By the time Izuku comes home from school, Dabi is a bundle of restless energy. Normally, he's lacking a significant amount of energy and general will to do anything. However, today is different solely based on the fact he feels useless beyond imaginable.

When he woke up in the morning, Izuku was already out the door on his way to school leaving him alone to deal with Hawks. The ex-hero was passed out on the couch, his wings curled around him like a blanket. Dabi had hesitated in waking him up. Cautiously, he'd brought himself to sit next to him, watching the rise and fall of his chest and frowning at the swelling around his eye which continued to turn a deep purple.

Dabi didn't dare to ask how he got the bruises and cuts when Hawks awoke. He knows all too well what questions like those can prompt-- how it's best to avoid them. Instead, when the birdy returned to the land of the living, he offered him a water and asked him if he felt up to anything. There'd been a shake of the head in answer to the latter. Dabi left it at that.

The things is, that's how most of his day went. Sitting next to Hawks on the cheap couch they finally purchased, listening to the noises of cars passing by outside and vendors opening up for the day, occasionally leaning to close to one another.

They didn't talk about the commission and they didn't ask what they'd do next. They only sat, silence enclosing them.

And Dabi felt useless.

He could see the way Hawks expression rested heavier than usual. Could see the mask he put up like always; how it cracked in the small downturn of his lips and blank stare in his golden eyes. He hurt so obviously in a way Dabi couldn't understand nor even begin to comfort.

It seemed foolish to him that Hawks would hurt over this. He's free now, is he not? His confusion over his pain is why he can't help. A train cannot go anywhere without tracks just as he cannot aid Hawks without knowing what's to aid in the first place.

So he sits. And he waits. And he sits some more, until Izuku comes home from his classes.

Dabi bounds to his feet when he hears the door open. Next to him, Hawks' feathers almost appear sharper as they ruffle, standing on guard with the straightness of a pin. Dabi eases as he recognizes the green curls on the intruder. Hawks remains stiff, even if his wings lower back to his sides. There's an almost doe-eyed look to him then-- frightened-- but Dabi ignores it in favour of Izuku.

The boy in question barely lifts his head to look at them as he strides into the room, throwing his bag onto the table. There's a crease between his brows as they pinch together, lips pursed like always when he's thinking. His distraction is clear as he pulls his books out of his bag more on what seems to be auto-pilot than anything.

Dabi approaches him, resting a hand on his shoulder. The boy startles with a jump. He swivels his head to face him, alarmed for only a second before his eyes meets his and soften. He pulls a lopsided smile.

"Hey, Dabi."

"Hey yourself, kid," he says, bumping his shoulder. He gestures with his hand to his face. "What's with the thinking look?"

He shrugs. "Some stuff happened at school. It's no big deal."

"Define 'no big deal'."

Shooting a pointed look his way, Izuku sighs exasperatedly. "Trust me. It's really not a big deal this time."

He continues to unpack his bag as Dabi eyes him suspiciously. It's not that he doesn't trust the kid, but his past record shows his idea of what is normal and what isn't doesn't align with most peoples. He has poor judgement is all.

Having finished sorting his things, Izuku walks over to where Hawks has been watching them from the couch. Despite his stiffness, Hawks doesn't stop Izuku from sitting next to him, head tilted and hands loosely clasped in front of him.

"Hey," he says, tone even and soft. "How was your day?"

"Good," Hawks answers. The lie is clear to them all. Dabi crosses his arms from where he stands, gritting his teeth.

Izuku simply hums to himself and leans back against the couch. He murmurs, "Y'know, I think you're more popular now than you were when you took down that major crime organization in June-- and you were in the spotlight for weeks because of that."

Hawks eyes drift downward. "What are they saying?"

"Nothing but questions," he admits. "No one knows what happened or why. They can't really say anything because they don't know what there is to say."

To Dabi's surprise, Hawks' shoulder relax at this, the stress seeping away from him. He gives a jerky nod.

Dabi steps forward then, glancing between the two of them. "The media wants answers, lets give them. We can reveal the commission for all the bad they've done-- are doing. This is our chance."

Then, for some reason Dabi can't understand, Izuku looks almost disappointed. Hawks won't look up from the floor and his shoulders tense again. Dabi doesn't get it. What did he say? He's being logical. This is there chance; what they've been waiting for this whole time. These past few weeks of build up and evidence collecting, all for this. An yet. . . it looks like they don't want to do anything.

