The great hall was silent, no one daring to make a move in fear that they would lose the ensuing fight. Cane held me by my throat with his burning hot hands nearly scolding my skin. I sent a pleading gaze to Malik and the look of fear had been replaced by one of confidence: A smirk gracing his lips as though I wasn't face to face with death himself.

My eyes stayed glued on his as he kept me just in the views of peripheral vision: His main focus being on the people standing in front of him. Sparks flew from Dabi's hands in warning motion. You could tell that he was pissed and honestly I was to; Cane was no longer just threatening just me but my family as well. One wrong move and I swear on every person I've crossed that I'll cut his fingers off and then slit his neck.

"So birdie do you have a guess as to how I've altered my plan? Want to take a gamble at how much I've had to change my plan to accomodate to your idiotic friends?" There was anger lacing his voice, every emotion he'd kept locked away through his years of ruling was now tumbling out in a matter of seconds: Pain, grief, anxiety, confidence, happiness. Nothing was holding back that storm raging inside his brilliant mind. "Because let me assure you that there is no good outcome for either party involved."

The grip around my neck tightened just enough to send the message that the bad outcome for me was death; Good thing he didn't know about what I feared ever more so. I clawed at his arm again, scratching and tearing at the skin but never once did the hand falter. My throat closed but not from lack of oxygen, I was fighting for something more than myself and Keigo. I'd planned on dying myself but now that I wanted to live I also wanted more: It wouldn't be fair for me to be the only one to survive.

"You're going to kill me." I said the words with such confidence that it didn't match the abundant fear that lurked deep inside my chest. As one hand clawed at Cane's arm the other clutched my stomach, praying to some being that we'd both make it out of this alive. "And once you're done you'll be arrested and thrown into prison for the rest of your rotten life."

"See that's where you're wrong." He slowly lowered me to the ground, the tips of my toes finally touching the surface I'd once avoided with flight but now yearned for. My wings wrapped around my body in a protective stance as he finally released his grip on me. "I am going to kill you, but when I'm done I don't plan on being arrested."

It was a mysterious way to leave off that sentence: Had he meant he'd rather die than or was he planning to take down everyone who stood in his way. Cane was the strongest opponent I'd ever faced, far worse than any of the people he'd forced me to face off again. Knowing that, I need to stop it from happening while protecting myself from harm. If I get injured my life won't be the only one at risk.

Cane's hand fell but his attention returned to me and me alone. His cold stare sprinkled with the built up emotions that threatened to spill. Could Emiko sense the raging storm inside his head, did it block her view of every anxiety riddling my head? Did she sense the secret I'd only whispered to Malik in passing earlier today? Maybe she did and I could only hope that my best friend would understand why I'd been so inconsiderate to endanger not only my life but-

"(Y/N)!" Malik's voice rang loudly throughout the hall, calling to me in a hopeful plea. "It's doing fine! I'll keep healing you but you have to win this fight. You've trained your whole life so don't you dare give up just for a stupid thing like this."

"You old bastard." I mumbled. Malik had given me the one thing I needed to fight harder than I had been before: Reassurance that everything would be okay. "Wanting me to do the dirty work for you three. Now!"

Shards of glass shot towards us, sharp and gleaming as they threatened to slice at our skin. Cane moved in fluid motions somehow managing to dodge the endless barrage of attacks coming from Edmond and Atlas. As Atlas did his best to control all the glass and attack Cane, Edmond worked diligently to keep me safe from harm. Dabi and Esther crept along the wall to get into an easy attack position.

"I thought I told you to keep your eyes on me!" As sudden as the attacks had started they stopped, shards of glass stopping still in the air in a land mine of treacherous spikes. Realizing what was coming the tall man turned towards me. My foot raised into the air and smashed against the side of his face, his feet wavered and he stumbled several steps backwards. "You've become reckless Cane: Attacking me in a place where you have no one and letting me go from that chokehold was your worst move of all. I meant it when I said I don't plan on dying."

