[A/N: I changed the summary for this fic. Please let me know what you think (if you want). Enjoy the chapter!]

If there's one thing Damaso hates about reporters, it's there ability to get into any building no matter how much security she applies. For instance, she's currently surrounded by at least twenty journalists looking for their big break despite the fact she ordered the HPSC building to go on a discrete lock down. She doesn't understand how these civilians manage to sneak past her defenses every time. 

There's a dozen cameras trained on her, microphones clutched in outstretched arms to pair. People chatter and shuffle; their electronics buzz and their cameras snap. She has to blink away the shock that comes with every white flash of a picture. Scratch what she said before, her least favorite thing about reporters are their ridiculous, eye damaging cameras. 

"Commissioner Damaso! Have you seen Revite's newest article?" 

"Can you comment on the surplus of positive attention given to the heroes praised in Revite's article?"

"Damaso-sama, how do you feel about the fall of Endeavor?" 

"Can you tell us how Revite gained hold of this information?" 

"Should we be worried for other top heroes?" 

Dreadfully boring this is. It's the same as always. Same people, same questions just with different names. Really, she'd of thought this country's best journalists would have a little more originality. With her hands clasped neatly in front of her, she wonders dully how hard of a punch it would take to knock the teeth out of the reporter hovering dangerously close to her. 

Inside may be bland and typical but even from within these walls she can feel the thrum of activity outdoors. She can hear people chanting his name like they know better. Fools. She knows what their signs say and she knows there's hundreds of them waiting outside her door. If the choice were between these bland pigs in their fancy suits and the citizens with war paint etched into their anger twisted scowls, she'd pick the citizens any day. At least she never knew what to expect with them. 

One reporter sticks their hand through the crowd of people, holding a microphone up to her face. They shout to her, "Commissioner, Revite mentioned in his article that you had records on Endeavor in your database. Is it true that you had his misdoings on file but never did anything about it?" 

She lifts a brow. Bold of them to phrase their question that way. 

"Those records don't exist." Not since we burned them this morning. "Revite's claims are far fetched and risky. Whatever the case is, liar or not, will be revealed in court. It is out of the commissions hands." 

She wishes it weren't. If she could, she'd step in but too many people already know the truth. The entirety of the Musutafu police has evidence that she never saw a page of and the Todoroki children are involved. She can't worm her way past them all without being caught. Endeavor's fate truly is up to the court now. The best she can do is attempt to rig the judge to give him a lighter sentence, not that it would help her case in any way. Too much effort and resources simply to save one man with no use to her now. 

The reporters quiet, whispering among themselves. She readies herself to walk away when that same person speaks up again. They ask her, "And what of Hawks?" 

Years of practice keep her from freezing but the instinct to do so is still there. For the past twenty years, she'd weaved strings of plots together into a perfect web. Everything fell where it should and any trigger had an array of spiders to chase it off. Hawks departed with one of those strings still clinging to his flightless form. The more he pulled away, the more the web unraveled. If there's one thing she could change, it'd be that idiotic pawn who forgot how he's supposed to play this game. 

She holds her smile and replies, "What about him?" 

The cut across her face stings at his mention. The wound's still closing but she knows it will scar - forever a reminder of how her pupil's feathers she'd weaponized slashed through her skin. Red feathers drawing red blood. She remembers sitting on the floor that day with her fresh gash,  laughing at some poetic meaning she should be able to find in all these hectic events. 

Poetry is a fools game meant for those people outside demanding freedom. Freedom is figurative and anyone who thinks otherwise doesn't deserve to ask more of her. 

"You have yet to give a clear answer on why Hawks was criminalized," the little reporter piped. 

She might as well toss them a bone to lap at for now. Something to pull them away from Endeavor. 

"The demand to obtain Hawks was released after the Hosu events which caused an uproar of complaints towards Hawks," she explained. "We investigated these complaints and it was revealed that Hawks had been secretly working with Revite for months. When he was confronted about this and offered to turn himself in, he reacted violently, injuring members of the commission-- myself included-- and then disappearing. The call for Hawks' arrest is for the safety of others." 

