A/N There is a manga spoiler in this chapter!! Proceed with caution!!

Dabi glanced around the corner, quickly ducking away again when a piece of debris flew past him at a speed that could've taken his head off. Fuck. He lifted his hand to the earpiece Bakugou had given him while letting out a shaky breath. That had been way too close... He dared to take a quick peak around the corner again, seeing the person he was looking for fighting against one of the Nomu. It wasn't a super advanced one, but quite a challenge for a first year student.

"I'm at the scene, got eyes on Midoriya" Dabi reported.
"He's still fighting though... But I should be able to use commands on this Nomu"
"Get that idiot over here as soon as possible, got it? If something happens to Deku, I'll fucking kill you" Bakugou barked at him from the other side.
"Yeah, yeah, got it" Dabi sighed, lowering his hand again. Alright, time to get this kid out of here.

"Oi!" he called out, using his quirk to get the Nomu's attention. He really hoped this was gonna work...

"Back off!"

The Nomu roared after taking a look at Dabi and stepped back a few paces. Alright, nice. Maybe things weren't looking as bleak as he first thought huh? But that was only because this was a basic Nomu... He had no control over the new special high end ones. They weren't imprinted on him yet, something that probably wouldn't happen in the future either.
"Stand down" Dabi commanded, just to be sure, as he walked past the Nomu to check on Midoriya.

"D-Dabi..?" Izuku whispered in confusion, trying to catch his breath. What was he doing here? When did he get here? Was he involved in this attack somehow?
"Are you okay? You took a pretty bad beating" Dabi stated, visibly checking him over for injuries.
"I'm fine" Izuku promised, yet he could feel several bruises forming all over his body and blood stuck his sleeve and arm together in a wet mess. Ah that couldn't be good...

Before Dabi could react to that, All Might ran out of the building, quickly followed by Inko. Right, they were still in there too.
"Izuku!" Inko cried out, freezing up when she saw Dabi. Was he the one who injured her son so badly? Did he cause that quake? This mess? Everything? She'd seen his face on the news, she knew he was part of the League of Villains, she knew he had hurt her son before.

"I'm okay mom" Izuku said, forcing a smile. Yeah, he was fine. He would be fine. But for now they had to figure out what was going on. Because how was there suddenly a Nomu in the middle of campus? Why? And where did Shigaraki run off to? He could see the moment All Might's eyes met Dabi's and the realisation that washed over the ex-pro hero. The raid didn't go as planned...

"UA is in chaos right now, I'm here to get you to safety" Dabi explained, wanting to tell Bakugou everything was under control and he was heading back. Before he could do anything though, the Nomu roared again, seemingly waking up from his stand-by modus. It grabbed his head with his claw like hands, smashing Dabi against the wall, leaving his head bleeding and his body dangling a bit above the ground.

The Nomu just held him there for a moment while Dabi tried to get his bearings again. He was probably concussed from the impact, the back of his head throbbing. Fuck. He wasn't too out of it to miss a scream, but he didn't recognize the voice. It sounded like a woman but when it came to screaming, you couldn't really be sure. Could be Midoriya's mom, but it could also be Midoriya himself, or even All Might for that matter. Who knew?

"One move and I'll kill her"

Okay, now that was a voice he recognized. Dabi was able to turn his head a little, his eyes darting around the scene. Midoriya's quirk was activated, green lighting dancing around his tiny body as he glared at Shigaraki, who held his mother hostage. His hand was wrapped around her neck from behind, all of his fingers dangerously close to touching her.

Dabi hadn't seen Shiggy after he was attacked at their meeting and something in his eyes definitely changed. He didn't know why, but there was rage there. Rage, anger, but also something sad. Something akin to grief and betrayal. Dabi could understand that. They were close, shared basically everything with one another, trusted each other... And now this bulshit? Yeah, Tomura wasn't the only one regretting how things went down.