He sent a punch towards my head but I bobbed down and weaved to the side before it even got close. I grabbed a feather as I passed his legs and his jeans, the sharp metal piece digging deeply into his skin and drawing a rose red blood. It poured from the wound and pooled into his shoes as I took my chance and stepped away. The rattling of chains filled my ears and I had thought Moria was helping him, but instead she'd let Keigo and Emiko go from their holds.

"(Y/N)!" Keigo flew towards me, a single flap of his wings carrying him past Cane and into my arms. He wrapped both his wings and arms around me, showing no signs of letting me go anytime soon. "I thought you'd get injured and then when you flew through the window. Your stomach is it-"

I cut him off by cupping his defined jaw in my hand, my fingers delicately caressed his face and stroked away the anxiety shown prominently on his face. "Everything is fine Keigo, you don't have to worry anymore."

A strangled yelp came from the direction where I'd left my mentor who also doubled as my most hated person. My confidence fell in a second flat, eyes widening as I saw Cane with his hand wrapped tightly around Emiko's neck. Her face going blue as her hair, no oxygen finding its way to her lungs. Beside me Atlas clenched, his body tightening at the sight of Emiko being brutally strangled by an evil man.

"I'll kill her birdie." His grip loosened enough for Emiko to take a breath of life and keep her from passing out. "You know I won't hesitate. I could strangle her so easily and make you watch as she slowly died or maybe if I'm nice I'll snap this delicate neck of hers."

"You bastard! I'll-" Atlas attempted to lung towards Cane but Edmond had grabbed the boy and pulled him back. "You let her go!"

I shot several glances to the people around the hall: From the heroes trapped in chains, over to Malik and Moria standing side by side in a shameful show of powerlessness, and finally to myself in a deranged mirrored form. In the reflection of a metal platter I looked different than who I thought I was. My (H/L) (H/C) was rattled and messy compared to the odd serenity it had in the car ride here. I met my own eyes and for the first time I knew that I wasn't alone: This doesn't end here.

"What do you want Cane?" I stepped forward and away from the safety of Keigo's soft feathered wings. A chill prickeld against my skin with every step as I face off to the man I'd come to resent. "I'll do whatever you want as long as you let her go."

"Wings in. Now." Wasting no time I pulled my wings into my back, not caring just how much it would limit my fighting abilities. Cane motioned for me to come over and so I did, two moments passed before he let Emiko's neck go and grabbed mine. His hand picked a metal feather, my feather, up from the ground and brought it to my neck. "If I'm going down then you're going down with me. So would you like to share any last words with your lovers?"

Tears pooled in my eyes and ran down my cheeks, running along my neck and mixing with the lightest trinkle of blood. How had the situation gone south so quickly? I'd been so sure of my situation not long ago and now here I was playing an elusive game of tag with death. One hand clutched to my stomach the other plunged it's nails into my forearm. I don't want to die; I want to live with those two men for as long as I can.

"I love you both more than words can tell." My voice was so weak and pitiful that it matched my fearful outlook in this situation. Emiko, who'd found herself being held by Atlas, reached out to me with an equal amount of tears streaming across her cheeks. Keigo's golden eyes gleamed with tears and I knew more than anything he wanted to embrace me and say it'll be okay, and it will be. "So when this is all over, let's spend a long time together. Okay?"

The realization had struck Cane too late, his body not moving fast enough to avoid the fury of attacks coming from behind him. I ducked out of the way and ran towards Keigo. When I'd seen Esther and Dabi going around to attack I knew I had to give them an opening and so I did by risking my own life. For a second I'd thought they weren't going to take the chance but how wrong I was.

Dabi's flames enclosed Cane in an endless spiral of pain and Cane stumbled backwards, hands clutching his face as flames tore through his clothes and burned at his skin. As he fell onto the ground Esther laid her slender fingers on top of him, the pained sounds stopped as he was engaged in a nightmare far worse than he'd ever experienced. Moria's chains fell from the heroes and moved instead to trap her old partner in crime.

It was over.

We'd won.

A laugh scraped through my throat before a gentle sob wracked through my body. The fight was so simple, quick and with an undeniable winner, but somehow it had been the hardest one I'd ever faced. Its toll had been far more psychological than physical. My emotions a maze that not even Emiko could unravel. All I knew was that I didn't need to fight anymore.

