The bst of blue fire consumed the alley, scorching the walls and sending waves of heat radiating in all directions. Dabi stood at the edge of the inferno, his scarred lips curling into a twisted smirk. “Heroes…” he muttered under his breath, the word dripping with disdain. “You’re all the same. Charging into danger with no pn, no brains, and some twisted belief in ‘justice.’ How does it feel, huh? To die for nothing?”

  Once the fmes subsided, leaving only smoke and smoldering embers in their wake, Dabi stared at the center of the destruction, expecting nothing but charred remains. But through the smoke, Aldon emerged, unharmed. Dabi’s smirk faltered, his blue eyes narrowing. “What the—?”

  “Your fmes,” Aldon interrupted, his voice quiet but firm. “They won’t hurt me.”

  Dabi clenched his fists, more fire fring to life along his arms. “Oh, they will. Don’t test me with some cheap trick. Let’s see how long you st.” He thrust another barrage of fire toward Aldon, his voice rising with frustration. “You think that makes you special? Heroes like you, so smug, so na?ve—you think you can save everyone, but you’re just pawns in this broken system!”

  Aldon didn’t flinch, his mind waged a desperate war against itself, the sight of the fmes rekindling buried fears. Memories of his quirk’s manifestation, the pain, the fear, the hospital bed… all of it cwed at the edges of his sanity. But he fought against this fear; he always did, just to be the hero he once wanted to be.

  Aldon dodged the fmes with practiced ease, closing the gap between them. “I’m not here to argue about the hero system, Touya.”

  “How the—Shut up!” Dabi snapped, his fmes surging wildly, casting monstrous shadows on the walls. “Touya’s dead.” Dabi’s fmes wavered at the sound of his long forgotten name. “Touya is dead. I killed him!” He yelled, his fmes once again gaining their power.

  Aldon winced, his body instinctively flinching at the sight of the fire. His fear threatened to overwhelm him, but he gritted his teeth and pressed on. “You didn’t kill him. He is still in there, buried under all the pain. But he’s alive. You’re Touya! I know you! I remember you. Sekoto Peak. Your smile. The way you promised we’d be hero partners. You’re the one who told me to never be afraid of fire.”

  Dabi’s fists clenched, his fmes faltering for a split second. “I said… I told you…” He shook his head violently, his teeth bared in frustration. His expression tightened, the smirk fading into a scowl. “Shut up! You don’t know me!” He hurled a concentrated fme bst. “You think I care about your stupid childhood memories? You’re just another obstacle in my way!”

  “No, Touya,” Aldon said, his tone softer but unwavering. “I’m your friend. You grabbed my hand and told me to trust you. You said your fmes won’t hurt me, and I trusted you. I know you still remember.”

  Dabi’s hands trembled, the fmes flickered briefly before surging back with renewed intensity. “I don’t remember anything! And even if I did, it doesn’t matter. All of that is gone. You’re just here to ruin everything!”

  His body tensed as Aldon’s words pierced the wall he had built around himself. Memories he had buried—no, obliterated—cwed their way back. Was this a trick? Or... was it real?

  “I’m here just to talk with you!” Aldon charged forward, his movements swift and calcuted, the combat training from Mirko shining through. He dodged a wild swing from Dabi and countered with a precise kick, driving the vilin back against the wall. Before Dabi could react, Aldon grabbed his hand. The fmes snaked over his skin, searing hot, their destructive heat crawling into Aldon’s very veins.

  “I don’t care if you are Dabi or Touya. Hell, I don’t even care if the heroes find out, but I would never stand in your way. I’m not going to give up on you.” The pressure inside his body mounted with every passing second, veins burning as if they might burst. “You remember my limit—what happens if I absorb too much, don’t you?” Aldon’s voice was strained, each word a battle against the fmes tearing through his veins.

  Dabi growled, struggling against Aldon’s grip. His eyes widened as he noticed Aldon’s trembling body, the faint glow beneath his skin intensifying, the beeping of his watch becoming louder. “You’re insane. You’re going to kill yourself, you idiot!”

  Aldon’s voice wavered, but his grip remained firm. “I know. If I absorb too much, it will destroy me. But if that’s what it takes to bring you back…” He winced as the pressure in his veins built, his entire body burning from inside. “I’ll do it.”

  Dabi’s free hand shoved Aldon backwards. The younger hero stumbled, his body trembled as the excess fmes overwhelmed his system. He failed to regain his bance and fell, his body hitting the ground hard. The impact forced him to release all the stored fmes in a brilliant swirl of fire.

  For a moment, Dabi froze, his mind dragged back to a distant memory.

  “Firefly…” The word slipped from Dabi’s lips before he realized it. His chest tightened, a flood of memories forcing their way to surface. He finally saw Aldon as he was back then—wide-eyed, full of hope, and unshakable in his loyalty. The boy who had trusted him unconditionally.

  Dabi remained still, his gaze fixed on Aldon’s trembling figure as the fmes died down. Aldon stood up shakily, his body visibly strained. He took a step forward, then another, closing the distance between them. Before Dabi could react, Aldon wrapped his arms around him in a firm, unyielding hug. “I missed you, Touya,” Aldon murmured, his voice trembling as he tightened his hold.

  Dabi stood frozen. The hug was strange—alien. His body stiffened, every instinct screaming to shove Aldon away. But something deeper held him still. The warmth spreading through his chest wasn’t fire, but something softer, gentler. It hurt in a way he didn’t understand. Overwhelmed by the memories and affection he hadn’t felt in so long, he whispered, “Aldon…”