Top pic credit: EliseGCreativity

Violet POV:

"Phewww. A-Alright. Any day now. It's.....it's happening!" I rambled out nervously, looking down at Endeavor's hero agency in full concern as I twiddled my thumbs and paced the roof.

"Gaghh! How the fuck long is she gonna keep doing that?! I've been ready to go down there for ten minutes!!" Kaito growled angrily, gesturing to my pacing, muttering frame a few feet away.

Dabi remained crouched on the rooftop, holding his face mask between his teeth as he tied the laces of his boots.

"Shut the hell up, shit wad. If my girl wants to pace the roof and talk herself to death all damn day, you'll let it happen with no problems." The stitched man muffled out through his grit teeth, tugging on the shirt collar of his new uniform as if he absolutely hated it.

It's from Midas, so he probably does.

Kaito remained leaning against one of the roof pillars, keeping his arms crossed and sneering at Dabi as he spoke.

"Yeah? And what if I want some problems, son?" Kaito challenged Dabi for the countless time today, causing the stitched man to grin ferally and slowly start walking towards Kaito.

"Well, then I'd be thrilled to give you some. Let's call it....a warmup." He smirked, already starting to smoke his hand before Tsuyo stepped in.

"Stop it. Again. Both of you." The masked soldier grumbled under their breath, clearly already completely sick of Dabi and Kaito's antics.

Dabi only stopped walking to adjust the belt of his uniform, cursing and complaining about how irritating it was to wear anything from that 'bedazzled bitch.'

Kaito, on the other hand, seemed to be losing his patience more than all of us, narrowing his eyes and turning to Tsuyo with dark challenge as he spoke.

"And what about you, huh? 'Boss?' We were supposed to have Endeavor's agency blown to the ground ten minutes ago. Instead you've been letting this cunt bag pace and talk everyone's ear off?!" The yellow eyed man yelled at me, causing Dabi's attention to snap back in focus and meet the man in two strides.

Quicker than Tsuyo or Kaito could process, Dabi's hand locked around Kaito's throat and slammed him back into the wall, tilting his head with excited challenge.

"Cunt bag, huh? Aw. It hurts my feelings when people insult what's mine. I tend to lash out when that happens." Dabi fake pouted, immediately melting into a low chuckle as he attempted to burn a hole through Kaito's throat.

I paused my pacing and mental breakdown for a moment to glare at Dabi in annoyance, huffing tiredly as I spoke curtly.

"Not your property, Dabi, but a valiant effort at defending me, I guess. We'll try again next time." I reminded him casually, already starting to pace the roof back and forth when the sight of Endeavor's agency caught my eye.

Tsuyo let out an agitated sigh with everyone as they gripped Dabi's shoulder and harshly shoved him off Kaito...rubbing their temples in irritation as they tried to keep their cool.

Everyone looked to the masked stranger in silence, waiting for them to speak and give us direct orders.

They finally broke the silence a few seconds later.

"Kaito, shut the hell up." Tsuyo said dismissively, harshly knocking Dabi in the shoulder as they made their way over to me.

"Huh?!?!" The yellow eyed man bellowed out in fury, glaring daggers at Tsuyo's back as they walked.

Dabi cackled obnoxiously at Tsuyo's words, too prideful about his small victories to care that he stumbled slightly from Tsuyo's hit.

"Ha! That fucker doesn't even want you, either! Maybe it ain't so bad, after all, if it thinks you're shit, too." Dabi cackled, purposely trying to provoke Kaito again and get him to fight.

The two men began arguing once more, but the sound became white noise as Tsuyo hesitantly came over to me.

"Uh. Listen...." They started off unsurely, taking one look back at Dabi and Kaito to make sure they were being civil. "I don't mean to...you know-interrupt your mental breakdown, or anything. But, we really need to go."

I let out a sigh of acceptance and nodded softly, knowing it would be useless to wait any longer.

No. Today is the day I get my hands dirty. And the day that Endeavor probably kills me!

"R...Right." I muttered unsurely, never feeling so unprepared for an event in my entire life.

So unprepared, that I couldn't even hide how desperate I was for guidance....surprised at the question to come from my mouth.

"Any advice for a newcomer?" I blurted out, looking to Tsuyo for direction.

No, I don't have any interest in becoming a villain. I'm just looking for anything that can calm my first day jitters.

Tsuyo was silent for a moment, looking at me through masked eyes as they took a second to process.

"I have a lot of advice for you," they started off calmly. "But, I don't want to overwhelm you. So, for now....I'll just tell you one thing. The one thing that is going to be critical for your success today..."

I nodded in anticipation, preparing myself for the advice Tsuyo was about to give me.

And, I'll be honest-it wasn't anything I was expecting!

"Whatever you feel today.....don't fight it. Just let it happen and embrace it. Wish someone would have told me that my first time." Tsuyo alluded vaguely, lowering their head in remembrance, before quickly turning on their heel and walking back towards Dabi and Kaito.

The smile on my face froze and turned to stone as I watched Tsuyo reach the others, trying to get my mind to process that eery piece of information.

Okay.

So....what??!?-

"Lovely." I muttered to myself in stress. "I really need to stop asking so many questions."

But, regardless, I decided that now was finally the time to rip the bandaid of my crime-less life off and try to get in the zone-the survival zone.

I need to mentally prepare for seeing Endeavor. Seeing him try to kill me. Seeing his assistants-nice people that I know very well, trying to hurt me.

And I also need to prepare to strike against them, too.

I took one more moment to look down at Endeavor's agency from the roof, unconsciously grazing the jewels that were decorated on my uniform.

Yep, that's right. Jewels.

Upon changing into our all black attire, Dabi's outfit was one that was similar to Kaito's. It was barely decorated-just black clothing, shoes, and a mask to conceal himself.

Still don't know how clothing is supposed to conceal his quirk. Or mine, for that matter. Endeavor knows my crystals like the back of his hand.

Why wouldn't he? He trained me for years.

However, upon changing into my uniform, I was surprised to see that the top of it was decorated in all different kinds of jewels, similar to Tsuyo's.

Orange. Gold. Green. And, of course, the enhanced multi colored jewels, that Midas combined with my crystals.

I don't know if I'm supposed to use the non-enhanced jewels. He never specified. Are they for decoration? Is he gonna get mad if I don't use them? Is he gonna get mad if I do? What do those jewels even do?

Ugh.