For six years I'd waited for this moment where I finally had the ending I always wanted. Now it was in front of me in all the glory I'd ever hoped for. So why does it hurt so badly? I'm happy, so very happy, but then I have that feeling inside that wants to break down and cry with relief. I buried my neck into Keigo and tried to stop the onslaught of these horrible feelings but nothing seemed to help. Relief didn't come when Dabi joined in on the hug, for someone who didn't have physical affection he sure was happy to take his place beside us.

The heroes didn't move as if the scene that had unfolded had pushed them into shock. I'd expected to have to fight at least one person who tried to arrest my burnt boyfriend but none moved to even try. Moria had made her way towards Cane's burnt body and took in the fall of the Phoenix. Her fist tightening around the box in her hand.

"You burnt his finger prints off." Her voice was low and held the grief I'd once felt. I'd nearly forgotten about the bomb in her hands. "We don't have a way to disarm this thing and we've only got three minutes."

All the joy fell away as we realized why none of us were truly happy. Even though we'd taken him down we were still in danger. Death was a spiteful thing and it seemed so persistent with its want to end me and all the happiness I'd ever felt in life. Looks like I won't get my happy ending after all.

"I'll-" I'd wanted to offer my life in exchange for that of everyone else but I was cut off. My words were blocked entirely by the more confident and cocky tone of Keigo. Our momentary loving moment was cut short as both the men let me go, Keigo's pinkie wrapped around mine as he took a step towards Moria.

"I'll fly it up and out of range." He stepped closer to the woman and his pinkie fell from mine in an all to poetic way.

Moria gave me a testing glance seeing what my response was, she knew well enough that there was no way I'd let him do this. He wasn't sacrificing himself for me! I don't deserve that much care from anyone and he deserves a better ending. Why was he doing this? I'm not worth that type of sacrifice.

"No!" Keigo turned towards me, the bomb heavy in his hand as he looked at me. "You are not sacrificing yourself for me Keigo! You can't do that to me. I can't- I won't let you."

"Baby bird I can't let you go up there. We've got a little bird on the way, so I've got to protect the both of you." He cupped my check, his calloused hands scratching softly across my (S/C) skin. My heart clenched as I saw the sparkling tears in his eyes. "I love you (Y/N)."

I grabbed at the bomb, my hands wrapping the sharp corners of the black object. It dug into my skin like a dagger but my hand never flattered as I brought it close to my chest. Keigo was not dying! He couldn't. "I can't let you do this Keigo. Please don't hate me."

"Same here baby bird." There was no time dodge as one of his feathers slashed at the back of my calves, cutting just the right spot to stop any chance I had of walking. My legs gave way under me but before I could hit the ground Dabi was catching me and bringing me into his arms. "Take care of her Dabi, I'll see you both in another lifetime."

"See you around bird boy." My fists smashed against Dabi's chest as I tried to get out of his grasp but there was no escape. Keigo grabbed the bomb and walked out into the garden, nobody said anything or tried to stop him. The only sounds were my pleas for him to stop.

"Dabi let me go!" I cried and hit my hands against his chest, trying so hard to get out of his grasp and to Keigo but he never once even considered letting me go. All eyes were on Keigo's crimson wings as he took off into the sky, no one left to stop him from sacrificing his life for me. "Why did you let him go! You should've let me instead, I could've done it. I still can. Please let me go Dabi."

My words barely made any sense as I cried for him to let me go but his only response was a simple head shake. Dabi didn't even have enough strength to look me in the eyes. "When we found the test in the bathroom we were both ecstatic. Then we realized that you might not make it out of here tonight. We both agreed your life before ours, that kid will grow up happy no matter what we sacrificed. So stop begging princess because I'm not letting you go anytime soon."

"Bastard! Son of a btich! You mother fucker!" I screamed and thrashed around but he never once wavered in his hold. A rumbling sound shook the great hall and any strength left my body. Nothing more for me to fight for. "How could you? Don't you love him?"