The reporters sprung into noise, questions from what sort of work did Hawks do with Revite to is that how you got that cut on you face fell from their overeager lips. She raised her hands to silence them, saying, "That's all the questions I'll be taking today. Please see yourselves out," before turning on her heel and retreating to her office. 

Once inside, she fought a frown upon realizing she wasn't alone. She regarded the man waiting at her desk calmly. "Higasa-kun, what are you doing in here?" 

"Commissioner," he said, inclining his head towards her. "I have some information on the Endeavor case." 

She sighed. Endeavor-this, Endeavor-that. Do none these people recognize the real issue at hand? Endeavor can't be saved so instead Revite must be stopped before they loose more heroes. 

"We'll discuss it later," she settled on saying. 

"But Commissioner, the Todoroki children have requested a trial that will begin tomorrow," Higasa explained. His webbed hands held a file towards her. "These are possible candidates for judges who can ease his sentencing." 

The judges don't matter. Keeping her smile, she repeated, "We'll discuss this later." 

"But ma'am, the Endeavor case is --" 

"If you say impertinent I will slit your throat," she snaps. Higasa flinches, his hand falling to rest at his sides as his eyes widen. She takes a deep breath, smoothing down her hair. No mistakes. She plasters back on her smile and says, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled. It's been a stressful day as you can imagine. Can you. . . Can you give me a minute alone and we can discuss this later?" 

He seems to debate the command for a moment before nodding. "Of course, Commissioner. You know where to find me when you're ready." 

And how to fire you when you're not, she tacks on mentally. 

When he's gone, she collapses onto the desk chair. Her computer is powered off and in it's black screen reflection, she sees herself slumped in the chair. She sits straighter and smiles at herself. Her lips stretch wide revealing pearly white teeth. Her hair falls to just above her shoulders neatly, stopping at a deadly straight line. Perfection besides the cut trailing from the top of her brow to the shadow of her cheekbones.  

She snarls and slams shut the computer. 

All of this is Revite's fault. If he hadn't of written those articles then no one would be screaming on the other side of her window only worsening her headache. If he hadn't of crossed the line she'd laid out then she wouldn't have had to send Hawks in only to loose him completely. If he hadn't have spoken up about what he thought was just or not then she wouldn't have a dozen officials and reporters breathing down her neck. Shudder, Harmony, Alloy, Conium, Frost, Shifter, and so many more, now Endeavor. All gone because of him.

He needed to disappear. Of course, the one person who could help her track him down is now on his side. 

Yanking open the bottom drawer of her desk, she pulled out a folder brimming with Hawk's reports. She should have figured he was starting to favour Revite judging by how his reports grew less and less thorough. A stupid mistake. 

She flips through the pages, scanning for anything that might lead to revealing Revite's identity, or even his location. Hawks mentions collecting Revite's accomplice, Dabi, at his apartment but it doesn't specify the address. Another detail she overlooked. A hero as diligent as him would have recorded the address if he wasn't busy playing double agent. He was protecting them. Little rat. 

She falters on one of the pages, a familiar name catching her eye. 

mm/dd/yy
Today Dabi took us to the Tavern again. The encounter was relatively uneventful. He spoke with his informant, Katou, again and traded his phone for a new one. Katou informed him that there is another person besides the commission looking for Revite and is setting up a date for Dabi to meet with one of their accomplices. I'm hoping to arrange accompanying him when the time comes so to gather more information. Dabi also mentions looking for a man named Charlie who used to be an old informant but the conversation stays relatively centered around Revite's growing fame. More and more villains are siding with him each day and even a hand full of heroes. 
After, we returned to Revite's home-base to report back what we learned. He collected the information then sent me away. 
- HAWKS

Damaso stares at the report. So Revite is looking looking for Charlie. She leaned back in her chair and grinned. Maybe Hawks will end up having been of some use after all. 

-:- 

"--and it seems like the judge is mostly in our favour for now. He has a strange mustache though," Shouto says, tilting his head like he was imagining said mustache. In his black and white suit, the vibrant colours of his features pop out more, seeming out of place in the best way possible. 

"You can't say that!" Izuku screeched at him through his phone. 

In the video of the face time Shouto tilted his head back to normal. "Why not? Can he hear me?" 