Having been so lost in thought, I didn't even jump in surprise when I felt a pair of arms snake around my waist from behind, feeling Dabi's chin rest atop my head as he pulled me close.

"Overthinking again?" He asked knowingly, looking down at the, perfectly in-tact, Endeavor agency with me.

"Guilty." I muttered sheepishly, melting back into his comforting hold.

He hummed softly at my words, lazily swaying our intertwined bodies back and forth as his gloved hands curled more snug around my midsection.

Wow. Who knew committing arson together was the thing to get Dabi cute and touchy? Typical, I suppose.

"What are you thinking about now, huh?" Dabi murmured into my hair, causing goosebumps to rise on my skin when I felt his hot breath on my scalp.

What am I thinking about now? Ha, where do I start.

I pursed my lips in thought, shrugging my shoulders as I absentmindedly looked to the Endeavor agency.

"I just....hope no one gets hurt today." I commented distractedly, causing Dabi to grunt displeased.

He lifted his chin from my head, opting to lower it a little more and rest it atop my shoulder now to get closer.

"And what if he does?" He asked, with the stitches of his face tickling my cheek.

Obviously, the 'he' is Endeavor.

I didn't even think about how I feel with Dabi's question, immediately reverting to what I know is morally correct.

"Well.....you know what side I'm on, Dabi. What side I'm really on. It's not a secret how I'd feel about that." I pointed out, feeling his breath steady near my face.

He was quiet for a moment at my reasoning, not seeming mad by it. More curious.

"You think he doesn't deserve it?" He asked curiously after a small pass of time, causing me to puff out my cheeks tiredly.

"Does anyone deserve pain?" I asked rhetorically, already knowing that Dabi and I had different opinions on that.

"The ones who cause it do." He stated a little more serious, voice lower and more true to 'Dabi.'

He sounds resentful. Resentful with the one who caused him his own pain.

"But, that just makes you the same as them." I muttered softly, not feeling shy about voicing my opinions.

I've come along way in the time I've met Dabi. Sure, I'm still hesitant to speak my mind around other people. But, with him? I don't have to overthink it at all. It comes out so naturally. So free. Without remorse or shame.

Dabi nodded to my opinion silently, letting out a small, bitter sigh as he spoke.

"Gave up on being better than them a long time ago, so that's fine." He shrugged dryly, tensing his jaw in deep rooted anger.

His words resonated loudly with me, but not for the reason he thinks...

....rather, the slip-up he accidentally made...

He said he 'gave up,' on being better, meaning there was a time when he was trying to be good?

Of course, I didn't draw attention to his words, keeping them for myself as I tried to flow with the conversation.

The more I bring attention to his slip-ups, the more he'll be aware and try to stop them from happening.

"Anger will do that to a person." I simply reassured him, feeling him rotate his face slightly to look at me.

"What makes you think so?" He asked honestly, almost seeming as if he wanted me to open up more of my thoughts.

But, what Dabi doesn't know....what you don't really know....

....is that opening up my thoughts-my real thoughts that I keep buried down inside, is a dangerous thing.

It's dangerous, because my true thoughts feel toxic. Repressed. Pained and lost. My true thoughts are one of the things I don't like about myself.

But, since Dabi asked, my mind is already allowing a snippet of these thoughts to slip.

What makes me think so, Dabi? Well, because I get it. That's why.

I'm angry, too, alright? I just don't show it. Don't acknowledge it to anyone. Not even myself.

But, I'm angry. Oh, deep down inside, I am angry alright.

I'm angry at Endeavor. Even though I said I forgave him for all his wrongdoings, I am angry and resentful for how he treated me. How he treated his family. How he treated Akio.

How he treated Touya.

I'm angry at Endeavor for killing the one I love. For tainting his good and letting him die.

I'm angry at all the people who've hurt my feelings over the years. The ones who made fun of me for being 'weird.' The ones who looked at me like I was a freak. The ones who said I wasn't ever good enough, or pretty enough.

I'm angry at myself for being those things and believing them.

I'm angry at my parents for abandoning me. Yes, I know it wasn't their fault that they died. My dad was sick. My mom was trying to protect what family we had left.

But, still I'm angry.

I'm angry at the world. Sad. Hurt. Not allowed, or giving myself, the proper time to recover from anything.

So, I suppress it. It's easier that way. Less painful to pretend that everything's okay, and put on a happy face. It's better to force myself to believe that everything is okay. That I'm okay.

It's better to keep my anger locked up inside, and hope it eventually fizzles away, than it is to face it.

I don't want to face it. I don't want to face it, because it's a part of myself I'm scared of. A part I can't control once it's out.

My anger-no-my emotions are something that control me. So, I suppress them to ensure that I'm always the one in control.

And, while there's no way I'm about to tell Dabi all of this-especially, not before a giant battle....one thing I've noticed....is that he never judges me, or compares my struggles.

Especially, right now. He's been silent, surprisingly silent as he sensed I was lost in thought...holding me tightly and waiting for me to speak on my own time.

"A lot of reasons." I concluded raspily, knowing my short sentence probably sounded odd.

But, Dabi didn't push me, nodding silently and pulling me closer-as if he understood perfectly well the struggles I've had in my life.

"I don't doubt it." He validated surprisingly soft, lazily pressing his forehead to the side of my face.

And that's when I suddenly felt a wave of emotion tighten in my chest. That's when I felt like I needed him closer. Like I never wanted to leave his arms, because they felt so familiar wrapped around me like this.

It freaked me out.

It freaked me out how much I wanted-craved his affection. How much I wanted to throw my arms around him and cry, as if he came back to life-even though he's not dead. He's right here.

Dabi shouldn't feel this familiar to me. He shouldn't feel this comforting, and he shouldn't have this much of an effect on my emotional state.

Just being in his arms makes me want to cry. It makes me long for someone-but, he's right here.

And, every time my brain wants me to go deeper and truly wonder why Dabi taps into my emotions so easily....and wonder why he feels so incredibly familiar....

My brain shuts down.

It's like an invisible curtain is suddenly being thrown over my mind, concealing and protecting me from the unknowns I don't realize.

It feels like....I cant even think about it if I want to, because my brain refuses to let me.

Jeez. The fight hasn't even started, but my emotions....are already incredibly....amplified.

Odd.

"W-We should go..." I breathed out almost inaudible, feeling a tad freaked out at how strongly I was feeling my emotions at this moment.

