No Peace on Earth; a My Hero Academia fan-fiction.
Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia, all credit goes to Koei Horikoshi.
Chapter One: Scrooge, Bob, and Marley
It was the first Christmas holiday he would ever have as the new No. 1 pro Hero. While that would make any other man joyful, Enji Todoroki, the flame hero Endeavor, had not felt the joy he once thought the title brought. The cold seemed to be affecting his face, the scar he got from that monstrous freak High-End aching.
That fight had changed everything for him. Or rather, it had helped to change things for him. Ever since he saw what All Might, his long standing rival, truly looked like, seen his true weakness, he had come to question everything he had done. The horrible things he had done to his wife, to his children, all the pursuit of strength. Of the honor and prestige of being the Number One hero. Now it was his, though he did not earn it. He only earned it because All Might could no longer hold it. His body had failed him and thus the nation was without its Symbol of Peace. A position Endeavor found difficult to fill, to say the least.
His record was impressive, he had the most cases resolved, the most rescues, but it was more than that. It was more than just statistics or strength. There was something else, something Endeavor had missed for years. And his family had suffered for it.
The fight he had with High-End, the close call he had with death, all of it had a considerable effect on him. But even more effective was the introduction he had to that other villain. The one called...Dabi.
"You know most people would take the holiday off," said Hawks.
Hawks, the successor to Endeavor's former post as the Number Two hero. He had been a considerable help in the battle against High-End. He had an interesting manner about him. He was fairly laid back but he had a good heart and proved his valor. He also believed Endeavor had it within him to become a strong enough leader to make heroes do such an effective job that they'll all be able to take life easy in the future.
Ever since their respective promotions and the fight with High-End, the two often worked together as an unofficial duo.
"No one is forcing you to work tonight," said Endeavor. "I can find this...Dabi alone."
The villain Dabi had taken up a considerable amount of Endeavor's attention. There was something about the villain troubled the flame hero. Perhaps it was the sheer strength of his Quirk, so similar to his own but far more powerful.
"Come on, that guy was something else," said Hawks. "Even Eraserhead and Vlad King had trouble dealing with this guy. And those were supposedly clones."
"The boy came at me when I was weakened by fighting that creature High-End," said Endeavor. "I will not loose to him again."
"You have to find him first," said Hawks. "Maybe he's hold up in whatever base the League of Villains is using and spending Christmas with them. Probably plotting to take Santa's goodies."
"If you want to leave then leave," said Endeavor. "Though...I do believe I am going to call of the search for tonight. There are...things I must attend to."
"Well you've got my number," said Hawks, spreading his wings and flying upward.
Endeavor watched the young man fly off and sighed. He then proceeded to call his various sidekicks, telling them to take the night off, knowing many of them would go to spend it with their families.
In a way, Endeavor was planning to do the same.
The flame hero doused his fires and changed into his civilian clothes. He traveled to the new hospital where his wife Rei had been transferred to. Apparently there had been a health hazard in the old hospital and the various patients had to be moved to a new location. It was secluded on a small island off the coast with only one bridge connecting it to the mainland.
Before he got into his car he had noticed a girl selling flowers nearby. He noticed the kind Rei had liked, if his memory wasn't failing him, and purchased one, feeling a slight tick from a throne from one of the roses the girl also had.
He paid it no mind and drove on to the hospital. But as he did he felt a strange sensation come over him. He looked over to the side where he had placed the flowers and to his shock he saw a sight he had never thought to see again.
His eldest son Touya Todoroki, long missing for years and one of the many, many contributors to what had placed Rei in the situation she was in. Enji nearly lost control of the vehicle. His quick reflexes allowed him to regain control and when he looked over there was nothing.
"What the hell?" he asked, gasping for air.
After taking a few moments to catch his breath, Enji continued onward, convinced that it must have been the stress of his search for Dabi as well as his own tiredness.
Rei Todoroki, the wife of the new No. 1 pro hero, sat looking out her window at the ocean. She loved having a room with a view. It was one of the small joys she had in the years since she had been admitted by her husband.
She only wished Shouto would be able to visit as often as he once could. Since the move her youngest child had not been able to visit her as often. Not to mention he was considerably busy in his own right. He had finally gotten his provisional license and was taking the steps to be a hero like he had wanted. Not in the way that his father had wanted.
His father, her husband, Enji had only ever thought of her and their children as a means to an end. To have a child that could be stronger than his rival All Might. Her children were her joy, but that joy had been tainted by Enji's ambition. Her eldest son Touya was missing and what she had done to her youngest son Shouto, she would never forgive herself for.
"Mrs. Todoroki," a nurse said as she entered the room. "Your husband has come to visit you."
"Than you...oh, I'm sorry are you new?" Rei asked the nurse, a young blonde woman.
"I haven't been here long," said the young woman. "My name's...Toga."
Elsewhere in the hospital Dabi listened as word came in that Endeavor had indeed entered the hospital and was currently speaking with admissions. Everything was going according to plan.
Author's Note: I've had this idea in my head for a while. Inspired by A Christmas Carol, Die Hard (which I do not own), and the video game Batman: Arkham Asylum (which I also do not own). And, risking scorn due to the unpopularity of this opinion, I actually kind of like Endeavor, especially his arc in the manga. He has done terrible things to his family but at the same time he is a hero who fights to uphold society. His development after becoming the Number One Hero and realizing just what that position truly entails. That it's more about strength and accomplishments. So as such he holds the position of Scrooge in this story and his three ghosts will be appearing in various ways as a night meant for peace becomes anything but peaceful.