"That's not the point!" 

"But you're laughing so it can't be that bad," he notes. Izuku's half tempted to hang up on him. 

Two days after releasing the Endeavor article and the Todoroki's already are in court challenging their father. His hero license was taken away earlier that morning and Shouto claims it's put him in an even worse mood. Apparently the ac is running overtime in the courtroom due to Endeavors flames. 

Shouto called him at lunch during the first break they had. He's been filling him in on all the details over text for the past few days but it's nice to hear him say it out loud on facetime. He tells him that he and his siblings are staying in a hotel near the court building until the case is over and dealt with. Shouto says that officials told them it's likely he'll be placed with a hero family, his sister, or transferred into Yuuei's standalone student program that houses and looks after students travelling from outside the country. Apparently one of 1-B's students, Pony Tsunitori, lives on campus in that program. 

Relief invades Izuku when Shouto tells him that Aizawa and another pro named Manuel are acting as guards for their family at the moment. Aizawa has restricted them from looking at social media (which Izuku strongly agree's with based off some of the posts he's seen already). One of Musutafu's detectives is helping them work through any threats they receive as well as support in case they're accused of working with Revite.  

Apparently Izuku's not the only one checking in either, but that much he knew already. When texting Shouto he'd mentioned receiving a bouquet of white and blue flowers from his classmates as well as a tub of ice cream. On the phone now, Shouto says he's been surprised by how often his classmates check up on him to make sure he's okay. He mentions that a few of them threatened to dropkick Endeavor. 

It's hard not to be glad when he hears things are going so well. Shouto and his siblings deserve the best right now. 

Izuku patiently listens to Shouto drone on about his day. He complains about how it's uncomfortable sitting still for so long and that he can't believe Endeavor's lawyer had the gull to ask for Touya Todoroki be present as a witness like he wasn't a wanted criminal. Midoriya had laughed at that until Shouto interrupted him with a question. 

"So your brother is actually my brother, right?" he said. 

Izuku quieted. In truth, he was so caught up in being relaxed with Shouto he'd forgotten about his role as Revite. His lies about Dabi. 

Rubbing his neck, he answered, "Yeah. Sorry. I, uh. I sort of took him in one day and started treating him like my brother." 

"Did you know? That he was working with Revite and that he was Touya?"

There's something about Shouto's face then that keeps him from lying completely. He doesn't seem mad, not by a long shot, only curious. He wonders how long he's been waiting to ask that. How many times in their past few days of texting did he think about asking? Does he owe it to him to give him so semblance of truth?

He sighs and nods. "I knew, kinda. I knew he worked with Revite but not how exactly. I didn't become friends with you only to help him if that's what you're wondering. You're my friend because I like you. I like doing this; talking and hanging out." 

Shouto didn't look away. "And Dabi being Touya?"

"I guessed but didn't know for sure till recently." Not entirely a lie depending on what one considers recent. 

They sit silently for a while. Izuku chews his lip anxiously as he waits for a response from Shouto. The boy only stares at him through the camera, the dampened sound of footsteps from busy legal officials coming through from his end. Izuku remembers first meeting Shouto at his fathers party; when he'd looked at his eyes and thought about how he'd always wanted heterochromic eyes.  Now when he see's the different blue and grey, he doesn't dare wish for his own. He can't imagine seeing anyone else with a feature so distinctly Shouto. He much rather see his eyes than have his own two-toned irises. 

"I like this too," Shouto says abruptly. Izuku's expression must reflect the confusion he feels for the boy clarifies. "Talking and hanging out, like you said. I like it too." 

He doesn't bother containing the grin that stretches across his face. It hurts his cheeks with how wide his lips pull back. "I'm glad." 

"I called because with all that's happening, you feel normal still," he admits with stony face. 

Feeling his ears and cheeks heat, he sputters, "Wha- me? But I'm not normal! I haven't even been around for that long!" 

"Two months is long enough," he counters. He shrugs. "You have a way of worming into peoples lives, Midoriya." 