Don't feel it. Don't let it happen. Don't embrace it. Relax.

Dabi didn't speak for a moment, causing me to internally curse as I felt his eyes on me perceptively, probably knowing I was off.

"Hey." He said to me bluntly, seeming as if he was a little concerned with the shaking of my arms.

Just hearing his voice....makes me emotional.

It hurts my heart.

Why?

Why does it hurt my heart? Why are my emotions becoming so amplified? It's unusual-

"Violet, look at me." Dabi said a little more firmly when I didn't respond, standing up straight now and turning me around to face him.

I snapped out of my own head at his words, blinking my eyes a few times before looking up at him in a daze.

"Huh?" I uttered out, watching his brows raise in surprise as he studied my face.

"Your eyes are glowing." He said in disbelief, causing me to look at him in shock as I blinked rapidly now.

"What?" I followed up in slight alarm, instinctively bringing my hands to my face before trying to look around.

That's not normal!

Nor is it a factor of my quirk-

"Hey! If you two assholes are done fucking around over there, then let's go over the plan!" Kaito yelled from across the rooftop, causing me to look over at him in remembrance.

I blinked my eyes a few more times in hope that whatever glow was in them would leave, barely looking in Dabi's direction as I brushed past him.

"Ah, come on. We gotta get started, I guess." I uttered to him distractedly, feeling a bit off.

Dabi seemed to notice as well, quickly gripping my wrist before pulling me back.

"No. Fuck them. What's up with you? You're all sweaty and shaky-you got tears in your eyes, and they're glowing." Dabi said, sounding a little more concerned than he probably would have liked.

"I feel fine, Dabi. I'm probably just nervous." I said, attempting to walk back towards the group, before he grabbed me again.

"No. You're full of shit. What's wrong with you?" He pressed bluntly, tightening his grip on my wrist so I'd have to explain.

But, how can I explain what I don't know?

"I...I already told you-" I tried, yet he cut in again.

"Yeah, well try a different answer. One that's true." He nagged, causing me to groan in annoyance.

My minuscule feeling of agitation with his pushing immediately amplified into something much too potent. Too strong. Too toxic.

Too quick for me to process, or handle.

Without thinking, I immediately ripped my wrist out of Dabi's grip and pushed him backwards....feeling my teeth grinding down on each other and my blood pumping hot.

His eyes widened in full surprise at my uncharacteristic outburst, stumbling backwards from my push before looking at me in shock.

"I said I'm fine, Dabi!!" I yelled in unjustified fury, gaining the attention of Tsuyo and Kaito as well.

Kaito looked surprised by my outburst. Tsuyo didn't-from what I could tell, anyways.

Dabi looked at me in blank shock, blinking a few times as he tried to process my furious reactions.

"The hell you are." He stated in lost thought, immediately coming closer to assess me further.

In the reflections of fresh rain puddles atop the roof, I vaguely saw the glow from my eyes fade...clearing my head and causing my emotions to settle once more.

I looked up at Dabi with dazed apology, immediately grabbing his wrists when he came close enough.

"I....I'm sorry." I breathed out to him in guilt, not knowing why I felt so unhinged a moment ago.

He didn't say a word as he gripped my chin gently and tilted my head up, brushing pieces of hair out of my face as he looked at my eyes.

"How do you feel now?" He asked, rotating my face back and forth in his grip.

"Fine." I said honestly.

Dabi remained silent as he tried to piece things together, letting out a small grunt at the weirdness before he released my chin.

"Fine. If it happens again though, you better tell me." He said with finality, causing me to nod and intertwine my arm with his as he led us back to the group.

"I will." I uttered a little anxiously, gripping him tightly for comfort.

Upon walking back to the group, Kaito's smug laugh could be heard as he tried to stir the pot.

"Trouble in paradise already, you two? I sure hope so." He snickered, causing Dabi to look at him through a half lidded glare.

"How can it be paradise when I have to look at your ugly face all day?" Dabi retorted distractedly, clearly still lost in thought about my weird outburst.

Tsuyo cut in before the situation could escalate, ignoring the odd energy going around as they got the group back on track.

"Alright, there's no more time to mess around. We've already lost a lot of precious minutes today, so let's go over the plan." Tsuyo started, turning their head down towards the Endeavor agency with confirmation.

"Plan?" I questioned in dread, causing Tsuyo to continue.

"Kaito and I are only here to provide you guys back up. We'll take out all the sidekicks, student heroes, and anyone else who gets in your way. With the chaos Midas wants to create today, I'm sure we'll run into some reinforcements from the pros. We'll take care of that, too, while you and Dabi retrieve Endeavor. That will be more than enough to keep you busy." They said, earning a simultaneous 'what??' from Kaito and I.

"I didn't come all this way to be backup to a prissy bitch like her!" Kaito yelled at Tsuyo, causing Dabi to growl lowly as if he were a dog.

"Yeah, I agree with that!" I jumped in, before actually processing the entirety of what Kaito said. "Well-um...except the part about me being a prissy...jerk-but, shouldn't it be the other way around? You and Kaito do the capturing, while Dabi and I provide backup? I mean, we're still the newbies!"

Dabi quickly spoke now, ensuring my suggestion would fall on deaf ears.

"No way," he drawled out, lugging a heavy arm around my shoulders and pulling me close. "We can handle that piece of shit easy. The original plan stays."

Tsuyo sighed in irritation for Dabi's attempt to control the situation, immediately putting their hands up to silence the competing voices in the group.

"Relax and shut up. All of you." They warned patiently, causing Kaito and I to quickly be quiet.

Dabi was quiet of his own accord, smiling smugly at the fact that he was getting his way today.

"Per Midas' orders, and not Dabi's......the original plan stays. Kaito and I are your backups, while Dabi and Violet restrain Endeavor. You need to do it yourselves. Think of it like an initiation into Midas' group. We all get one, when we first get here. It's to prove your serious and capable." Tsuyo shrugged, causing me to smile nervously.

Me? Serious and capable???

Please plan my funeral respectfully.

"That bedazzled bitch was smart not to make me a 'backup.' Not like I was gonna ever follow that rule, anyways." Dabi grinned ferally, starting to get amped for the events coming.

I felt his muscles tense in excited anticipation as his body was smushed to mine. His hands subtly began to smoke, and I swear his breathing was almost erratic.

He's a little too ready for this.

