(Kata POV – Hospital Room)
The room falls into a suffocating silence.
It feels fragile, like any sudden noise or movement would shatter everything beyond repair. And this silence persists for a few, fleeting moments…
Then, the first sound comes from Rei.
It's a soft, uneven patter as tears slip past her lashes and strike the tiled floor. She doesn't make a sound at first, only bows her head, shoulders trembling as she struggles to contain her pain.
Shoto stiffens beside her.
I can almost hear his heart drum as his anger spikes, all of it aimed straight at Dabi…
…Who watches the scene like it's theater.
His lips curl upward into an ugly, but delighted grin.
"Well, well… look at that, Mom." His voice drips with mockery. "Can't handle the truth?"
He throws his head back and laughs loudly, his voice dripping with cruelty. "What good are your tears now, huh?! It's way too la—"
"That's enough." My voice cuts through the room.
Before he can finish, I gag him, forcing his mouth shut. He jerks violently, eyes blazing as he glares at me with pure hatred.
"I know it's not my place to interfere…" I say calmly. "But nothing he was about to say would've helped anyone. You don't deserve to be hurt like that."
Shoto exhales shakily, fists clenched.
"…Thank you." He mutters. "I don't think I could've listened to any more of that."
Rei wipes at her face with trembling hands, trying to steady herself.
"Y-yes… thank you, Kata." Her smile is weak, forcefully made despite her pain. "I… I don't think my heart could take any more…"
I nod in acknowledgement.
"For what it's worth," I say quietly, "his anger isn't really directed at you."
They look at me in confusion.
"He hates Endeavour." I continue. "And because of that, he's willing to hurt anyone connected to him. You, Shoto, the rest of the family… none of you are the real target. But he's willing to hurt you, if it hurts Endeavour."
Dabi glares at me, struggling to break free of my quirk, but it's all wasted effort. I can practically see the moment he realizes I've ruined his performance.
But I couldn't care less about what he thinks.
"Why does he hate him that much…?" Shoto asks, starting to say more, then stopping himself.
I glance between them.
Yes. Endeavour was cruel, controlling, and obsessive. He built a family around an ideal instead of love, and In his pursuit of it, hurt them all, leaving deep psychological scars.
His family hates him because of his role in Dabi's death, and how despite it, he refused to change.
Dabi wasn't there, and his reasons differ vastly… but hatred this deep doesn't come from one thing alone.
"It's complicated." I say slowly. "But from his perspective… he died because of Endeavour's expectations. And when he came back, he saw a family that kept going without him. A family where nothing changed."
Rei flinches.
"To him…" I continue "It looks like his death didn't matter."
"That's not true!" Rei cries out. "We were devastated! Everything changed after he—"
Her voice breaks.
"Nothing was the same after Toya…" She whispers, staring at the floor.
I don't argue.
"I can explain everything now." I say. "But it's a long story, and I think you'd want the whole family here for it."
Silence descends once more, as they stare at each other uncertainly.
I know what they're thinking.
Fuyumi.
Natsuo.
And most of all…
Endeavour.
Shoto swallows.
"…They deserve to know." He says quietly. "And… they deserve to see him… even if it will hurt."
Rei hesitates, then nods.
"I suppose…" She murmurs. "We can't keep avoiding this anymore."
Her gaze drifts to Dabi. Her eyes carry grief, and yet… love.
Even after all his words… she still loves him.
I wait as they make the calls, send the messages, and ask the rest of the family to come.
And as the minutes pass, a tension permeates the room.
I know this isn't going to end cleanly.
But some wounds can't heal if they're never opened.
And this one…
Has been festering for years.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
(Dabi POV – Hospital Room)
'Tch… figures.'
Three hours.
Three long, miserable hours.
And that bastard still hasn't slipped up.
One by one, they trickle in.
First is Fuyumi, bursting through the door like the building's on fire, breathless, eyes wide the second she sees me. The shock hits her first, followed by tears. All so predictable.
Then Natsuo, about thirty minutes later, quieter but no less wrecked. His jaw tightens when he looks at me, standing there dumbly, lost for words. Honestly, I didn't expect much.
Mom and Shoto explain what little they know.
And the reactions are always the same.
Disbelief.
Guilt.
Crying.
It's almost funny how consistent it is.
'I'm honestly sick of it.'
Their voices blur together—questions, gasps, shaky apologies. Fuyumi takes after Mom, trying to hug me, and ends up in a puddle of tears, while Natsuo stays eerily silent, in deep thought.
And still…
No sign of Endeavour.
He's probably busy pretending to be a hero instead of a father… again.
For three hours, I sit here like a good little captive. I don't struggle. I don't lash out. I don't even talk much. Just wait.
Waiting is easy.
Especially when I'm imagining all the ways I could end them if this idiot restraining me made just one tiny mistake.