Briefly, he thinks of Dabi who he's made a center point in his life. He thinks of All Might, the number one hero he somehow managed to convince he was important and trustworthy enough to be handed his quirk. Shinsou who started out with no desire to have friends and ended up with a dozen follower requests from him and his classmates on social media. Uraraka, Hatsume, Komori, Kaseki, Hawks, Akito, Sutorimu. 

Maybe there is some truth to what Shouto said. 

Before he can say anything else, his phone starts to ring. At the top of his screen, a tab comes down with Dabi's contact info displayed across it. He sighs and meets Shouto's eyes through the screen again. 

"Sorry, I'm getting a call," he apologizes. "I should pick up otherwise Dabi will get worried. It was nice talking with you. Keep me updated." 

He goes to hang up when Shouto stops him with, "Wait." 

Hesitating, his hand hovers over the end call button. He can feel his phone vibrating in his hand as he watches Shouto's expression morph into something softer. His jaw loosens from it's usual tightness and his eyes stop looking so passionate and whole. He smiles tamely, the corners of his lips pulling up only barely. 

"Thank you," he says. Izuku doesn't get to ask what for before Shouto confirms, "For doing this. Thank you for helping us." 

Seconds later Izuku is blinking at his screen showing off the words, SHOUTO :D ended call. The realization hits him like an anvil coming down on his head, leaving him sprawled on the ground with a dizzy head and ringing ears. A billion thoughts pass through his mind, both questions and wonderings, but the loudest thought is the doubtless notion now presented to him. 

He knows. 

Mindlessly, he accepts Dabi's call. 

"Hey kid, I just found-- wait. Why do you look so pale?" Dabi says immediately upon him answering. Through his phone (surprisingly a facetime not a call) Dabi squints at him. "What did you do?" 

 "I think Shouto knows I'm Revite," he says simply. It feels weird to form his tongue around the words. Numb, like he can't quite believe it. 

Dabi's eyebrows jump to his hairline. "Really? You need to get better at keeping your identity a secret."

Izuku groans and hangs his head. "This can't be happening." 

"Yeah well it is." Dabi scratched at the side of his face, yawning. "Onto more important matters--"

"What is more important!?" 

"--Katou finally got back to me about Charlie." 

Shouto was forgotten almost instantly as Izuku's interest piqued. Despite all the chaos emerging in the past few days, he's never been able to shake the small part of his brain revolving around Charlie. Ever since Komori mentioned him, he's been fretting over every detail. The more he looked, the more he found Charlie littered through out his work as Revite. If there's anyone who can help him, it'd be him. 

"What'd he say?" he asks eagerly. 

"He's not missing anymore. He apparently just went off the radar for a while for another one of his more secretive missions," Dabi explained. "I have his address that I can send to you but wait to look into it till I--" 

A loud honk cut Dabi off, the man wincing at the sound. Izuku frowned. "Where are you?" 

Dabi scowls, teeth clenching and lip pulling back defensively. "Doesn't matter. Where are you, huh? Aren't you supposed to be in school?" 

"I am at school. It's lunch break." 

 "Then why do I see trees?" 

Izuku scrunched up his face. "This isn't a prison. We're allowed outside for lunch. And stop deflecting. Where are you?" 

Rolling his eyes, Dabi grumbled, "On a roof outside the courthouse."

Regardless of what Dabi tells others, he does care for people. His circles may be limited (very limited) but eventually he learns to care for people. Izuku's watched his malice towards his siblings shift and remold itself into tentative caring - the kind that leads him to wait outside courthouses he can't step into just to be cautious. 

"Be careful," Izuku reminds him. "If anyone see's your scars--" 

"They'll know who I am and something bad will happen, yeah yeah." He mocks him with a high pitched voice. "I know, kid. You don't have to worry about me." 

Izuku smiles and Dabi barks at him to shut up and get to class before hanging up on him. Izuku laughs before tucking his phone in his pocket, making his way to his fifth period class. He thinks All Might is teaching. 

Under his skin, he feels a buzz of excitement when the familiar ding of a message from Dabi reaches his ears, no doubt Charlie's address. Finally, he can get some answers. 

-:-

After last period, Izuku changes into his Revite gear and books it to Charlies place, taking the alley ways. It's better not to be seen in costume these days. 