"Let her go, she's got nothing to do with this" All Might stated, even though he barely had any context of what this entailed.
"Why are you here? What do you want?" Izuku hissed, still ready to jump into action whenever the situation required it. Shigaraki didn't answer immediately. Could it be he himself didn't really know why he was here?

It wouldn't surprise Dabi, to be honest. He had always been impulsive, doing whatever seemed cool at the moment. The fact he had taken Inko hostage, of all people, supported those facts. Because Dabi knew Tomura promised All For One he wouldn't kill his family. He wouldn't hurt his wife and he probably wouldn't hurt his son either if he didn't attack him first. It was an empty bluff and he knew it, but his jaw was currently being crushed against a wall so he couldn't share that information with the group.

Instead of a straight answer, Shigaraki whistled and the Nomu threw Dabi towards him. The blue eyed male groaned as he face-planted onto the ground, coughing as he crawled up. Man, that throw could've been a little more gentle, you know? No need to crack all his damn ribs...
"I already thought I'd find you here" Shigaraki hissed, stomping his feet down on Dabi's back, making him fall to the ground once more. Tomura wasn't stronger than him per se, but the kick did come as a surprise and he wasn't exactly in mint condition right now.

"Coming here to help your little brother, huh? Cause he's your real family, he's worth protecting" Tomura spit out as he pushed down on Dabi's back. Was he talking about Shoto?! Ugh, that damn bastard must've told them his given name! Fucking asshole! And what the hell did Shiggy mean by worth protecting hah?! Dabi had planned on killing him up until a few weeks ago!

"Just kill me if you hate me so much" Dabi grunted, being able to roll out from under Shigaraki's foot.

"I betrayed the League so I should get punished, but not them"

Somehow that sparked even more anger in Shigaraki and he pushed Inko aside. Dabi had never seen such a deranged look in his eyes... Well, that's not true. When battling in Deika, he had that look as well. And right after Magne was- Dabi swallowed. Yeah, right after that too. Although that had been calmer, more calculated. This was pure madness.

"Oh?" he got out, kicking Dabi again while he was still on the ground.

"Oh yeah?! Just like Twice, right?!"

What? Twice? What had he got to do with any of this? Shigaraki laughed at Dabi's confusion, which was apparently easily readable from his face as he crawled up from the ground.
"Oh so your buddy didn't tell you then?" he laughed in a deranged kind of way. Dabi saw the others were already taking their distance, not wanting to risk getting hit by Shigaraki if he were to suddenly lurge out.

"Your birdie friend didn't tell you what the fuck he did?! Didn't tell you how he stabbed Twice?! How he killed him?!"

Dabi's eyes widened in shock, the world around him seemingly slowing down. Twice...was dead..? Twice... No... And Hawks... No! It was a lie, it had to be. Something All For One had made up to spread unease. But then again... The way Hawks had looked at him when he woke up- The way he spoke- So hesitant and unsure-

"...You don't remember?"

Dabi shook his head. No. No! That couldn't be it! It couldn't be! Twice might've gotten hurt, sure, he didn't deny the possibility, but to have been killed- No. No, that wasn't an option. It was a lie, it wasn't real, it couldn't be. It just couldn't. Shigaraki went quiet as he watched the emotional display of denial cross Dabi's face, realising that he actually knew nothing about it. Realising he still cared, that it wasn't all a lie.

That didn't change the fact he betrayed them, though.

"...That wasn't the deal" Dabi choked out, clenching his fists as blue flames licked his sides. He was desperately trying to keep his emotions under control, to not lose himself to his rage or his quirk. But he could already feel it was a losing battle.
"He wasn't... He wasn't supposed to get hurt- None of you were supposed to get hurt- to die- I-"

Hawks broke their agreement. He had killed one of the people Dabi wanted to see unharmed. One of the people on his list that weren't to be arrested, that they had to let go if they wanted his cooperation. They were supposed to be able to flee, to get away without consequences. But Twice... Hawks broke the contract, so there wasn't anything binding Dabi to the hero side anymore.

