flames, rather than forceful and violence, Enji became the exact same kind of hero he was before. 

Think of the way Enji fought Shigaraki, burning him alive. He made several attempts to kill him during their fight, even though the rule is heroes absolutely must not kill, that’s what makes them different from villains. Heroes prioritize the safety of people, and saving civilians, except for Endeavor apparently. Endeavor as a hero is the exact same kind of hero he was before, and the flaw with that is if he had fought Dabi the same way he had fought Shigaraki.

He would have burned his own son alive. Enji isn’t even concerned in the least with saving people, even when the person most in need of saving is his own son. He sees villains as an absolute evil for him to punch and beat up in order to prove his own strength. The only way Enji knows how to be a hero is violently taking down crime and no one has ever challenged this, even though it’s the exact attitude that led Toya to his death.

Enji, only ever taught Dabi how to turn up the heat, because Enji wasn’t actually that concerned with his son’s well being. Toya was only worth something to him when he was strong, so Enji only ever taught Toya how to be the strongest hero and nothing else that a father should teach his son. Even now, Enji doesn’t let go of this idea of his that he has to be the number one hero, and being the strongest hero will solve all of his problems. 

Endeavor has used playing hero again and again as an excuse to run away. Now that Hawks is giving him another chance to be hero, he’s enabling him to run away again. 

It’s incredible how still even after the reveal, it’s always Toya who has to pay for the consequences of Endeavor’s mistakes. Toya is left alone to burn to death and spends the rest of his life covered in burns forgotten by his father, and it’s Endeavor who gets the unconditional support and love Toya needed as a child offered to him, just because he happened to be a hero. If he was a villain he would have just been locked up.

Endeavor is framed as the hero who does not give up, and yet, he very easily runs away and lets Toya take the blame for the majority of his actions. If Toya had been able to carry his dream he would not have abused Shoto. If Toya had not died that day he would not have doubled down even harder on Shoto. Toya’s the reason they could not come together as a family. It’s never Endeavor’s actions, it’s always, somehow, Toya who is blamed, and Toya who is burned as the consequence of Endeavor’s actions. Now, Toya is the one who needs to be stopped when Enji is just as guilty. 

I’m not saying that Enji should not be given a chance to get better, but why is the good side of Enji’s actions expressed over and over again and not Toya’s? Toya is trying to reform all of society. Toya is trying to hold his dad accountable for abusing him and neglecting him to the point that he died. That’s murder. Someone who lets their children die because they couldn’t be bothered to supervise them can be charged with involuntary manslaughter in a court of law. Enji has killed too, but rather than admit to his own flaws it’s must easier to cast Toya s the villain that needs to be stopped and himself as the hero that needs everyone’s support. 

Toya deserves the same chance that Enji got. 

2. Hawks

Hawks only saw self sacrifice in All Might’s actions. He saw someone harming himself over and over again for the sake of others, and that’s probably why he admired Enji’s pursuit of strength more because it was the opposite of him. 

If Enji is the extreme result of the attitude that villains can’t be saved, only stopped by putting themselves down with violence, then Hawks is the extreme result of self sacrifice. Hawks seems like the ideal hero on paper, he would do anything, and give up any part of himself to save a faceless stranger just like All Might. However, Hawks also has decided that he has the right to sacrifice others as well.

Hawks is self-destructive. That’s the extreme end of self sacrifice. However, unlike All Might who took the burden entirely on himself, Hawks will choose others to sacrifice as well. If Hawks sees himself as a tool for the greater good he will extend that to others as well. If Hawks sees himself as a bad victim who turned his back on their parents, he extends that to others as well. 

So basically, Hawks’ number one problem is with himself. He can’t reconcile his past. He feels guilty for being abused by his parents. He feels guilty for not forgiving the same abusive parents. He puts everything he has into being a hero, and yet, he doesn’t feel like he himself is a hero. Hawks’ only way he knows to feel good about himself is to continuously sacrifice himself for the sake of others. 

Because he learned when he was young the only way to be good was by sacrificing himself to protect others. He only received the help he needs because he showed he was “one of the good victims” but deep down internally he feels like he’s the bad one, for not being able to do anything for his mother, for not reaching out to her. 