He stares up at the building sharing an address with the one Dabi sent him, squinting at the windows. It's hard to tell if the lights are on or not with the stingy grey curtains covering the windows. It's a nice place. A house in this side of town is a rarity but he figures with Charlie's line of work, he can afford it. Though, he must say the chipping beige paint needs a new coat. 

Pulling about his phone, he dials the number Komori gave him. Several rings pass by without answer and he's sent to voicemail. 

You've reached Charlie Harling. I'm busy at the moment so please leave a message and I'll get back to you. If it's urgent, please contact my work cell at XXX-XXX-XXXX. Thank you.

Pursing his lips, Izuku looked back to the house. He shouldn't go in without asking first but. . . when has that ever stopped him? 

A few minutes later, he's in the house with his feet set firmly on the carpeted floors. He feels bad for wearing his shoes. He feels less guilty when he glances at the front entrance to see no trace of slippers. What he does find there is a stack of newsletters and envelops under the mail slot. Confused, he moves passed them. 

The house isn't what Izuku had been expecting. It was modest in the way richer families always kept their houses modest. Simple chairs, minimal decorations, dull single toned furniture. All so unassuming but probably worth more than any furniture Izuku would ever own. However, unlike most fancy houses, there was proof people existed there in the clutter scattered everywhere. 

The kitchen had a few mugs sitting by the sink with the rims stained with what looked like coffee and the bathroom door was open to reveal a towel on the floor. Not messy, but lived in. The only real mess was at the dinning room table where papers were spread out on the wood surface. Pages upon pages highlighted and underlined. Leaning against the wall next to the table was a massive cork board. 

Izuku approached the board, bending down to read the various articles and strings pinned to it. Each string was a different colour and led to a different piece stuck to the cork. He read the piece at the center with a tilted head. In bold letters it said, HPSC TRUTH. 

If he had any doubts before that this was Charlie's place, they vanished. This board belonged to someone who was looking for answers - who had the ones to Izuku's questions. 

"What else do you have for me," Izuku said under his breath, standing up and retreating back to the table. He found one of his old articles laid out and gently picked it up, scanning the title. Capillum: Her Dabble In Villainy .

He vaguely remembers writing about Capillum before he met Dabi. She made tech for villains to use in robberies. He recalls the article getting barely any attention since she was already no longer a hero. She'd disappeared a few months before, the hair controlling hero never to be seen again. 

In the margin line of the article, someone wrote Hatsu??? Part of Hero Program??

Hatsu was her civillain name if can recall correctly. If Charlie thinks she's apart of the hero program, did Dabi mention her after visiting Ayumu? 

Izuku set the page down, he glanced at the other papers. There were hundred of articles, not any by him besides that one. Each had circled lines and margin notes but Izuku brushed them aside to pick up a notebook resting in the middle of the table. Flipping it open, he stared at the first page. The words were written in English for the most part, pulling a pout from him. He flipped through to the pages looking for any Japanese. As much as liked English class with All Might, he has to admit he wouldn't be able to read the abbreviated words and messy scrawl of alphabetical letters. 

He reached halfway through the notebook - the last written page - when he finally found Japanese. His eyes traced over the kanji  written under English with concern. 

To whoever reads this, they're on to me but I'm on to them too. If anything happens, use the contents of this book to out the commission. Find Revite if you can, he might be able to help. If not, find her and she'll give you the key to where the rest of the evidence is stored. Just don't let them find it. 

The worry line between his brows deepened as he flipped the notebook over in his hands before ultimately setting it down. When Charlie gets home he'll be sure to ask him what exactly the book contains. After he introduces himself and explains why he broke into his house of course. 

A blinking light in the corner of the room catches his eye when he looks up. Brows still firmly knit together, he walked towards it only to find a computer. The light signalling it was on flashed green in the corner of the screen. He taped the space bar, trying to figure out why the rest of the screen was black. 

He blinked in surprise when that single tap jolted the screen to life. He would have thought a hackers computer would be more secured. What was even stranger than that though was the text that appeared in the center of the computer. His stomach twisted as he read over it several times in confusion. 

"Boo?" he reads out loud.

Then everything went black.