"What?" he asks, taking in Izuku's wary expression.

"Dabi. . . "he starts, trailing off. He sighs, his clasped hands tightening around themselves. "I want to. I do, but it's not the right time."

He bristles.

"Not the right time?" he demands. "Why do you say this every time? When is it when is it ever going to be the right time? I get you're whole show is planning out your every move but sometimes you just have to throw your cards down and call it a day. Explain to me why the fuck this isn't the right time."

"Because if we told the world the commission kicked Hawks because he refused to kill us, what would everyone do?"

They'd see the commission's a bunch of scumbags with twisted ideals, Dabi nearly blurts before he catches his tongue. It's what he wants to say. Yet, even he knows it's not the truth. The world isn't perfect like that.

"They'd tear us apart," Izuku said. "What they see right now as a mystery they'd then see as a crime, an act of treason. They'd probably think there was good reason for the commission ordering to kill us. Maybe all those who switched sides because of Stain would switch right back."

Izuku met his gaze full on. Dabi could see how badly he wanted to expose the commission. The glint in his eyes said it all. There was so much anger there, resentment for what they might have done to Hawks.

"If we're going to tear down the commission properly, we need all the evidence we can get. We're close, we just need one or two more things and we're good but we don't have that information yet. Give it time." He pauses, then, "Besides, things are fragile. Targeting the whole system right now leaves an opening for villains to take over. We need to prove some heroes are good first, that it's just the system is broken and needs to be redone so those good heroes can do their job. That's why we need to save Hawks for later, why we need to find more true heroes."

He wants to shout and claim that society is always going to be fragile. Someone's always not going to believe them. If they keep pussyfooting around nothing will ever change.

"Midoriya's right."

Dabi snaps his gaze to Hawks. He's still not looking at either of them as his fists clench in his lap.

"We can't go after them now," he says. "The commission has always twisted things in their favour. They will twist this if they have to. If we come at them with what we have now they'll rebound, like always."

As he says it, Dabi can't help but focus on the 'like always'. It carries more weight than the other words. It's something Dabi does get, for the first time in this conversation. It reminds him of Endeavor. That underlying 'always' behind everyone of Dabi's own actions.

Always meaning will, but more importantly, meaning has.

"You can't take them like this," he says and this time Dabi believes him.

"Fine," he grumbles. "If we're not going to take down the commission then what's our next step?"

"Endeavor," Izuku puts bluntly.

And really, Dabi should expect it by now: this out of no where style Izuku has. 

"Explain how the fuck this is better?" he retaliates. 

Izuku steeples his fingers. "Look. Putting a spotlight on Endeavor will help for several reasons. One, if we show he's bad and the commission did nothing then it can help prove both that the commission is full of crap and that Hawks is good, because it then seems either Hawks did something beyond imaginable or he really didn't do anything and the commission picks off those who put them at risk."

He puts up two fingers. "Secondly, it opens up an avenue for highlighting good heroes and how the system raises bad ones up and puts the real ones down. In my article I can even compare Endeavor to better heroes like All Might and Slash and Night Eye. Third, the Todoroki's need out. Going after Endeavor now will help them get the aid they need to live without Endeavor."

"Great." Dabi roles his eyes. "This is about protecting your little boyfriend. Excellent reason, Izuku."

"He's not-- That's not what this is about," he exclaims, red in the face.

"I agree with Midoriya," Hawks pipes up.

Throwing his hands in the air, Dabi groans, "Of course you agree! Is this hate on Dabi day?"

Izuku frowns pathetically. "We're not hating on you. I see where you're coming from but I need you to know that this is the right way. I'm doing this with or without you, Dabi, but I rather do it with you. We're a team. I need you to trust me."

He doesn't want to. In fact, he wants to scream about the ridiculousness of Revite's plan and storm out the door leaving both Hawks' and Izuku as things of the past. It would be the easier way. No death threats from the commission nor constant tasks and snooping around in places he shouldn't. 

Then again, easy has never been his path. 