Not if what Shigaraki was telling him was true, and deep down Dabi knew it had to be the truth even if he was still in denial about it. Tomura would never lie about something like that. He was sly and cheated and played dirty but he wouldn't lie about the death of one of their friends. Of their comrades. Certainly not after what happened to Magne. Definity not after Magne. So it had to be true. Twice was dead. No trick, no misunderstandings...

There was nothing keeping him from betraying the pro's, just like he betrayed the League. But betraying them wouldn't mean he'd be welcomed back by his friends. He still betrayed them, broke their trust, harmed their feelings... They wouldn't forgive him, even if he did apologize. They wouldn't and Dabi didn't want them to either. Because his betrayal caused Twice's death. Something that was irreversible, unforgivable.

"What deal?" Shigaraki asked, glaring at Dabi. The answer never came. Not before a sea of flames separated them. To their surprise, the flames were red instead of blue. Not a second after, the large figure of the man Dabi despised most in the world loomed over him.

"Snap out of it"

Dabi blinked as a familiar scarf was wrapped around his wrist and he was janked back. Eraserhead gave him a stern look as he was finally within his reach, making Dabi frown.
"There is no backing out now" Aizawa simply stated, and yeah, maybe he was right, but that didn't mean Dabi was looking forward to what was about to happen...

"So you're just going to shove your mess onto your father, is that it?" Shigaraki mumbled, glaring at Dabi.
"Let daddy dearest solve all your problems for you? Suits the son of a hero, Touya"
The way he spat out his deadname sent shivers down his spine. He absolutely hated it. And it seemed like he wasn't the only one by the look Endeavor was giving Shigaraki.

Dabi grunted when Eraserhead hauled him up, pushing him back so he wouldn't be in the way. He didn't know what had gotten into Dabi but if he wasn't going to fight then he shouldn't be in the way either.
"Bring them to safety" he commanded, nodding towards All Might and the Midoriya family. Dabi frowned, glancing back at them.

Right, they were still here... And they had heard Tomura call him his given name... Great. He could already see the gears in Izuku's head turning. Everyone would be able to figure out who he was with the information that was just yelled out, so he wasn't surprised by the look the green haired boy was giving him. Not that he was pleased by the fact nobody seemed to care about his feelings regarding his identity, but whatever, I guess...

"Oi, we can't keep standing around here" Dabi called out, grabbing Inko's arm and dragging her along.
"Come on, let's get you somewhere safe"
Izuku blinked, frowning. He wasn't one to run away from a fight, certainly not when it came to the League of Villains and definitely not when it came to Shigaraki specifically. But this wasn't the time to argue.

No, not when Dabi was dragging his mom away from him. The villain pressed something in his ear and it was only then that Izuku noticed he was wearing some kind of communicator.
"I've got him. I'm coming back now"
By the look on Dabi's face, Izuku guessed whatever the reply was, wasn't to his liking.
"Hello? I said I got him. Oi, brat, don't fucking ignore me"

No response? Who was Dabi even trying to reach? No, not Dabi... Touya. The name seemed familiar somehow, but Izuku couldn't quite place it. And then there was that other thing Shigaraki said. About letting his father solve all his problems for him, how it was typical for the son of a hero. Izuku could only conclude those words were about Endeavor, because Aizawa sensei didn't have any children, aside from taking care of Eri, that is.

And if Dabi really was Endeavor's son, if Touya was somehow related to the number one hero... If this came out, it would definitely turn into a scandal. A mark on Endeavor's reputation, the reputation of heroes in general. They couldn't deal with another blow like that, not after all the times All For One slipped from their grasp and was able to hunt down and hurt people. Kacchan specifically. Oh God, Izuku just hoped his boyfriend was alright!

Izuku had no idea where Kacchan was or if the rest of campus was as messy as the front of the faculty housing facility. He was worried, wanted to protect him, make sure nothing bad happened to him. He knew Kacchan would scoff and push him away if he suddenly rushed in while he wasn't in danger though, claiming he could take perfectly good care of himself and that he didn't need Izuku to be his hero all the time.