Tsuyo simply nodded in dismissal to Dabi's point, pulling out their phone to check the time.

"Alright. Guess it's time to do this thing. First thing's first, we need a distraction. A chaotic distraction that easily allows us to get through the door and catch everyone off guard." They suggested, starting to look down at the array of jewels on their uniform for a weapon.

However, it seems the time has finally come for feral Dabi to come out as he slowly removed his arm from me and walked over to Tsuyo, placing his hand on their shoulder as he spoke lowly.

"You want a distraction? Oh, I'll give you a fucking distraction. I wanted him to notice me, anyways." He chuckled out, sounding lost in his own mind and demons now.

Tsuyo looked at Dabi for a moment through their mask, before nodding agreement and stepping back to give Dabi the space he needed.

"Fine. At least put your mask on, so you're not recognized." They muttered in annoyance, causing Dabi to snicker at the order.

"Didn't I just say I like attention?" Dabi pointed out, yet put his mask on anyways as it seemed he was no longer in the mood to mess around.

Now, he's serious.

Noticing I didn't step back, Dabi barely glanced in my direction, keeping his back to me as he spoke.

"Unless you wanna get charred, I'd scoot back too, little sapphire. The only one I want next to me right now is this fuckhead." He pointed out, gesturing to Kaito as the culprit.

The yellow eyed man grit his teeth in irritation, letting out a low rumble from his throat as he aggressively stepped backwards and put his mask on, too.

Dabi didn't turn away from me until he heard me step back a safe distance and hesitantly put my own mask on, inhaling slowly as he finally turned his attention back to the Endeavor agency.

"Ah. Finally." He breathed out to himself, throwing his head back to the wind slightly as he reveled in this moment.

Silence consumed the space. Tense silence. With nothing but the sound of my increasing pulse beating in my ears.

I'm not ready.

I watched him closely-or, the back of him rather....black hair and his new clean cut trench coat flowing softly in the wind as he looked out to the city, and thought about things that only he knew. Things that imprisoned his mind.

And, while I couldn't see his face...seeing Dabi...standing by himself, looking down at the Endeavor building in silence...

...the sight looked so sad.

I wanted to walk up and hug him, comfort him for something I didn't understand...

He never gave me the chance though, as a light sizzle sound began to come from his wrists.

My pulse spiked in anticipation as he kept his focus, slowly lifting his hands that gradually began to emanate thick clouds of smoke.

I grimaced softly as the smell of Dabi's burning flesh stung my nostrils, making me wish I could give him something for the pain I know he was probably feeling.

"B..Be careful." I blurted out to him softly, knowing he wouldn't take my advice.

As expected, he simply laughed and let thick blue flames immediately consumed both of his hands, getting the last word in as he prepared to start the attack.

"'Me' and 'careful' are not two things that go together, little sapphire." He stated blankly, lifting his burning arms up before quickly shooting bellows of bright blue flames straight towards the Endeavor agency.

The sound of Dabi's fire cried throughout the air, the hot heat of it sizzling back into our faces, and the color blinding as it spiraled throughout the city towards our target.

Oh! It's begun!

I stumbled back slightly from the power, realizing after Dabi shot his flames that he wasn't just trying to cause a distraction...

....he was trying to incinerate the building and murder everyone inside.

Yep. Should have expected that one, huh?

Well, that's regression! Character development who? Not this guy!

My body acted before I did, and next thing I knew I'd shoved Dabi out of the way and shot my crystals towards the Endeavor Agency in a panic-hoping my quirk would be able to reach the building in time and lessen the blow.

"'Distraction,' Dabi! That was way too much!" I yelled at him over the scorches of his flames, only causing him to cackle and watch civilians on the street dive out of the way to miss his flames.

I grit down on my teeth as my quirk passed Dabi's flames in speed, watching as I was able to get a thin layer of crystals around the entire building, before the fire slammed straight into the place.

Thanks to my crystals, Dabi's fire stopped at the door, extinguishing once it's path had been halted.

But, not thanks to the fact that my quirk can't sustain his flames for very long, the harsh impact caused a small explosion instead-blowing the door-and half the entrance of Endeavor's agency off its hinges.

The sound of screams and the building splitting ripped through the busy city. Within three seconds of Dabi-and my unintentional combined attack, the Endeavor agency had a suffocating screen of smoke in and around it....leaving the entrance caved in and vulnerable to the villains who wanted in.

That's us, I guess-

"We go now! Remember the plan. Violet and Dabi are to grab Endeavor. Kaito and I defend! Move it!" Tsuyo yelled firmly, harshly grabbing Kaito's arm before throwing him off the roof.

The yellow eyed man yelled in angry shock at being hurled off the roof without warning-and even though his face is now covered with a mask....I'm almost positive he's glaring at Tsuyo.

"What?!?? I'm gonna fucking kill you!!!" Kaito screamed at Tsuyo, his voice gradually getting further away with his rapid fall off the building.

Yet, it seemed that Tsuyo knew Kaito would be able to catch himself as pillars of iron quickly emerged from Kaito's hands and underneath his body; allowing it him a nice, easy slide to the ground now.

I looked down in blank shock at the events, jumping slightly when Tsuyo turned to me now.

"Go. Or he's next." The masked person ordered me, seeming a bit more stern now that the attack had begun.

Of course, the 'he' Tsuyo is referring to is Dabi. While I have a quirk that can lighten my fall, Dabi does not.

Alright. Here we go! Time to shit my pants!

I tried to respond to Tsuyo, unable to get a word out as I opted to quickly grabbed Dabi by his collar and dragged him off the roof with me-putting a slide of crystals underneath his frame, before doing the same to myself.

The ground came too quickly when Dabi and I safely slid right up to the caved in entrance to the Endeavor Agency.

It's a miracle that the explosion managed to avoid all the surrounding citizens on the street. But, unfortunately-judging from the pained screams inside the agency....it seems there was some damage to be done-

I gasped as I felt a sharp shove to my back, quickly coming back to reality thinking it was Dabi.

But, nope, that guy was long gone! Not even next to me anymore as it seemed he left me in the dust to cause his own chaos.

Yeah. So much for 'package deal,' I guess...

The shove came from Tsuyo, who had grabbed my wrist without permission, dragging my frozen body towards the entrance with losing patience.

"Go!! You need to do well today! Your life is on the line if you disappoint him!" They exclaimed almost nervously, throwing me forward into the chaos by my arm.

