3rd person

Touya Todoroki is in pain. It was quite obvious, looking at his burns. But there was more than that. The cuffs around his ankles and wrists and throat, digging into his flesh. Even closer, the bruises and cuts littered over his body from fights and quick retreats and other not-fire related scuffs. And if you're really bored, you can look even closer and see how the oldest Todoroki's heart bleeds with anguish, a permanent cry for help that's pitched in such a way that doesn't allow certain people to hear it.

The two guards holding the villain right now certainly can't hear it. They don't notice anything besides the quirk-canceling cuffs that allow them to have the upper hand.

Ito and Dani toss Touya's limp body onto the cold cement floor, locking the door behind them. Dani grabs the chains to hook to the cuffs and then to the wall, limiting Touya's movements. Once the villain is properly restrained, Ito smacks him across the face until his eyes flutter open weakly. "Morning, princess," Ito teases.

Touya grunts in response.

"Do you know why you're here, Dabi?" Dani asks, pulling over chairs for her and Ito. Ito thanks her, taking his seat first.

"Fucking bunny girl," Touya chokes out. "She's a liar."

"Are you calling the number five hero a liar?" Ito says. "Her word is a lot more trustworthy than yours, Dabi. You're just upset that your father was successful and you weren't."

"My father is an abusive prick," Touya sneers, pulling at his chains. "And if you don't believe me, ask Fuyumi, Natsuo, or Shoto. Or Rei, if you can get her out of the damn asylum. Hawks, too, if we really wanna go there."

"Right, because you're still going with the story that Endeavor was the one that abused Hawks," Ito says, laughing bitterly. "Makes so much sense."

"I'm telling the fucking truth," Touya hisses. "What reason do I have to lie? I'm going to be imprisoned the rest of my life for a crime I didn't commit. I didn't hurt the damn bird! I was doing this all for him! I lo... I..."

"You love him?" Ito laughs. "You're in love with the pro hero, Hawks? What a joke. Dani, use White Noise to block out the sound. I'm gonna give this sicko what he deserves."

"Ito, sir," Dani says softly. "I think we should hear him out. He doesn't sound like he's lying."

Ito grinds his teeth, gripping Dani's shoulders with his hands, digging his nails into her skin. "Dani, I'm gonna tell you this just once: I'm the boss here. I have a lot of responsibility on my shoulders. I'm overworked, my wife is a nagging whore, my children are a waste of my fucking sperm because unlike me, they don't have a quirk. My life is exhausting. So, when I tell you to fucking do something" – Ito shoves Dani back by the shoulders, making her slam her back against the wall – "you FUCKING DO IT! Understood?"

"Y-yes sir," Dani whimpers. She races out to the hall, using her quirk to nullify the sound in the room. Ito's quirk gives him the ability to sting someone with his tail, similar to a stingray. Stingray stings usually cause intense pain, nausea, weakness, and fainting, but in rare cases, a person who is stung might have trouble breathing or even die. So as Ito's stinger pierces Touya in different places along his scarred, bruised, cut, and destroyed body, Dani's quirk is barely enough to mask the howling screams. Eventually Touya passes out, and Ito leaves him untreated and alone– in pain, though that's nothing new.

POV KEIGO

Shoto's yawn snaps me awake, and I remember that I'm supposed to be playing Mario with him. "If you're tired, you can sleep," I tell him jokingly. "It's almost 4:30 am."

"I don't want you to be alone," Shoto says gently. "My siblings never let me be alone when I was scared."

"I'll be okay, Shoto," I tell him, putting my controller down gently. "Y'know I'm an adult, right?"

"Adults can be afraid, too," Shoto protests. "You're only six years older than me, Hawks. You're like my older brother."

I nod, pulling the blanket up to my waist. "How about we both go to sleep? I heard Eraser yapping about how you have school tomorrow."

"Oh," Shoto says. "I do. Perhaps I didn't think this through."

"You'll be alright," I say. "I'll talk to Eraser and see if I can get you guys a free day."

"That would be nice," Shoto says. "Thank you, Hawks. Good night."