He wanted to be independent and strong, like he'd been before. Izuku got that, he really did. Being quirkless, even by choice, wasn't easy and definitely not if people treated you like porcelain. But this wasn't something Kacchan could handle on his own...
"Something is off..." Dabi muttered, turning around to check his surroundings. Now that Katsuki was no longer guiding him, he had no idea where the Nomu or other villains were located. Having them ambush them now would be somewhat annoying...

"Who's on the other end?" All Might asked, pointing to his ear. Of course he had wondered about that too, Izuku didn't expect anything else from the previous number one hero! Dabi frowned at that, his gaze moving from All Might to Izuku. Why was he looking at him like that? Like something was really really wrong... He didn't like this feeling at all...

"One of the support classes has established a base inside their dormitory building. They're keeping an eye on things and are trying to come up with a plan to help the hero course students fight off the villains infiltrating UA. They've been guiding me around so I don't accidentally bump into any of my former allies and cause an unnecessary scene" he explained.
"They're not responding anymore though..."

Izuku's eyes widened. A support class... It couldn't be-
"Which support class?" he asked instantly. He needed to know, to be sure. If it's which class he thinks it is-
"1-F, if I remember it right" Dabi sighed.
"And yeah, it's the class of that Bakugou kid. That's what you really wanted to know, isn't it?"

"Let me try to contact them! I'm sure Kacchan will answer to my voice!" Izuku stated, almost forcefully grabbing the ear piece from Dabi.
"Alright, suit yourself. But we can't stay out here in the open too long. If he's not responding soon, we'll have to find shelter ourselves" the dark haired man pointed out. Izuku nodded so quickly, one might think his head was about to fall off. Once he was handed the ear piece, he didn't hesitate.

"Kacchan? Hello? Is someone there?" he asked, only hearing a soft static from the other end of the line.
"This is Midoriya Izuku. Are you there? Kacchan? Anyone? Please answer-"
Izuku froze up as the static grew more frantic and a familiar voice rose above it. No... No, please don't tell him- This couldn't be happening-

"Hello son"

Izuku gulped, his body freezing up at the implications of that voice. All For One was on the other side of the line. The side that should lead to the support class, to 1-F, to Kacchan- And now it leads to All For One... He was on campus, he was in their dormitory, he was in Kacchan's dormitory- No, no, no, no, no, no... Not this... Not again! Please!

All For One stayed silent for a while, standing in the rubble of what used to be the 1-F height alliance, wounded and groaning teenagers splayed out all around him. One hand was slightly adjusting the mic on the headset he'd taken from Katsuki while the other held said teenager up by the throat. Katsuki was glaring at him, his hands clawing at his in order to try and free himself. There was blood running down his face, covering one of his eyes. Truly the sight of a wounded animal, prey that hadn't accepted its fate quite yet.

"Katsuki can't answer you right now, I'm afraid... Do you want me to relay a message?"

Katsuki let out a choked out noise, clenching his teeth as he clawed at All For One's hand. This fucking bastard! He wiped them out in an instant! They stood no chance, even with 1-A here there was nothing they could do to stop him... It made him feel helpless and if Katsuki hated one specific feeling the most, it was being fucking helpless! Izuku gritted his teeth at his father's words, making the others around him worried.

"Let. Him. Go" Izuku growled, One For All powering up inside of him. Green electricity sparked off of him, glowing brighter as his anger grew within him.
"I won't ask twice"
Hisashi frowned, carelessly throwing Katsuki aside. The ash blonde coughed and groaned, his body tumbling across the rubble before finally landing somewhere, completely askew.

The first thing he noticed when he opened his eyes was Shinsou. He had ripped off a part of his uniform shirt and was wrapping it around his bleeding arm. Their gazes met for a moment, an unspoken conversation hanging between them. With everyone as wounded as they were, even if they teamed up, even if they managed to surprise him... They wouldn't be able to overpower All For One. No, the only one who could defeat him was...

