Chapter 23

Hello, hello! I'm gonna keep this intro short cause otherwise I'll get violent cause I forgot this chapter completely and I just reread it so... yea, not nice.

If you want to shit on Matt after this... feel free to :)

#WritingMatters

Word count

1121

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Dabi had never been startled by thunder, he’d never minded the weather, sunny or stormy, he didn’t care. But this time, he did care. He didn’t appreciate the thunder, he didn’t appreciate the sudden loud sounds, the sounds that resembled those of a battle… those of a raid.

His heart stuttered as he heard a crash, but he hesitated before moving. He sat up on the bed, the cut on his hand stinging as the dried blood pulled at it. He stood and slowly made his way to the door.

“Daddy!” For a moment, Dabi wanted to slam the door shut, to avoid pretending everything was fine for Matt’s sake. But the sight of the kid being soaked with a beyond excited look in his eyes made him stop. “We saw bunnies!”

Dabi shifted a bit and smiled. “Did you?” Matt nodded, eyes full of innocence and wonder. It hurt how much of himself he saw in that kid. “And Toga didn’t eat them?” He shot a glance at Toga and paused.

She knew.

“Not in front of the kid, no.” Toga shrugged dismissively. “I thought we’d catch you with Hawks.” Dabi dropped his gaze for a moment. “Where is he?”

Dabi was quiet. He shook his head. “I don’t know.” He spoke flatly, like he didn’t want to have that conversation.

Matt tugged at Dabi’s shirt to get his attention. “Are you happy, Daddy?” he asked, voice small yet concerned.

Dabi looked down at him, forcing a small smile. “I’m okay, bud,” he said softly, ruffling his hair briefly. “Go annoy Shigaraki a bit, I need to talk to Toga.”

He watched as Matt ran off, giggling like he was on a spy mission or playing hide and seek.

“Where is Hawks?” Toga asked again, approaching him. “What happened?” Her tone was uncharacteristically gentle and serious.

Dabi turned, sitting on the bed. “He left. I told him to leave…” Toga stepped in and closed the door, eyes wide in shock. “He was playing us all, I didn’t want him near Matt. He was planning a raid with Endeavor.”

Toga noticed that he seemed far more hurt by the fact Endeavor was involved than by the betrayal itself.

“Why do you despise him so much?” she asked, tilting her head as she leaned against the door. “Endeavor, I mean.”

Dabi was quiet for a few moments, hesitant about whether he should tell her or not. “He…” His voice barely dared come out. He’d never told anyone… no one that mattered, at least, and not willingly.

“He’s my father.”

The silence that followed stretched for a few seconds, shock evident in Toga’s eyes at Dabi’s ission. “What?” There was no judgement in her voice, no anger that he’d kept such a thing a secret. There was only confusion and curiosity. “Endeavor?”

Dabi shrugged. “He had a kid who died on Sekoto Peak. That’s what everyone’s been believing for a decade, I plan to keep it that way.” Toga said nothing, she just sat beside him with a sigh. “I- just don’t tell anyone it’s me, yeah?”

He glanced at her and Toga smiled, perhaps a little too widely for what the situation called, but Dabi would take it. “I won’t, your secret’s safe with me.” She stayed there for a few moments. “Matt was excited to see you,” she said after a few seconds of silence. “He pet a bunny.”

A chuckle left Dabi’s lips despite the pain in his chest. “I wish he could see the world like this forever…” He shifted, running a hand through his hair. “Well, the heroes are planning a raid, we need to take Matt to safety. Knowing Hawks, he won’t wait now that we know. They’ll rush it. They’ll strike without a second thought.”

Toga watched him for a moment. “Okay, then… you take him somewhere safe and we’ll-”

“No.” Dabi stood, looking at her. “I have a long range quirk, most of you don’t. I’m not leaving when we’re going to be attacked. You’ll take Matt to safety, we’ll you when-”

The door opened and Shigaraki stepped inside without an invitation. “Seeing a kid here will make them hold back.”

Dabi didn’t answer right away. His eyes lingered on the door Matt had just run through. “Or it’ll make them reckless,” he muttered, voice low. “You know who we’re dealing with. They won’t care.”

He exhaled slowly, his chest tight, like he couldn’t breathe deep enough. His hand clenched at his side, and for a moment, he didn’t move.

“Toga…” His voice was different now. Not sharp. Not cold. Just tired. So tired. “I need you to find someone. One of those people with memory alteration, someone who can…” He trailed off, then met her gaze.

“I don’t want Matt to Hawks.”

Toga blinked, confused. “What? Why?”

Dabi’s jaw tightened. “Because I don’t want him to grow up knowing I let someone like that near him. Someone who betrayed us without a second thought. Someone who’s gonna come back with a raid and ruin everything.”

He looked down at the cut on his hand, the dried blood cracking. “It’s better if he forgets. Before he starts asking questions.”

Toga looked unsure. “You really think that’s what’s best for him?”

Dabi didn’t answer. He just stared at the floor like it might give him a reason not to feel like shit.

Shigaraki stepped further into the room, arms crossed, gaze sharp. “So you're gonna rewrite the kid’s head just because you can’t handle your own mess?”

Dabi’s eyes flicked up, dangerous.

Shigaraki shrugged. “What happens when he re anyway? You gonna erase it again? Pretend it never happened every time you screw up?”

That struck deep—too deep. Dabi’s fists clenched. His breath hitched, but he swallowed the storm.

“Get out.” His voice was low. Final.

Shigaraki arched his brow but didn’t push it. He turned to leave, muttering under his breath. “You’re more like the heroes than you think.”

*****

“Wait, you did what?!” Matt sounded hurt and angry, but Dabi didn’t flinch. “You just decided to wipe out my memories about Hawks? You-”

Dabi frowned. “Matt… did you not hear a thing I said? He betrayed us, I wasn’t going to let you cling to someone like that.”

Matt stood and stepped back. “You should’ve waited! You had no right-!”

“Matt.” Dabi’s tone turned dark as he pushed off the counter.

“You just wanted to control me! You’re just like him!”

A pang of pain, one of those that make you go numb, stabbed through Dabi’s chest. Hawks’ betrayal felt like a joke.

He didn’t notice Matt storming out of the kitchen or the door to his room slam shut.

Just like him.