I stumbled on my feet as the smoke filled room pierced my nose. It was all happening so fast. I didn't have time to process.

New flashes of blue flames had popped up around the area. Sharp pillars of Kaito's iron were being shot towards Endeavor's sidekicks.

....sidekicks I know too well. Sidekicks who are nice. Sidekicks who I've had meals and laughs with-

"What the hell is going on?!?! Who are these people?!? We need back up!!" I heard Burnin' scream, quickly turning to my left to see her fending off Kaito's iron pillars.

"An ambulance over here!!! This student hero was at the door when the explosion happened! I cant stop the bleeding forever!!!" Another person yelled frantically, causing my eyes to widen and immediately find the direction of the voice.

Student hero? A student hero was injured?

Already forgoing my task of catching Endeavor, I quickly sprinted the opposite way of his office-following the gasps for air and smell of blood, before finding the injured student.

The pro hero in red tending to their wounds looked up at me in surprise that I'd shown up, giving me a look of hatred I'd never forget as they were about to try and fight me.

But...

"I can stop the bleeding!! Move!!" I yelled out before they could make things worse, easily able to shove them off and insert myself.

Really, they were too shocked to do anything. It's only been about two minutes since Dabi blew the door off the place. People are still trying to process.

I didn't even get a chance to look at the students face as I quickly found the wound in their abdomen, gently rubbing their shoulder as I explained.

"Internal bleeding. Severed artery. I can fix it. Might hurt though, I need to make sure my crystals can reach the source." I said choppily, immediately shoving two of my fingers into the bleeding wound.

I grimaced under my mask as the student hero let out a blood curdling shriek at my actions, starting to writhe around on the floor as I pried in the wound.

"I know, sweetie. Hang in there. I'm almost-" I tried to coax, unable to finish as I felt a blunt force to my cheek.

I cursed loudly as I was thrown back a few feet from the punch, looking up in anger at the pro hero who stopped me from helping.

"You lying bitch. Hurting children, huh? I draw the line." The hero in red stated lowly, causing me to scramble back on the ground in a bit of fear.

Crap. What do I do? Do I fight? I don't wanna fight. Do I try to save the boy? Reveal myself?-

A battle is not the time to overthink, Violet!

"I-I..." I tried, unable to get a sound out as the hero in red slowly came towards me.

However, the student hero I'd been saving started gasping for air again behind him, causing a small bout of frustration to rise in my chest that I wasn't able to help him.

And, then, similar to what happened on the roof with Dabi a few moments ago, the feeling of frustration immediately amplified within my body....going from zero to three-thousand in one second.

Waves of white hot fury quickly pulsed in my veins. My overthinking thoughts turned off like a switch, my fear completely gone, as I felt my teeth grinding together.

It's odd. I still feel completely conscious. It doesn't feel like anyone is forcing me to do anything.

I just feel angry. So fucking angry.

"Get out of the way. Now." I seethed out lowly to the hero, not even recognizing the sound of my own voice...

....or my next actions.

Without overthinking-or even a first thought, I slammed my hand down on the ground, shooting out an aggressive layer of crystals towards the hero in red-watching his eyes widen in fear when they slammed into his side and sent him flying all the way to the other side of the room.

Woah.

What???

My crystals haven't ever possessed that kind of power...

My anger immediately broke and fizzled when I gasped in shock for the power that came from me.

The weirdest part? It didn't feel like I was overexerting myself. It didn't feel like I had a physical power-up.

While I wish I could have dwelled more on the odd moment, the student hero was bleeding away and dying quickly, causing me to scramble back towards them and resume the healing process.

Once again I held their shoulder, meeting their gaze through the eye openings of my mask as I tried to appear as non-intimidating as possible.

"I need you to relax, okay? Try your best. I know it's hard. Try your best. Ten seconds is all I need." I explained to them over the chaos happening around us, causing their sweat riddled face to nod in frantic agreement.

I used my gloved hand to wipe their face a bit for them, preparing myself for their screams as I forced my fingers back into their wound.

They grit down on their teeth, trying not to scream as loud this time as I pried and made things worse momentarily.

I bit my lip to hold back the tears when they resorted to whimpering, causing me to immediately think of how this is the result of Dabi's recklessness, and how much I can't stand him at the moment.

That's what you get for liking a villain, Violet. It's your own fault.

"Almost there. Almost there. Stay with me." I encouraged the student hero, quickly meeting the wound with my fingers before releasing my healing crystals atop it.

I felt my high blood pressure immediately lowering when they let out a sigh of relief upon feeling my quirk....watching the color and life return back to their body before my very eyes.

Carefully my fingers began moving away from the wound as my crystals fully repaired the damage, until there was no longer a wound there at all.

The student hero had been saved. Their body rejuvenated, probably better than it had been before the attack.

"Woah..." they breathed out in shock, looking down at their stomach to see it was completely fine now.

I felt a little weary from the process, but it was worth it.

"You saved my life." The student said to me, causing me to chuckle a bit dryly at the irony.

"Yeah, well I also endangered it, so don't thank me, or anything like that." I grumbled slightly, hearing a piercing scream from behind me.

Quickly turning around, I saw that a hero had been trying to come at me from behind-only they never got the chance to attack me, as they were now consumed in blue flames.

I sighed tiredly at Dabi's antics, watching him casually brush past the burning man and make his way to me now.

The student hero behind me gasped in fear at the new 'intruder' coming our way, watching Dabi extend his gloved hand out for me to take.

"Didn't I tell you we're a package, sunshine?" He said rhetorically, looking at the student hero behind me through his mask.

"Don't hurt him. It's your fault he got hurt, anyways." I grumbled, grabbing Dabi's hand and allowing him to pull me up to standing.

He kept his eyes on the student hero as he helped me up, tilting his head to the side mockingly.

"You work for that piece of shit?" Dabi asked the kid bluntly, clearly referring to Endeavor.

The kid nodded nervously, trying to scramble to his feet in fear as Dabi laughed.

"Whatever. That's punishment enough, I guess. Not sorry for almost killing you though. Get lost." The stitched man drawled out, causing the kid to quickly scurry away.

I glared at Dabi in legitimate irritation once the kid was gone, giving him a small shove of frustration.

Lets just hope my emotions don't go crazy again.

"What the hell, Dabi?" I reprimanded, causing him to laugh lazily.