"Night," I reply, yawning. I sprawl out on one couch while Shoto takes the other, wrapped up in what I assume is Sero's blanket. I stare at the wall a little longer, trying to ignore the quick, hushed speaking in the kitchen. I know it's Aizawa trying to convince them that Endeavor is guilty, but they're not going to listen. Why would they? He's the number one hero, not a rapist. He's saved countless lives, so that makes up for the one he destroyed. Plus, it's not like my life is really worth anything. I'm a pawn of the hero commission. I don't even have my own family.

"Hawks," Aizawa says gently. "Could you come here for a moment?"

"Sure thing," I answer, hopping up as quietly as I can. I tiptoe to the kitchen, feather-light on my feet, and immediately steal a sip from Mic's drink. It's coffee, creamer and no sugar, just how I like it. "Is this for me?" I ask, my eyes beaming.

"Yeah!" Mic answers, shoving the drink into my hands. "What kind of psychopath drinks coffee without sugar besides you, bird-man? Plus, I thought you could use a little pick-me-up." Mic nudges my arm, giving me a wink. I smile, slurping down the drink. He shakes a McDonald's bag, too, tossing it to me, and I nearly scream as I open it: a fifty piece chicken nugget box!

"I love you," I basically sob. "Thanks, Mic!"

"Of course," Mic says. "Now, we really need to sort this all out, Hawks. Do you think you're able to talk it through with us?" He rests his hand on my shoulder, putting some distance between the cops and us. I nod slowly, feeling all eyes on me as Mic leads me to the island counter. I sit down between him and Aizawa, munching on my nuggets. I feel like a child again, though considering my childhood, I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing. "Start from the beginning, whenever you're ready. Pretend like you're just talking to me and Shouta, alright?"

"Okay," I say softly. "Well, I pretty much told Eraser everything. Endeavor... hurt me, and..." I shake my head, putting the food down. I turn to Mic, tasting vomit in the back of my throat. My hands are shaking violently, and my entire body is freezing. "I can't do this," I whisper. "It's just going to make it worse–"

"You can do this," Mic says, holding my shoulders. "We're here to support you. Take deep breaths and–"

"No, don't you see? You're all pro heroes, yet you're standing around lying and pointing fingers," the officer in the front says. "Clearly it was Dabi who burned his wings off. And as for the whole 'rape' story? Men can't get raped, so unless the number two hero is a tranny, he's just making stuff up."

"Don't make me rip your fucking vocal chords out–" Mic sneers. Aizawa places a hand on Mic's chest, holding him back.

"Hawks is not lying," Aizawa says simply. "Everything he says is a recollection of events that happened to him. Don't let your incompetence and arrogance show how intellectually challenged you are, officer."

"Excuse me?" the officer blurts. "You can't be serious! Why would Endeavor attack Hawks? There's simply no way I can believe it!"

"I have to agree with the officer," All Might says. "There's simply no evidence."

"Hawks' word should be enough!" Mic exclaims. "He's a victim, for god's sake! Listen to him! Go on, Hawks, tell him!"

"I- I–" I can barely form a sentence. I'm sick again. "He... the b-bathroom and the... picture, zipper... basement and I- T- sh–"

"See? He's not even speaking clearly," The officer laughs. "How can we take him seriously? Look, you pro heroes can stick to the flashy life of fighting villains, but it's the justice system that keeps this society afloat. I have my men looking for Dabi. He'll be arrested before the month ends for attacking Hawks. He'll be behind bars, and I've got a lawyer already pushing for his execution."

"Wh.. what?" I choke out. "No, no, you can't do that..."

"I sure as hell can," the officer laughs. "The officers are searching as we speak. So if that's all, I'll be heading out. Thank you for your time."

I turn to Aizawa, feeling sick to my stomach. "You can't let them do this," I breathe out, pressing my palms down on the table. "He didn't do anything wrong! He was protecting me!"

"We have time," Aizawa says gently. He turns around, grinding his teeth. "I'll figure something out." He tells me to get some rest in the living room while he and Present Mic continue to talk. I end up staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. Every time my eyes start to close, I see a flash of a camera in my peripheral vision. He'll be haunting me until the day I die, I'm sure of it.