Hawks can’t see himself as a victim and it messes with the way he sees other victims as well. He divides them into good and bad, and then tells himself that he’ll offer to help the good ones, the ones willing to improve. Hawks’ represents Hero Society’s own willingness to throw the bad victims to the dogs. 

It’s specifically Hawks who Twice calls this out on. So we have a number one hero who thinks the only way to deal with villains is to violently suppress them, and the number two hero that thinks the only people who deserve to be saved is the ones he deems as “Good” or “Trying to be better.” 

It’s all because Hawks has this really self destructive idea of what kindness is. That kindness is somehow destroying yourself for the sake of others, that it’s being overly forgiving and not holding any resentment at all. 

It’s like how Deku acts like forgiving his father is a kind act. However, at the same time implying that holding onto resentment would be an unkind one.

Even though the reason Natsuo won’t forgive is because Toya is dead, and Enji never showed any apparent remorse for it, and didn’t try to fix anything. Even though one son died because of Enji’s training, and then Enji just decided to train the one remaining son he had left a thousand times harder. Natsuo is attempting to hold his father accountable for his actions, but Deku acts like blanket forgiveness would be the kind thing to do.

Even though Deku himself is willing to overlook all of Enji’s past abuse of Shoto, and his murder of Toya, but at the same time stresses how unforgivable Toya and Shigaraki are. 

Deku just saves people in a self destructive way. He breaks his bones to save others, thus mirroring Hawks who just saves people without genuinely thinking through who needs to be saved. They save people, because that’s the way they hurt themselves to prove how useful they are. However, neither of them actually goes through the trouble of thinking who genuinely needs saving, and that’s why they’re able to carry such a false double standard. Enji needs help because he’s trying to be better, whereas Toya’s not trying to be better. Ignoring the fact that you know, Enji tries to be better by just, forgetting everything he did in the past and sweeping his past actions under the rug, whereas Toya is still suffering from the scars of Enji’s abuse, permanently on his body. 

However, between Twice a person willing to die to protect his friends and act of complete selflessness, and Enji who can’t even bring himself to think that maybe he should try to save the son he let burn to death on a mountain peak which one do you think was trying to be better? Enji who spent ten years, even after Toya had already died to his training, training up Shoto instead even harsher. Enji who referred to Toya as “a failure” and “almost perfect” when talking to Shoto about his death. 

“I’m going to help anyone trying to be better” is just an arbitrary line that Hawks draws.

That’s even the critique that Twice levelled at Hawks. Hawks doesn’t care because he never actually tried to see the good sides of the other people, but Toga was someone who comfotred Twice and understood him. Toga was someone who made the league feel like home. Hawks labels Twice as the only good one, because he just didn’t bother to see what was good about the other villains. Yet, at the same time he strains himself to see the good in Endeavor, to the point where he constantly apologizes for Endeavor’s actions and sweeps them under the rug. Endeavor is a good man who is just misunderstood in Hawks’ eyes, who just went wrong somewhere, but Hawks can’t ever offer up the same sympathy to the worst victims of society. Who lash out and hurt other people in the same way that Endeavor did, except Endeavor’s is excusable and there’s isn’t because...??? 

 Hawks is in denial, because he refuses to look at the good sides of the villains. Twice didn’t choose to accept his offer of help, so obviously he didn’t want to be better, therefore Hawks is perfectly justified in putting him down. Notice though how Hawks mentioned prison time for Jin, but not for Enji (neglecting a child to the point where they burn to death is... still a crime). 

Hawks is still in denial about himself. He thinks he’s offering people a helping hand. However, from Jin’s perspective we see how manipulative he is. Hawks didn’t offer Jin a hand, he held him at gunpoint and told him to surrender and betray his friends. Hawks is just lying to himself, because he didn’t go out of his way to save Jin, he ruthlessly manipulated him, and then betrayed him. He’s not framed as a hero trying desperately to save a villain, but rather a friend betraying another friend who trusted him. Because, Hawks does not just sacrifice himself. He’s the extreme result of self sacrifice. Self sacrifice turns into self destruction. Self denial. Hawks sacrifices other people. He forces himself to dirty his hands, because he believes this is the only way he can be a hero. He’s too weak individually, so he has to manipulate, pull strings, and even kill in order to achieve the results he thinks will save the most people. However, by doing that he ignores the suffering of the victims right in front of them.