He knows if he leaves now, Izuku still will go ahead with the plan. He'll take down Endeavor with or without his help. And Dabi. . . he's not sure what he'd do about that. If Izuku messed up and he got in more trouble than he could get himself out of. If Hawks was found by the commission. If Endeavor were to fall without the help of his hand and all those years of wandering would be worth nothing. . . 

He wants to walk out the door but the truth is, he wouldn't be able to force himself past the threshold. 

"Fuck," he curses under his breath. "Whatever. Let's do this thing. You haven't been wrong yet."

Izuku grins, eyes glinting like they had the first day Dabi met him.

"Great. Let's get to work."

-:-

When Natsuo yanked open the door, the look of surprise on his face was almost identical to the one Dabi had when he found out Revite was a child. Dabi knows this because he was told when he was younger that Natsuo and him look the most alike; shown how both their eyebrows shoot to their hairline in a shocked moment.

"Uh-- you-- hi?" Natsuo stumbles over his words.

Dabi raises an eyebrow, looking him up and down. He clearly wasn't expecting visitors based off his three sizes too big shirt and baggy sweats. When they were younger Natsuo always wanted to look nice. Not in the typical way though. He wasn't for dress shirts and bow ties, nor did he need the clothes in magazines. Back then, he wanted active wear but the colours had to match. If he wanted hoodies and jeans then they needed to go with his hair or fit well. Fuyumi found it endearing, as she did everything, but Dabi would mostly wrinkle his nose and turn his head.

This Natsuo is clearly not thinking about fashion as he glances back into his house then out at Dabi again, confusion clear.

"Um, what are you doing here?" he asks, hand still gripping the door knob like he's ready to slam it if needed. Dabi can't blame him. Shades and a mask on a random person at your door isn't comforting in the slightest. "If you're looking for coffee, hate to break it to you but we don't--"

"Can I come in?" Dabi interrupts.

Natsuo blinks at him owlishly, seemingly processing the words. Dabi does wait for an answer as he shoves past him with a sarcastic remark of, "Great, thanks."

Kicking back into gear, Natsuo closes the door behind him and chases him down the front entrance hall. "Hey, wait! What are you doing? You can't just barge into peoples--"

"Nice place you got here," Dabi notes aloud, again cutting the boy off. He surveys the slide doors on all sides of the hallway that funnel into the living area and kitchen. It doesn't look too different from when he lived here. The paint colour changed and he notes the pictures of lakes and mountains his mother used to put up are gone leaving the walls bare and bleak.

Natsuo frowns, his confusion increasing even more by the looks of it.

"Uh, thanks?"

"Natsuo? Who's there?"

Dabi freezes at the sound of a voice coming from around the corner. Alarms blare in head telling him to turn around, run out the door, and postpone this meeting for another eight years. Unfortunately, his feet are stuck in place like someone super glued them to the hardwood flooring.

She enters the hallway.

It's been eight years since he's seen Fuyumi in person but it still doesn't feel long enough. His sister stands at the end of the hallway, beautiful white hair pulled back into a pony, accentuating the red highlights. Her eyes scan over the room, land on him and his heart stops.

He's not ready.

"Oh. Hello," she greets, exchanging a questioning look with Natsuo. Her eyes return to him, her formal smile dawning her lips.

Dabi's chest hurts. He remembers her real smile— can picture it in his mind clearly now that he sees her again. God, she probably doesn't even smile like that anymore. She's a grown woman, not eleven like when he left. She's different. He's different.

Looking at her now, he feels like a coward. His sister has always been the one to level him, the only one of his siblings who dared to scold him. Briefly, he wonders how she'd scold him now if she knew who he was.

"Who's this?" she asks Natsuo. Her finger taps her side. Dabi watches the movement critically.

He steps forward, a hand outstretched. "I'm Izuku's brother."

Her eyes widen with recognition as she takes his hand.

"Mr No-Cream-No-Sugar," she regards as she shakes his hand, her eyes lingering on the visible scarred skin there. He notes the distinct coldness to her own hand as she pulls it away and asks, "Do you have a name, or should I just go with that?"

"Dabi," he replies.

"Like cremation?"

"Yes." He hesitates before adding, "My family has a weird thing with fire."

Fuyumi's jaw visibly clenches. Curious, he wonders what's going through her head as tension grows in the room. It's only cut by Natsuo forcibly coughing into his fist. Dabi swivels his attention to him, prompting him to go on with a wave of his hand.