"I was trying to be nice to you, Izuku, but I see that's no use at this point" Hisashi sighed.
"I just have some business to take care of here... It doesn't involve you so I would like it if you don't butt in, okay? Just take your mom somewhere safe and stay away... Can you do that for your old man, son?"

There was no answer, not verbally at least. Hisashi let out a deep sigh as he felt the surge of One For All in the air. It was rapidly approaching, and with it, his son. Well, seems like things will never be simple when it comes to family matters... It always had to be complicated. He sighed, again. Guess it can't be helped. He took the headset off, placing it on the table next to him, causing it to collapse. Hm, must've been quite unstable already.

All For One turned around, catching Izuku's leg right when he was about to kick him with the full force of his inherited quirk. The wind of the impact blew up dust and small pieces of what could've once been a wall or maybe some kind of furniture, pushing it away from them with force. Katsuki closed his eyes to shield them from the tiny pieces of debris, squinting at the green flashes in front of him. Izuku was here...

Finally, about damn time that nerd showed up.

He huffed. The stress and fear were getting to him... He could feel his heart racing, feel nitroglycerin being pumped around in his veins. Well, not literally but, you know, close enough... This was bad. He hadn't been taking his pills long enough for them to have their full effect and if his levels got too high right now, there would be irreversible damage... He'll revert back to-

He shook his head. No, no he wouldn't let that happen. He chose to be quirkless and he's sticking to it, damnit! But that sentiment wouldn't keep his body calm in this situation. Nothing would, really. Because let's be fucking real here, the most powerful villain of all time is attacking them and currently fighting his boyfriend. People would freak out over less shit than this! He groaned, forcing himself to get up. He's Katsuki fucking Bakugou! He won't let himself be defeated this easily!

"Stay down" Shinsou hissed, trying to reach out for him while staying out of sight.
"The pro's are coming, leave this to them"
Katsuki simply groaned in response, not showing any signs of listening. He was a stubborn piece of shit and that insomniac should know that by now. They didn't spend days bickering in the workshop without getting to know each other's personality traits.

"Bakugou" Shinsou called out, making clear he wasn't joking around. This wasn't the time nor place for that childish behaviour! If only he could make the ash blonde answer him...
"Midoriya is handling things right now and backup is on the way. We should take this time to regroup, don't you think?"
Katsuki still didn't respond, his eyes trained on the moving shapes in front of him, darting around to follow the green light.

The images were smudged together since Katsuki had trouble keeping up. He might have a concussion or something... Or maybe it was his head wound acting up? The fact he could only see clearly through one eye wasn't helping either. Izuku was dancing around All For One, trying to lay a solid hit on him but failing pretty much every time. That bastard wasn't giving this his all, Katsuki noticed. He wasn't taking this seriously. And that pissed him off more than anything.

Shinsou was able to grab him before he could do anything rash though, making Katsuki glare at him.
"What?!" Katsuki whisper hissed, slowly feeling all control drain from his body. That's right, Hitoshi had asked him a question before.
"Stop it" Shinsou hissed, making Katsuki's body go limp as he fell onto the ground again.

Hitoshi flinched at that, he didn't mean for that to happen... Yeah that fucking hurt you asshole! Katsuki tried to snap out of it, but his head was filled with fog and his surroundings were blurring around him. He had no idea what was caused by the mind control and what was caused by his injury, but that wasn't his biggest concern right now.
"You need to calm down, you're only aggravating your injuries more" Shinsou sighed, glancing back at the fight.

"Come on... When are the pro's gonna get here..."

Yeah, Katsuki was wondering the same thing. His time perception was probably messed up too, since it felt like he'd been laying here for hours already, but surely someone should've showed up by now, right? They wouldn't leave them out here to die, Katsuki was sure of that. So what was keeping them so long? Other villains? Nomu? Were they fighting somewhere else? Did they even know what was going on here?

He felt cold all of the sudden and his eyelids finally closed again, drowning him in unconsciousness.