Not only that, but he ignores what contradicts his simple black and white narrative. Enji was trying to be better so he deserves help and support, Twice didn’t want to be better so Hawks revoked his offer of support away. 

He’s willing to give support to a man who abused his family for no good reason, and who continues to evade any consequences or legal punishment for his actions, but then insists that Jin who was pushed to his actions by poverty and not wanting to starve to death just did not want to be better. He’s like, so unaware of what the problem actually is with society, he can’t possibly think why Enji leaving his own son to burn to death might have left his son a bit miffed. Enji is just a person who made a few missteps along the way but genuinely wants to be good, Dabi is just a selfish person who doesn’t want to be better, so says Hawks. 

Nevermind how hard Toya tried to be a hero, and how he never gave up on earning his father’s love. Nevermind how hard Twice tried to be helpful to other, and how much he loved the people around him he was willing to sacrifice his life. Twice’s last action was to save his two closest friends. Enji’s actions are always just to beat up villains to prove how strong he is. Enji is never concerned with anyone. Hawks does want to save people, but he never thinks about the people who need to be saved.

Therefore, heroes are always good. Even when heroes do bad things, Hawks contrives some way to not hold them responsible for it ever. Well, Enji isn’t like that now. Well, we don’t need to announce that Enji was an abuser, because that will just upset the public. 

The actions of Enji are apologized for over and over again. Because rather than holding him accountable for his actions. Instead of pushing him to actually fix his mistakes, it’s better to keep sweeping the problem under the rug. Because, as is repeated again and again heroes don’t save people. When a hero fails to save someone, rather than trying to fix that mistake it’s easier to blame the person who didn’t get saved. 

Even if it was your own son that you left to burn to death. That is somehow miraculously alive.  That has given you a second chance to save the person you should have saved that day by just, showing up, and actually acting like a father for once. 

Enji will just choose his job over and over again. Because heroes don’t actually have a responsibility to save people. Being hero is just a job. Enji, Hawks, Jeanist they consider it a profession, not a responsibility. Which is why all three of them are willing to blame Dabi for his own actions, but not Endeavor for his. Which, just proves Dabi right. 

Heroes aren’t actually concerned with saving people. Heroes don’t think about who is most in need of saving, and who the real victims are. Heroes just protect their own. 

Enji, Hawks and Dabi are all murderers. They have all killed someone in pursuit of their goal. Not only did Enji murder a child by neglect, he also tried to kill Shigaraki several times over, and even tried to murder Pop Step in vigilantes. Hawks killed Twice in pursuit of a goal. 

However, Hawks and Enji need to be supported, whereas Toya needs to be stopped. Because they are heroes, and Dabi is a villain. But sure, watch Dabi continually burn his own body over and over again and push himself to the very limit so he can achieve a society where another hero will never get away with abusing his family like Enji did his, and say that he doesn’t want to be good. Watch Toya burn himself over and over again as a child just trying to be a hero because he thinks it’s the only way to earn his father’s love, because he genuinely looked up to his father and wanted to be just like him, and insist that Toya just stopped trying to be better, that he was just a jealous child, that he was never good. 

Jeanist isn’t a fully developed character so I’m not going to talk about him as much, but he represents the attitude that heroes “only pretend to save people” because they fuss ove image, rather than doing the actual work of helping victims.

The thing is someone who is genuinely trying to be better would listen to Dabi’s words, to Shigaraki’s words. However, Jeanist, Hawks, Enji all think of themselves as the hero, therefore they assume they are good and that their actions are good. 

Whenever someone contradicts this, they just flat out ignore any criticism. Heroes don’t save people. Heroes just protect their own image as heroes, because they assume that’s what is necessary for peace. Even now, Hawks and Jeanist aren’t focused on the innocent people suffering from the victim break outs, but rather taking down the man out to ruin their reputations. 

They pretend to see those they haven’t protected. Even when that person is Endeavor’s own son, his pain gets swept under the rug, because the image of Endeavor as a shining hero is far more important than the responsibility he has to help his own son, that’s in pain and need to saving.