Achille's Heel (DabixReader)

Chapter Forty-Five

Before Shoto can react and come to the aid of his father, you use the new light source to your advantage. You quickly throw up a thick wall to shield you and Endeavor from them. Shoto releases a burst of ice at the same time, but he's just a tad slower than you from his lesser experience. The ice climbs the wall shield you formed in the middle of the room.

"Y/N! Please stop! What are you doing?" She sobs and pounds her fist against the shield. "It doesn't have to be like this! Just talk to us, please!"

You squeeze your eyes shut tightly and shake your head. "No, it has to be this way. Talking won't fix anything! He's dead, he's gone, and I can never get him back," you choke on a sob. 

"No! No, he's not dead yet. You can still fix this!" Her voice wails on the other side of the wall.

You scoff a little and your eyes scan the hulking man on the bed. He's begun to pull at the restraints a little. The crimson shade of Endeavor's lifeblood spreads across the sheets over his body. His eyes flutter slightly and his breaths are more labored.

"I'm not talking about your father, Fuyumi." You sigh and swipe angrily at your tear-stained cheeks. "I'm talking about Touya! Hawks killed him, I watched it happen...he died in my arms!" Your voice is a mess of hiccups and screams. "All because of you, Enji," you growl.

Muttering comes from the other side of the shield. "W-what? It was all true? That villain...Dabi, he was telling the truth?" She sniffles. You hear Shoto's muffled voice say something that you can't make out. 

"Yes. And we were together...he was my boyfriend all this time," you sigh. 

Enji's blue eyes flutter and find your face. You stare into them deeply and grit your teeth. They seem to be pleading with you as he pulls against the restraints. His breathing begins to slow and become shallow, his chest no longer rising as high to fill his lungs. You chew your lip a bit before yanking the sheets from his mouth.

He pants a short breath and looks up at you. "Y/N...you're right. I was terrible to my children. I've tried so hard to fix it, but I haven't been successful in-" He chokes on a cough, blood droplets peppering his lips. "I-I hope you made him happy. I would have given anything to see Touya smile again."

You scoff and move to stuff the sheets back into his mouth, not wanting to hear any more of his fabricated lies. 

"Wait!" He wheezes after another cough. "I mean it. Rei, Natsuo, you...all of you were right. I pushed him too hard and I pushed him away," he says in a strained voice. "I tried to change with Shoto, but the damage was already done." 

You shake your head. "You're a fucking monster, Enji."

He nods slightly and sighs. He gives into the fluttering of his eyes and closes them. "I know," he breathes. 

You blink at him in surprise. The realization hits you that he could have used his flames at any moment to fight you off...but he didn't. Your grip on the knife releases and you back away a few paces. His lids lift slightly and he smirks at you with a gentle look in his dulling eyes. 

"I saw that look so many times in Rei...it's unmistakable." He grunts and grits his teeth, trying to suppress more coughs. "I don't blame you," he wheezes out. 

You hear Fuyumi call to her father on the other side of the wall, softly at first. Her voice grows into a panic as she wails for him, beating against the shield wall again. You stand up tall, squaring your shoulders and watching Enji take his final breaths. 

"Please," he pants, "please don't hurt them... They've been through enough."

"I wouldn't dream of it," you say softly.