"Oooo. 'Hell.' She swore. What a bad girl you are." He snickered out, causing me to shove him again as we bickered in the middle of chaos.

"I'm serious. What's gotten into you these past few days? You've been making so many strides lately, and now you're back to acting like a full asshole." I stated over the screams and crashes, causing him to scoff and carelessly pull down his mask to look at me better.

Really, it just seemed like he wanted to be noticed.

"I've been making 'so many strides?' The fuck am I to you? A damn dog?" He questioned sarcastically, casually dodging a flying piece of debris that came his way.

I crossed my arms stubbornly, not even caring about where we were as I gave him a piece of my mind.

"If you don't want to be treated like one, then don't act like one." I muttered dismissively, causing his face to morph into irritation.

"Oh yeah?" He asked condescendingly.

"Yeah."

Dabi's jaw tensed in irritation, blurting out the first thing he could think to say.

"Bold of you to expect things from me when we aren't dating. Try knowing your fucking place." He stated smugly, causing a tinge of anger to settle in my chest.

Uh-oh.

Dabi's smug smile slowly wiped off his face as he looked at my eyes, immediately losing his annoyance as he came closer.

"Huh? Your eyes. They're-" he tried, before I shoved him back harshly.

"Fuck off!!" I yelled at him as amplified anger pulsed through my veins, causing Dabi's eyes to widen in shock once more.

He was about to say something when another hero came charging at the two of us, willing to put the conversation on hold as he prepared his flames.

But, completely free of hesitation for once in my life, I was first to charge at the hero, not even thinking as I ducked underneath their punch.

I gripped their wrist tightly, twisting it in my grasp and causing them to yell out in pain, before I kicked my foot into the back of their knee and swept their legs out from under them.

They crashed to the ground with a bang, hitting the back of their head hard enough to lose consciousness.

I felt the anger fizzling away once more, backing up from the unconscious hero slightly in disbelief and guilt that I just did such a thing.

"I....crap." I breathed out dazedly, feeling Dabi's arm on my shoulder once more.

I turned around to see his face, noticing he didn't look proud or happy that I just took a hero out with my bare hands.

He looked concerned.

"Violet. The fuck's up with you." He said with a voice stripped to confusion, looking at my eyes once more to see their glow completely gone.

But, now that the amplified emotions had fizzled away, my fear had returned. My overthinking thoughts had returned.

And it was in that moment that I realized...

....I cannot do this. I cant betray my comrades. My real comrades.

Sweat had coated my face. I felt more exhausted than usual. I just needed to get away.

"Dabi-" I started saying, prepared to tell him that I'd be unable to finish the job.

However, his face went blank and his eyes widened at the hurdling sound that was coming from our left, causing him to quickly shove me backwards to ensure I wouldn't get hit.

Instead, Dabi took the hit for me, allowing himself to take the brunt impact of a giant fireball that had been coming our way.

Endeavor's fireball.

I was lucky that my instincts reacted for me, immediately shooting a shield of crystals in front of Dabi to ensure he wouldn't get killed, or seriously hurt from the impact.

Regardless, he still went flying backwards and away from me, taking a hard, backwards tumble onto the floor a few moments later.

He just saved my life. Does he know that?

Dabi was quick to scramble back to his feet, giving his head a little shake to clear his vision, before looking up at the culprit of the attack.

And just from the sight of Endeavor, the Soft Dabi had melted away from his eyes and replaced with maniacal excitement, causing him to giggle like a freak as he stumbled on his feet.

We're screwed now. Dabi's mask is off. His identity is surely revealed, due to the fact that Dabi is a very well known villain in Japan.

And I just used my crystals in front of Endeavor's own eyes. He knows them. He knows them better than anyone. Now he's gonna recognize them and-

"Crystals? I've never seen these before." Endeavor commented as he looked at my fleeing crystals, causing my eyes to widen in pure, unadulterated shock.

Huh?

He really doesn't recognize me?

Midas' words from earlier rang through my ears...

"So long as you and Dabi wear the uniforms I gave you, you won't be recognized. Trust me."

I didn't get another chance to think about it as Endeavor spoke again, looking at Dabi and I with his usual mug as his fire beard burned bright.

"This ends now. The chaos and destruction you've caused won't go unpunished." He stated firmly, causing Dabi to cackle loudly as he let a flame of fire burn up his wrist.

"Heh. Funny. That's what I was gonna say to you!!!" The stitched man exclaimed loudly, shooting a hotter, even brighter line of fire straight at Endeavor.

His flames were stronger that time. Stronger than before.

That's when Midas' words entered my head again...

"Dabi's quirk activates stronger with emotion."

Is he emotional right now?

....towards....Endeavor....?-

Endeavor was quick to counter Dabi's flames, immediately sending his own fire back, before charging full force at the two of us.

Holy. Shit.

That is a lot of man.

Letting my fear get the better of me, and knowing how brutal Endeavor can be, I quickly took off running, leaving Dabi in the dust as I tried to find a place to compose myself.

Yeah, not my best moment. Lets call it payback for when he left me earlier!

Dabi didn't seem to care about my leave in the slightest, already prepared to give Endeavor hell...

Only with my luck, Endeavor quickly changed his course of direction-immediately coming barreling towards me instead.

Wonderful.

"H-Huh?!?? What the fuck!!!" Dabi yelled in fury as Endeavor ignored his presence and tried to attack me instead.

Rip.

Not that I'm totally surprised. I've been training with Endeavor for years. I know that he usually goes after the weakest first, so he can focus on the strongest later.

And running away is pretty weak, so yeah!

"You won't get far!!" Endeavor boomed at me, unable to shoot fireballs in my direction as I disappeared into the fighting bodies.

"I'm well aware!" I called back, quickly scooting and pushing people out of the way as I tried to shake him off.

The debris and smoke screen inside the place definitely made that easier.

But, it didn't matter as I felt my heart pounding in fear. My mind already repeating how there's no way I'm going to make it out of this unscathed.

Crap. Why the heck am I so weak???

My eyes wanted to squeeze shut and spill tears as I ran as fast as my feet could take me, hearing Endeavor's footsteps gradually fading from my ears as I gained distance.

I looked behind me a few moments later, seeing I'd been able to shake him off. I took the opportunity to hide behind one of the big debris pieces on the ground, not knowing what the hell to do as I felt my heart rate erratic.

