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It wasn’t often that the commission president called Hawks into her office, but it certainly was happening more often these days. Ever since he was given the objective to infiltrate the League of Villains he was being summoned for weekly updates. Still those weekly updates always happened on Fridays, today was Thursday. What could have happened to change the schedule?
His mission had taken well an interesting turn, what was supposed to be a typical infiltration of a criminal organization turned into a battle of morals and will that Hawks had not truly prepared himself for. He wasn’t prepared to see a villain in a different light than he was used to. He always compared the villains he fought to his father, it was what gave him the drive to continue, knowing that people that hurt others were going away.
That all changed when he met Dabi, the arsonist, the right hand man to the leader of the League of Villains. He tried to hold his convictions, reminding himself over and over again that Dabi was a villain, that he was dangerous and terrible. He soon realized just how new too the game Dabi was. It wasn’t terribly surprising, Dabi didn’t have any crimes to his name before the League, but everyone assumed that just meant he hadn’t attached his name to them, not that he never committed them.
When he entered the office, he was met with a very stern commission president, her jaw was set and her eyes unreadable.
“Ma’am?”
“Takami, your mission is over.”
“What? But–”
“But nothing, Yueii has informed me that they have a member of the League of Villains willing to give information, there is no longer a need for something as risky as infiltration.”
“Not to be too nosy but who-?”
“The arsonist, Dabi. Not sure what they managed to bribe him with but I don’t really care. The less casualties we have when fighting these threats the better. You are dismissed.”
“Yes Ma’am.” Hawks bowed his head, although his mind was racing through all the possibilities. Dabi? Why would Dabi give information on the League? What could they give him? I saw him this morning, what changed?
As he left the building he leapt into the air, unintentionally or perhaps led by something else entirely he managed to fly to the front gates of Yueii. Surprisingly his mentee was standing at the gates, she didn’t seem shocked to see him though. She just smiled and waved a guest gate card in her hand.
“Don’t worry. He’s fine.”
“I–”
“Come on, everyone’s still waiting for the polygrapher to get here. It’s protocol.”
Hawks is led down the halls of Yueii, he never attended a high school for his education but he can’t argue that Yueii is nice. Eventually he gets led to a large room, where Present Mic and Eraserhead are discussing something.
Then he turns his attention to the center of the room, where three students are sitting next to a man.
Dabi. Huh?
It takes a moment for Hawks’s brain to catch up with himself, he doesn’t even realize that his feet started walking him over before he’s already in front of the table.
It was then that Dabi looked up, there was no mistaking those eyes, now surrounded by pale unblemished skin, they still glowed like they held a fire that couldn’t be contained. Hawks couldn’t look away from them.
“You good Birdie?” His lips look soft.
“Huh? Oh y-yeah, fine. What-? How-?” Dabi chuckled at Hawks’s stumbling.
Dabi just pointed towards the corner of the room, where a very energetic Eri was telling a very tired Eraserhead about her day. Hawks remembered the girl, she was the one rescued from Shie Hassaikai. She looked to be doing much better than when she was first found.
“That doesn’t explain-”
“Be patient, we’re waiting for the polygrapher. Come on, sit.” Dabi patted a hand on the space next to him. It'd seem like Hawks was the one with the fire quirk with how he looked like he was about to combust. Dabi continued to lounge across him, clearly unbothered about being seen by the others in the room.
When the polygrapher arrives, everyone in the room falls silent. She calmly unpacks several notebooks, files, and recording equipment.
“Dabi, nice to meet you. I assume you’ve been briefed on what this will entail?”
“Mhm– and it’s Touya.”
The polygrapher smiles, “Touya, well lets begin. Why did you turn to villainy, is it just to kill Endeavor?”
“Pretty much.”
“True. Why do you want to kill him?”
“Because he’s my father.”
“True.”
Hawks stared, losing himself to his thoughts. He’s my father. Hawks’s eyes darted between Dab–Touya and Shouto, and god how hadn’t he seen it before? That means every time Dabi had talked about being ignored, feeling worthless, every nightmare, every— Hawks was nearly sick, to think he was admiring a person, a monster, who could break someone so much.
Hawks snapped back to attention as Touya took a deep breath and began to tell his story.
The training that began the moment his quirk appeared.
The way it stopped so suddenly when his skin burned for the first time.
Watching as his father actively tried to replace him.
The years of their mother withering away, her mind shattered by that house.
Sekoto Peak, the little he could remember.
Waking up years later to find that even his death meant nothing.
Three years and nothing changed.
Seeing Shouto in the dojo the night he walked away from the name Todoroki.
Shouto so small, burning. Yet his anger couldn’t see the reality of what life was.
There seemed to be no short supply of tears around the room, even the explosion kid had a few in his eyes. The polygrapher continued to write, not missing a single detail. Her hands shook as she wrote but never stopped until the whole story was on paper as well as the recording.
She was stunned but continued, “Why join the League of Villains?”
“They were a means to an end, useful without getting in my way.”
The polygrapher nodded, Touya continued answering questions, telling what little he knew of each member of the League. He sprinkled in complaints here or there. About how none of them listen, like when Compress grabbed another hostage during the raid on the summer camp. Yet even his complaints held a tone of fondness.
“You have no record prior to the League, why turn to villainy?”
“I didn’t at first… did what I had to do to survive and I didn’t take on the name ‘Dabi’ until I joined the League.”
“You went by Touya?”
“To some.”
“To others–?”
“Ryuutou, it’s the other half of the proverb. I liked it.”
The heroes up until this point were silent, but Eraserhead spoke up, “Ryuutou… that was the name of a vigilante from the Musutafu area years back.”
Touya was stunned that the name was recognized, “Well– I-”
The polygrapher narrowed her eyes and wrote it down with the rest of the info from the interview, marking down things to be looked into later before packing up and leaving, “We’ll be in contact if we need anything else. Don’t disappear.”
“Second one to say that today,” Touya tried to joke.
As she left, Eraserhead stood up, when he returned it was with another stack of paperwork. Although, this batch had ‘Vigilante Sponsorship’ written at the top. Touya stared at the papers, confused as to why they were in front of him of all people.
“—I’m a villain.”
“Were, you were a villain. You were also a vigilante. This gives you a chance to add Hero to that resume of yours.”
“I–”
Eraserhead pats him on the shoulder, “Just think about alright?”
It felt like a dream, to have someone believe in him again. It seemed… too simple, if it was this easy, why didn’t anyone help before? If he can’t be a villain to take down society, perhaps being a hero to reform it was a start.
He began to write at the top of the page; Touya—