"Now that you're all introduced," he starts, placing his hands on his hips, "why don't you tell us why you're here? Or, y'know, how you found us here in the first place?"

Ah. There's the protective guard dog side that Izuku warned him about when they first got into this mess. It's admittedly strange to see. Natsuo has always been the one that needs protecting in his mind.

Amused, he claps his hands together in front of him. "Right. My friends and I want to make a little. . . proposition."

"What friends?"

"Us."

The two Todoroki's spin around so fast Dabi feels whiplash on their behalf. Izuku and Hawks stand in the doorway, the former dressed in his Revite get up while Hawks remains fitted with his hero costume. (Reason being he literally has no other clothes besides the ones on his back because of the commissions arrest charge)

Izuku waves to the two of them. "Hi."

Fuyumi backs up so far she bumps into a wall, pressing against it with wide eyes while Natsuo lowers into a fighting stance, fists raised. Dabi fights to contain the amused smile threatening to break across his face. Apparently all Revite has to do is give a harmless greeting to be perceived as intimidating.

"What do you want?" Natsuo snarls at the same time Fuyumi asks, "What are you doing here?"

"We want to make a proposition, like Dabi said," Hawks explained. He raised his hands in a surrendering way, Izuku following his lead. "We won't hurt you, I promise."

"Yeah well you promised to be a hero when you got a license and look at you now," Natsuo barks back. Hawks flinches.

Dabi sends a warning glare Natsuo's way. "Talk shit about his license again and see what happens."

Izuku shoots him a look that says you're not helping more than actual words could, despite his mask blocking half his face. Dabi resists the urge to give him the finger. He'll do whatever he damn well pleases when it comes to the Todoroki's. No fifteen year-old is the boss of him.

Of course, then Shouto peeks his head into the hallway. Dabi has half the mind not to send a flurry of flames his way right then and there. Izuku sees something in this boy-- he sure as hell can't see it himself but like Izuku said earlier, Dabi needs to trust him. For now, the youngest of the Todoroki's remains unburnt as he takes in the rooms chaos.

"Hawks, Revite," he acknowledges in a perfectly monotone voice. He looks Dabi up and down. "And man in a mask."

"Shouto, go get help," Fuyumi demands, her eyes not leaving their little trio.

Shouto decides to apparently ignore this and walks fully into the hall. He steps past Natsuo, closer to Izuku than any of his siblings. The boy doesn't even bother pull his hands from his pockets as he blankly stares at Izuku. Natsuo hisses a sharp Shouto in warning but, like his sister, is ignored.

"We meet again," he states.

Izuku's eyes crinkle slightly from what Dabi's willing to bet is a disgustingly soft smile underneath his mask. "So we do."

"No one's in danger this time, are they?"

He shakes his head. "Not like the other times. We're here to make a proposition."

Dual coloured eyebrows jump to his hairline, like how his brothers do when they're shocked,  only on him it looks more prompting than surprised; an encouragement to continue.

"We have been, um, watching the three of you for a while and decided it was finally time we do something," Izuku explains. "It's not fair the treatment you go through, nor is it fair that Endeavor remains a hero in spite of it. Your father, he doesn't deserve his title so we want to change that. We need your help to do it, though. In return, we'll help you get out of here."

Dabi tries to imagine what he would have done if someone told him that when he used to be a Todoroki. Clearly in his mind he can see the words he'd spit at Revite. We don't need your help. Nothing is wrong.

Fuyumi wears a wary look. Her eyes are calculating, narrowed and paired with thin lips drawn into a line. She waits like how a sailor waits on the clouds for a storm, holding back till safety is a certainty. Izuku can see it, Dabi knows from the way the boys eyes immediately travel from Shouto to the second oldest Todoroki.
"You," she says, finally, "are wrong."

"I'm never wrong," Izuku is quick to counter. "I know you think keeping your situation a secret will protect your family but I guarantee we can help. I know the truth already. Please, let us help."

Natsuo snaps, "So what if you're right? Why should we trust you?"

"Because you trust Hawks?"

"Trust-ed. In case you didn't notice, he's a bit of a wanted criminal right now."

Dabi doesn't have to look to know what Hawks' face looks like then. The guarded mask he carries in his back pocket is up the moment the word criminal falls from Natsuo's lips. 