The sounds of the battle continued to ensue from behind my cover, with everyone occupied trying to defend and fix what Dabi and I started.

"Jeez..." I panted out in pure stress, sitting back against the jagged debris wall as I tried to get myself together.

I sat there in silence for a moment, breathing heavy and keeping my eyes closed as I tried to calm myself down-

"I must agree. Not exactly how I hoped you'd start out the day." A new voice said into my ear, causing me to jump and quickly look around my space.

But, no one was there.

"Huh?!" I blurted out, taking another double take in my space to see no one was there.

Maybe I imagined it-

"Oh, come on now, dear Violet. You know who I am. I'm the whole reason you're in this mess right now, remember?" The voice said again, making me realize it was Midas' voice in my ear.

But, how? I didn't have an ear piece in? He wasn't here with me? How can I hear him? How can he hear me?

A jewel, I assume.

"Knowing you, I'm sure you're overthinking things and wondering how our conversation is even possible right now. I have many different jewels with many different powers-especially, the ones you're currently wearing on your uniform. It's just part of the perks-like multiple quirks, when you think about it." He explained calmly, causing me to look down at my uniform in a confused haze and remember the jewels on my uniform.

Regardless, I didn't care. I was afraid. I was tired. I was overthinking everything. I'm done here.

"I....I don't think we'll be able to capture Endeavor today. Maybe we should....try again another time." I said a bit nervously, feeling a lump of anxiety settle in my chest as I spoke the words.

I braced myself for the worst, wondering if this would finally be the time where Midas blows up in my face and loses his patience with me. It'd be a good reason to from his perspective. It would essentially mean that I failed the task. The initiation.

As Tsuyo said, it's essential that I impress him today if I wanna live.

Midas had been quiet for a few passes of time, leaving me to wonder what he was thinking.

Would he yell at me? Kill me? Threaten me to get the job done?

He spoke a few moments later, catching me off guard with his response.

"Well, let's talk about it. Why don't you think you're able to catch Endeavor, Violet?" He asked me patiently, seeming to already know the answer to this question.

A million answers to that question ran through my head-each one more intimidating than the previous.

But, for now....all my muddled mind could say was....

"Uhhh, because he's Endeavor!" I called out, hearing Midas chuckle softly in genuine amusement at my words.

"Yes. And you're Violet. A pretty powerful asset in herself, wouldn't you say?" He questioned, causing me to scoff slightly at how untrue he was.

"No." I replied honestly, feeling myself calming down a bit as I focused on the conversation.

"Oh? Why not? You took out two heroes already, didn't you?" He asked curiously, almost talking to me like a child.

I shook my head even though he couldn't see me-or...could he?-lifting up the mouth of my mask so I could breathe better.

"That was.......well, I don't know what that was. But, it was luck." I said honestly, causing Midas to click his tongue.

"It wasn't. My jewels can tell you that much." He followed up boldly, making my eyes widen in realization.

Wait....

The pieces are coming together.

Why I've been so emotional. Angry. Why I've been lashing out and taking out heroes. None of it started until I started wearing Midas' jewels.

"Your.....your jewels.....are doing this to me?" I asked in disbelief, looking down at the shimmering medallions plastered on my black uniform.

"Yes and no. My jewels are helping you with something. But, it's probably not the something you think." Midas alluded, causing me to reflect on how easy it was for me to take out two pro heroes.

"So what? They're giving me super strength?" I questioned, admittedly not feeling any change to my strength whatsoever-

"My jewels, Violet.....have done absolutely nothing to improve your physical strength today. That...is all you..." he began, making my eyes narrow in disbelief as he continued.

"My jewels have only been enhancing your mental strength. Working in times to take away every single ounce of fear...doubt....insecurities....overthink....anxiety-my jewels are working to take away everything within your mind that is holding you back from greatness." Midas explained, before different jewels on my uniform began to glow.

"Now, don't get it twisted. You're not under my control, or brainwashed, or anything like that. You still have full choice and reason to do whatever you'd like. But.....one of the jewels on you-I won't say which color....but, one has the power to amplify your emotions." He continued, before I felt my subsiding fear starting to come back and amplify full force within my mind.

I gasped sharply at the new wave of anxiety I was feeling, clutching the debris wall as I felt the world falling down around me and my body go frozen in panic.

"It takes emotions that are already inside you, and enhances them to an extremely potent degree that you can't even comprehend. In rare cases like your stubborn self-doubts, I can momentarily dull which emotions I want from you, in order to make you see the person you really are ." He followed up, before my fear immediately began to fizzle away as quickly as it had come.

My body relaxed again, until I had absolutely no fear or anxiety left in my body.

Now, I felt as calm as I've ever felt. Feeling as if I was relaxing on a private beach, even though I was supposed to be in the heat of battle.

"I always knew it, but I realized-even more so today.....that you have got a lot of insecurities and self doubts, my dear." Midas chuckled in pity, causing me to puff out my cheeks lazily and relax against the jagged wall.

"Yeah. Tell me about it." I drawled out calmly, closing my eyes tiredly as I drowned out the sound of the battle.

"I've been holding back the power of the jewels a bit so you could try to find it within yourself to do it naturally. But, after seeing your mental breakdown....maybe it's better to give you a full demonstration today, and prove to you just how strong you are." Midas explained, causing me to furrow my brows in lax confusion.

I watched Endeavor's fireball slam into the wall in front of me, too calm to even flinch as I watched it melt the dry wall.

"I can't take out Endeavor. Doesn't matter how strong you think I am." I said honestly, giving one of the jewels on my shirt a small tap.

"Why? You've been trained by that man himself for years. Competitively trained by him. You know how to fight, even if you think you dont. You know his fighting style. His secrets. His life. I've done my research, I know you come from a powerful bloodline of heroes as well. Physically, you have absolutely no barriers to being an incredibly powerful hero...." He urged, trying to hype me up as best he could.

And, yeah. I guess he has a semi point. But, it doesn't change the fact that Endeavor is a seasoned veteran hero, who's three times my size.

No. I already know I can't take him down.

Midas continued a few moments later, sensing my lingering self doubts.

"The mind is an incredibly strong thing, Violet. Even stronger than the body, because it controls the body. Your downfall as a hero all these years isn't because you lack physical ability. The reason you are so unhappy with yourself.....is because your mind is imprisoning you. Telling you that you're weak, and that you aren't good enough." He said, unfortunately tapping into a part of my soul he didn't even realize he hit.