"Of course I did. He was part of my heart. princess, no matter how charcoled it is he was a part of it." The room was silent and I watched the heroes give skeptic glances towards Dabi, only to be scared off when I shot them a warning glance. Malik quickly healed my legs and once again I was able to walk, though it was shaky it was still walking.

The smack echoed through the room as my hand met the side of Dabi's face, crashing against his skin with such force that I nearly broke one of his staples. My tears had run dry and there was no point in me to say anything else. We stood there in a moment of emotional solitude trying our best to understand what the other was feeling.

I could've saved Keigo. He could still be here! So why in the world did he have to stop me from doing that? They were supposed to survive, that's all I wanted. Simple and easy but apparently not possible.

"He's alive." Her voice was quiet but sure, so much in fact that she sprinted towards the front door. Atlas gave me a side glance before racing off after her. I turned and glared at Dabi, praying to some being that this wasn't just a hopeful lie. The blue eyed man gave me a nod and we ran off after them, Malik and everyone else followed understanding what we were getting at.

Emiko weaved through crowds of people who only seemed to part ways as they saw Dabi approaching, quickly we made our way down several blocks and into an alley. Laying a top the concrete was a charred and burned body: Crimson wings mattered by flames and skin burned beyond repair. I'd seen more gruesome scenes, some of my own creating, but this was the one that threatened to make me spew my lunch.

Malik fell to his knees beside Keigo's body and a gentle light seemed to radiate from the burns across his body. Knowing that I was hurting, Dabi wrapped his arm around me and pulled my head to his chest. I pushed him away instantly knowing that Keigo needed me more than I feared the sight of him. Sitting beside Keigo I brought the blonde's head into my lap.

"Hey baby bird." He choked out, eyes shut tightly, afraid to open in fear that he might see me for the last time. "You shouldn't be angry at that burnt asshole. We both agreed that this was a preferred outcome, as long as you survived."

"You're going to be a father Keigo." I wanted to hold his face and whisper sweet words into his ears but the pain it would cause him wasn't worth it. Instead I gently stroked his charred hair, admiring the way sut rubbed onto my hand. "So stop talking like you're going to die because you aren't. You've got to survive. For me, for Dabi, for this kid! Please."

Malik worked diligently and kept my lover alive, pushing past his own limits to heal my boyfriend. Dabi sat down beside me, his head lowered in a shameful sadness. "You look more burnt than me bird boy. That's saying something."

Keigo let out a grim laugh. "Nobody is more burnt than you Dabi."

"Take a look in a mirror and say that again." Dabi's hand wrapped around mine as if sensing what I was thinking. Keigo probably won't survive this. "On the bright side at least (Y/N)'s not kicking your ass for cutting her like you did. I'd be more afraid of her than death."

I smacked his arm in a playful way, he'd attempted to lighten the mood and it had worked a bit. Still the idea kept persisting inside my head and told me that this might be my last conversation with him. It was scary to think that I might never see him again. If we hadn't met- If this hadn't happened, would he still be alive? I never should've gone home with him that night. Being alone was fine.

"(Y/N)?" Malik's deep voice fluttered through my ear and when it'd once been comforting now it only caused anxiety. Emiko, Atlas, and Edmond all stepped closer to listen in on the ensuing conversation. "I'm really sorry but you're going to have to deal with this annoying asshole for a lot longer. He's going to survive. It'll be long and tough but he can remake a complete recovery."

"Damn thought I finally got rid of him." Dabi joked but even so he grabbed onto one of Keigo's hands, gently squeezing it in a loving manner that didn't match his villainous persona. "On the bright side we still get to be a sexy thruple."

"You two can never be serious, can you?"

"We have the rest of our lives to be serious, baby bird. So for right now let's have fun." Keigo's eyes finally fluttered open, gleaming so brightly in the darkness that they seemed to be on fire. "I want to marry you both and run away. Even if it kills me, I swear I'm giving you both the lives you've always wanted."

"Let's not talk about death when you're charred as coal and laying in an alleyway only being supported by a quirk." Dabi reasoned with the blonde. "But that is a nice plan you got bird guy. Better than my non-existent one. What do you say princess? Want to run away?"

"I'd run to the ends of the Earth with you two."