I try to use my quirk again, and…
Nothing.
'Damn it. I still can't use my quirk.'
This would've been the perfect opportunity. The whole family in one place, one blast and they'd all be gone… burnt to ashes.
'That'd really piss him off.' I muse.
The thought would've made me smile, if I currently had that much control over my own body.
But beneath it all, my anger burns quietly.
'I hate this.'
Being trapped, watched, and… powerless.
Then, as I thought I'd die from boredom—
The door slams open.
"What is it now?" A familiar voice snaps. "Why did you call me here?"
It's grating, loud, commanding… but most of all, carrying loads of ego.
I lift my eyes slowly, watching as he ducks through the doorway. He's still in costume, flames burning along his body, as an ugly scowl adorns his face.
Endeavour.
My heart slams against my ribs as adrenaline floods my veins.
'There you are.' I think coldly. 'I'll kill you. Burn you down to nothing, along with everything you care about.'
Despite my conviction, my body doesn't move, bound tightly in place.
I can't even clench my fists properly, let alone tear him apart.
But it doesn't matter.
I've waited years.
I can wait longer.
'These idiots won't kill me.' I think with bitter amusement. 'That's why heroes are so damn stupid.'
The room immediately starts moving again the moment he arrives.
"Dad!" Fuyumi steps forward, voice trembling. "Toya is—"
"Dead." Endeavour cuts her off flatly. "I confirmed it myself, and no matter who claims to be him, it doesn't change that he died in that mountain."
Endeavour ignores everyone else, and his gaze locks onto me like I'm nothing but a stain on the floor.
"So…" He says flatly. "You're the one claiming to be Toya."
The pressure around my throat loosens.
Finally.
I roll my shoulders, sucking in a breath. "Ahhh… much better." I grin lazily. "Guess you're good for something after all, Dad."
His flames flare higher instantly, heat washing across the room.
"Watch your mouth." He snaps. "You dare address me like that? Who do you think you are?"
I tilt my head, studying him. "Wow. You really are getting old. Can't even recognize your own kid?" I chuckle. "Then again, you probably never saw me as one. Just another… prototype."
His eyes narrow.
"No child of mine would ever become… this." He says coldly. "Even if Toya were alive, he wouldn't turn into something this disgraceful."
Something inside me freezes.
My grin twitches.
For a heartbeat, I don't even breathe.
Then a low laugh crawls out of my chest.
"Oh… that's beautiful." I say, breaking into louder laughter. "Really. You always manage to surprise me."
I thought I'd see something.
Shock.
Anger.
Maybe even… regret.
But no.
Just indifference.
He doesn't even try to confirm if I'm me.
Everyone else knew the moment they saw me.
Maybe he wanted me dead? Maybe he just doesn't care.
This is a rejection… clean and simple.
Not just of who I became.
Of who I was.
'I don't get it.' I think distantly. 'Why does this hurt?'
My chest tightens so much, that even breathing feels hard.
It's like something inside me is collapsing.
'I hate him. I always have…'
But this—
This is worse.
My heartbeat starts to pound in my ears. It's so loud it's disorienting. It's so fast, the room starts to shake.
My skin begins to prickle. Suddenly, it feels too tight… too hot, then cold.
A shaky chuckle slips out of me as I endure the sensations, and white smoke begins to curl off my shoulders.
I don't notice at first.
My eyes stay locked on him.
Heat ripples through the air.
Then—
Blue and violent flames dance across my arms… but they aren't alone.
Thin frost creeps along my skin too, crackling against the fire, steaming as it melts.
Fire and ice.
Together.
My breath comes out in a tremble.
"I'm… pathetic?" I murmur, voice low, uneven. "Guess you could never accept that one of your precious sons turned out like me."
My flames swell.
The air groans under the rising temperature, but somehow the room remains intact.
"To you, I'm probably worse than the failure your other kids are, huh?" I muse, even as my chest burns. "I'm a stain… a thorn on your path to surpassing All Might…"
I lift my head, meeting his stare with a grin that doesn't reach my eyes.
"Funny thing is…" I whisper. "You made me."
And I smile.
Not because I find it funny.
I've long since lost my ability to cry.
But… it hurts so much, that all I can do is smile.
*******
A/N: Hello Everyone! How are you all? If you've enjoyed the chapter and book thus far, please consider leaving me some comments, reviews, or power stones. It really helps the book out.
So yeah... So much drama. NGL, I got too excited when writing this. I write Endeavour as Endeavour, and kinda forgot that most of you guys voted for a happy ending💀. I mean, results were close, and I had a plan in mind, but I forgot, and now I'm busy reworking a lot of things🤣😭. But that's fun in a sense.
You can also read 10 chapters ahead and support me at Patreon.com/AMV_WEAKLY
But anyway, that's all from me. Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter, and have a wonderful rest of your day/night😁