My biggest insecurities. It's always been myself.

He's not wrong.

I said nothing as I felt the conversation getting too close to home, feeling too calm to try and steer the conversation in a different direction as Midas continued.

"The job is to capture Endeavor. That is true. But, the real purpose of today is to show you just how much you're holding back your potential, solely because of the doubts and fears in your head. It's to show you what you could be like if you let go of all your insecurities, self doubts, and overthink for good, and decide to believe in yourself." He persuaded, causing natural inklings of hope and curiosity to spark in my emotions.

Midas ran with those emotions and amplified them, making me feel a little more confident that I'd be able to do such a thing.

But, as he said earlier, Midas is not brainwashing me or controlling me. I know what I would be doing, and it caused my natural reservations to remain.

"But....I can't do this to Endeavor. He took care of me." I justified with reason, still not onboard with the idea.

"Out of pity, yes." Midas stated boldly, seeming to know just how to irk me with a sentence like that.

I hate being pitied.

Frustration began to stir around inside my chest, but I tried to control it now that I knew it was the jewels.

"Well-yes. He did...pity me. But, he's trying to be better. I forgave him already." I said, yet Midas persisted.

"You didn't forgive him, Violet. Not really-that's not even me trying to convince you that you didn't. It's what I see. You said you forgave him to make him feel better, but I can feel your emotions. The resentment and anger for him in your soul is speaking very loud to me." Midas conveyed, lighting up multiple different colored jewels on my uniform so I wouldn't know which one was the emotion amplifier.

I felt my frustration trying to rise higher, as my self doubts began to dissipate. But, still I tried to stay true to myself.

"There's no use being angry anymore. You can't change the past." I commented, but Midas was quick on the follow up.

"Oh. But, wouldn't you like to? After all, it's all Endeavor's fault that you ended up this way. Broken. Insecure. Afraid. He wasn't ever nice to you. Well, not until after that day, of course." Midas chuckled, causing my blood to freeze as we were entering dangerous territory.

My triggers. The things I never talk about.

Frustration rose, with a new introduction of anger and pain entering my emotional state-both of them also starting to slowly amplify as I began to think about....him.

"Stop." I stated lowly, feeling my eyes turning dead as I stared at the wall.

The world around me had become white noise now as I fought with myself. Trying not to remember my past traumas and keep my cool.

But, Midas had other ideas.

"The day he took the one you loved away from you. The day Endeavor killed him. You're telling me....that you've forgiven Endeavor for destroying his son, Touya? For let him suffer and die alone?" Midas questioned firmly, being gentle in his tone but authoritative with his voice.

I felt my breathing starting to shallow as the image of Touya was burned into my memory for all of eternity, feeling my nails clawing into the floor as my emotions started to rise out of control.

"...h...he wasn't alone. He had me..." I rasped out shakily, feeling my heartbeat erratic even though I'd been calmed by the jewels.

"Yes, he did. And he loves you very much. His emotions speak loudly to me right now, too." Midas reassured me softly, causing the new emotion of love to enter my being.

Midas amplified that emotion immediately, causing tears to cloud my eyes and spill past my lids all at once as I looked blankly at the burning wall.

"T..They are?" I breathed out shakily, feeling my throat tighten and my heart cry out for Touya so desperately.

So desperately.

I love him so much. I miss him so much it hurts. I try to suppress it. I try not think about it. But, each morning when I wake up, I feel as if I've died all over again.

It's a cycle that never stops.

"Yes, his emotions are loud. Oh, Violet. He's always loved you. He's never stopped loving you. The boy would do anything for you. His emotions are very, very strong. Some of the strongest I've ever seen. Pained, sure. But, no mistaking that he feels immense love for you, that he probably can't even process himself." Midas explained, making me believe that the man must have some connection to a soul's emotions in the afterlife.

It hurts though. It hurts to hear Midas say these things. Yes, it hurts because I miss Touya with every fiber of my being. It hurts because he will always have a piece of my soul.

But, it also hurts because Touya's love for me is what killed him.

"T...Touya..." I cried out softly, feeling my chest legitimately about to burst from how sad I was.

Realizing my emotions for Touya were strong enough on their own, Midas adjusted their potency and cut back so I'd still be able to function properly.

"Yes, Touya." He said with empathy, making my broken heart numb just a little as Midas cut back on my pain.

Then, he increased my anger. My frustration.

"But, it doesn't matter now. Because Endeavor killed him and took him from you, remember? It's thanks to Endeavor that you'll never get to see or feel Touya's love ever again." He reminded me, causing a new wave of fury to stir in my chest as I took in his words.

He's not wrong.

I felt my tear stained face hardening in livid anger as I blankly stared the wall-realizing my hands were itching to use their quirk.

"By forgiving Endeavor, it means that you forgave him for taking Touya away from you. So, is that true?" Midas asked me, voice neutral and seeming supportive of whatever decision I was about to make.

I said nothing for a moment, trying to think about this rationally and weigh the pros and cons of every situation.

But, Midas knew it and rid me of the overthink. He rid me of every other unnecessary thought. Every excuse and justification I could give Endeavor. Every care and worry I had about hurting his feelings. Everything that wasn't how I was truly feeling about the matter.

It only left the necessary questions. The questions that Midas gave me with, now clear, answers I had in my mind.

My own answers. The truth was just buried in my denial. My self doubts.

But, not anymore. For now, anyways.

"Do you really forgive Endeavor, Violet? Or would you rather give into your anger today and show him the justice that he deserves? Give him a little payback?" Midas asked me darkly, the smile evident on his face even if I couldn't see him.

He was smiling, because now it's time to embrace who I am. Who I could be, if I stopped doubting my abilities and just...did it. If I wasn't ever afraid. If I was confident. Fearless. Mentally strong.

The blinders of my mental block are off temporarily, with the help of Midas' jewels.

My physical abilities have not been enhanced in any way. But, mentally, I now feel on top of the world. As if I could destroy everyone in my way without fail.

And, combined with my amplified fury, I intend to destroy anyone who gets in my way of taking down Endeavor.

Now, it's finally time to see what I can do. It's finally time to see how strong I really am.

"Endeavor...." I started off lowly, slowly placing the mask back on my face as I rose to my feet...

"You better watch your back, Number One. Because...starting now....I'm coming for you."

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Next Chapter Title: Who She Could Be