As a sickening feeling worms it's way into his chest, Dabi bites back, "Says who?"

"The commission." Natsuo jaw flicks, betraying the wavering loyalty even he has at the name.

"The commission," Hawks says, moving his gaze across the room coldly, "is many things but honest is not one of them."

"What are you implying," Fuyumi beckoned.

"They ordered me to kill Revite and Dabi. Said if I didn't they'd take away my license-- would ruin my entire career." He shakes his head, scoffing to himself. "I had to fight with all I had to make it out of there when I turned them down. Believe the commission if you want, but they're all liars."

It takes a few seconds for Natsuo respond but it's all the confirmation Dabi needs to know they caught them.

"You don't have to trust us," Izuku adds. His eyes flicker from one Todoroki to the next, resting on Shouto. "Tell us to leave and we will be out that door in a heartbeat. You won't have to see us ever again. I can find another target but I rather take down Endeavor to help you than pick off some mid-ranking hero. We just want to help."

Fuyumi eyes him skeptically. "Would you really? Would you turn away if we asked?"

It's visible the conflict raging inside Izuku. Only having known the kid for a few months Dabi still understands the desire he has to help people. He can see how this boy would want to be a hero; can almost picture perfectly him as a five year-old running around his home in one of those tacky hero costumes. Izuku isn't afraid to voice his passion for heroes-- Dabi hurts for the boy who likely used to scream it from rooftops.

That passion is derived directly from his kindness that he extends to everyone. . . even half dead crooks Dabi.

"We would," he confirms, placing a hand over his heart like taking a pledge.

"And we wouldn't hear or see from you again? You wouldn't go after our father?"

Izuku exhales in defeat, solemnly shaking his head. "No. I wouldn't. As much as I don't like it, it's your choice and I will respect that."

Stepping away from the wall, hands trembling, Fuyumi raises her chin. She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. Her lips part, words almost gracing them, then--

"We'll help you."

Dabi snaps his gaze back to the youngest Todoroki as the whole room falls into stunned silence. From where he is, he can see Izuku staring at Shouto in obvious surprise. Natsuo is the first to break the silence, hissing, "Shouto, what are you doing?"

"Letting them help us," Shouto responds calmly. He tilts his head back to look over his shoulder at his siblings. "What? It's not like we don't need it."

Fuyumi glares. "We are fine on our own, Shouto."

He looks swivels his head, looking around the room and down the hallway before stating, "This still looks like the same place we've been all our lives. Doesn't seem like we've made any progress alone."

The amused scoff that escaped Dabi couldn't be helped.

Natsuo looks ready to hit something while Fuyumi wears a blank expression that could rival Dabi's own. What he would give to be in her head right now. There was a time where that was his position. He called the shots on who got through to his siblings or not. At least, it was his position by default as eldest but the true nature of the title always belonged to Fuyumi.

He was never around to greet people here in the front. The back in the training room was where he lived most of his days. In public he'd act like it all came down to his say but Fuyumi and him knew differently. Natsuo, naive and raised to look up to his brother, didn't see things quite the same.

Dabi thinks it's why he's like this: angry and defensive, his fists clenched and body ever so slightly shielding Fuyumi's. Natsuo grew up thinking Touya held their family together, protected it, and when he died someone needed to fill his shoes. Little did he know Fuyumi filled those shoes even before Shouto was born.

Touya wasn't a big brother but Fuyumi was a big sister.

Dabi tracks the way she looks from Shouto to Natsuo back to Shouto again.

"Fine," she says at last. She points to Izuku then Hawks and himself. "If anything bad happens because of this, there won't be anymore Revite."

Some unnamed emotion unfurls in Dabi's chest, his jaw clenching. He nearly steps forward to tell Fuyumi what will happen to her if she threatens Revite again when one of Hawks' feather presses into his chest, holding him back. He looks the the red fluff then to it's owner whose shaking his head.

He huffs a sigh, withdrawing his urge to yell at Fuyumi as Izuku grins like he's found a pot of gold. Dabi can't imagine he thinks the agreement is far from riches in his head.

"We won't let you down," he promises.

There, in a room from a memory packed with people of his past, Dabi watches as Izuku seals their groups future and the future of heroes with it.