The Hallway — Immediately After the Explosion
Midoriya, Mirio, Aizawa, and several pros stagger back as the shockwave washes through the base.
Blue flames spill across the ceiling like liquid fire—
beautiful, deadly-looking,
but somehow not burning anything at all.
Midoriya:
"What… is that fire? It's not normal!"
Aizawa narrows his eyes.
Aizawa:
"Dabi.
One of the former League's top fighters."
But something feels off.
Because Dabi isn't laughing.
Isn't mocking.
Isn't enjoying this.
His flames pulse with… pain.
Mirio squints through the bright blue blaze.
Mirio:
"He's… furious.
But not at us."
Midoriya swallows hard.
Midoriya (thinking):
This isn't the usual Dabi…
He's fighting like someone who's lost something.
A pro hero steps forward.
Pro Hero:
"Why is he going after Overhaul?!
Aren't villains supposed to be on the same side?!"
Aizawa shakes his head.
Aizawa:
"Villains don't have sides. They have motives."
He stares at Dabi's silhouette—
fire curling around him like a living beast
as he pushes deeper toward Overhaul.
But the strangest thing?
The flames never touch Ren's room.
Never scorch Eri's hallway.
Never threaten them.
It's like Dabi is protecting that area instinctively.
Midoriya notices immediately.
Midoriya (shocked):
"He isn't burning the part where Ren might be…
He's avoiding it completely!"
A hero gasps.
Pro Hero 2:
"W-wait, does that mean Dabi knows the missing student?!"
Aizawa cuts him off instantly.
Aizawa:
"No evidence. Stay focused."
But even he looks unsettled.
Dabi's flames intensify—
blue arcs tracing runes of fire in the air.
He shouts:
Dabi (voice cracking):
"I WON'T LOSE SOMEONE AGAIN!"
The heroes freeze.
Not at the fire—
but at the emotion behind it.
Because villains don't scream like that.
Villains don't sound broken.
Villains don't cry out with desperation.
It shakes them.
Even Aizawa, who rarely flinches.
Midoriya bites his lip.
Midoriya:
"Why would League members care about a UA student…?"
Mirio looks troubled.
Mirio:
"Or… why would they care about this fight at all?"
A pro hero jumps in.
Pro Hero 3:
"Is Vega fighting Overhaul, too?!
Why? For what?!"
Aizawa clenches his scarf.
Aizawa:
"Too many unknowns.
Too many contradictions."
He looks at Dabi—
fire swirling like a storm of blue petals behind him.
Aizawa (thinking):
Why is he fighting like he lost someone important?
What are we missing?
But that answer
must remain hidden.
The flames roar louder.
Dabi's silhouette becomes a blazing figure—
coat whipping, hair glowing white-blue,
eyes burning with something deeper than anger.
Midoriya (wide-eyed):
"He's not acting like a villain…"
Mirio:
"…He's acting like someone protecting a bond."
Aizawa looks at both of them sharply.
Aizawa:
"Stop overthinking.
Move carefully.
Dabi is still an enemy."
But even he doesn't fully believe his own words.
Because heroes know how grief looks.
And Dabi is carrying something heavy tonight.
Something the heroes can't understand…
and must never find out.
Overhaul's Inner Chamber — Alarms Echoing
Dust drifts from the ceiling as Dabi steps through the blown-open doorway, blue fire rolling off him like waves.
Overhaul turns, coat swaying.
Overhaul:
"You again… the blue flame villain."
Dabi cracks his neck.
Dabi:
"Not here for titles."
His flames swirl faster, forming spiraling patterns across the walls like glowing brushstrokes.
Overhaul straightens his gloves.
Overhaul:
"You're late. The sedative had already taken effect. The boy isn't waking up."
Dabi's jaw tightens.
For a moment, the flames behind him flicker—
Not with rage.
But with grief.
Dabi (quiet, shaky):
"He trusted me… more than anyone ever did.
More than my father.
More than Shigaraki."
The entire room heats—
but not burning.
Just vibrating with power.
Overhaul:
"You care for him? How foolish."
Dabi lifts his hand.
A blue flame forms.
Then shifts.
Changes.
Becomes purple.
The light deepens into a shimmering amethyst blaze—
heavy, glowing, swirling like a galaxy condensed into his palm.
Overhaul's eyes widen.
Overhaul:
"What… is that?"
Dabi smirks, but it's a broken smirk.
Dabi:
"A technique he showed me.
Said my flames were unstable, but my control wasn't."
The purple fire coils like a living creature—
a fox-shaped flame forming behind him, tail sweeping the air.
Dabi:
"He called it… Violet Tempest."
Dabi thrusts his hand forward.
FWOOM—!!
A spiral of purple fire bursts outward—
swirlingtwistingroaring like a celestial stormbut not touching Overhaul directly
Instead, the flame forms a circular barrier around Overhaul—
a prison of violet fire that traps him without burning him.
Overhaul steps back in rare surprise.
Overhaul:
"Impossible… that flame isn't normal. That's—"
Dabi cuts him off.
Dabi:
"Hard to control?
Dangerous?
Overwhelming?"
He grins.
Dabi:
"Yeah. That's the point."
The flames pulse with deep, cosmic energy—
casting shadows shaped like Ren's training stance from memory.
Dabi (thinking):
You said this would help me protect what matters…
I won't fail now.
Overhaul tries to step forward—
The flame cage reacts, tightening slightly, still not touching him.
Overhaul:
"So this is a technique someone taught you.
Who?"
Dabi's flames flicker sharply.
His voice drops low.
Dabi:
"Someone you don't deserve to know."
Overhaul slams his hand into the ground.
The floor erupts into jagged stone pillars that crash upward like beasts emerging from the earth.
Dabi swings his arm—
A crescent arc of purple flame slices the air,
carving through the stone without leaving debris.
The two forces collide in a swirl of:
violet firemarble shardsshockwaves of kinetic energy
The lights flicker.
Sparks fall.
The whole room shudders under the impact.
Dabi (thinking):
He's the only one who looked at me without fear…
Without disgust…
Like I wasn't a mistake.
His flames surge higher—
purple spirals forming wings behind him.
Dabi:
"Overhaul.
You're not leaving this room."