Age of the Pheonix

Prologue

What do you mean I'm still not allowed to see her?!" his bellows carried across the building. The staff paused to find the source of the noise. Most already knew who it belonged to already as they had become acquainted with his formidable presence. They came prepared. His therapist was already surrounded by security just in case things got out of control. If worse came to worse, one of the nurses were equipped with a fragrance quirk that would become activated once given the signal.

"The therapist had been trying to get through to this man for the past ten years. Normally she had the stomach to deal with temper tantrums. It came from years of dealing with hostile behavior. This was a mental health facility afterall. Yet, after sitting with Rei Todoroki for all this time, she understood why Rei was terrified of her husband now. He was a long, hulking brute with the maturity of a five year old. She warily watched him pace her office.

"What the hell am I paying you quacks for, then?! You are supposed to be professionals! I thought you said my wife is-"

"That her progress is going well. I didn't say that now was a good time to see your wife, face to face. She still seems terrified of you." The therapist could understand the reasons why, although those were words that were completely unprofessional and could make the man even angrier than he already was.

The man ranked as the current Number One Hero, after All Might's alleged retirement, towered over his wife's therapist, glaring with mounting dislike. "You do realize that woman tried to kill my son?! She-"

The therapist stood her ground. She was not going to let this man intimidate her, she didn't care about his reputation. Her patient's sanity is on the line, "We would've diagnosed with her psychosis, if we didn't catch the early signs of PTSD. It seems as though it was the stress you put her under that broke her."

Endeavor's eyes widened in horror. "Are you saying that I am the cause of all this?!"

The therapist watched his fingers curled into a fist. "Why do you sound so surprised?"

"I was trying to...I was trying to..." for the first time in his life he was speechless. Is that the reason why Natsuo and Shouto despised him? And is that the reason why his wife...didn't want anything to do with him? He wanted to carve a future for Shouto. The best possible future he could have. To become Number One, the very position he coveted for the past thirty years. He secured the rank of Number Two at twenty. Yet, he never could...

"Trying to what?" the therapist raised a curious eyebrow at him.

Endeavor shuddered. He was beginning to despise therapists. "You think that you can read people like an open book, can't you?"

"There's no reason to be caustic. If you want to see your wife again, then that is entirely up to her. You haven't seen her in over ten years, haven't you?" the therapist queried.

"No..."

She was surprised to hear the softness in his voice and the change in his features. She could recall those eyes being completely different a moment ago. They were almost mad. Crazy, even. The eyes of a demon. Something had just changed in those eyes. They seemed almost...warmer. Humble, even. Just what happened to him out there? That scar is new, too.

He was no different than that Nomu monster.

"It...doesn't matter," he murmured.

At least he stopped yelling, the therapist seemed unmoved by his change of behavior. "I'm sorry. I wish I can find some sort of solution. There is always marriage counseling...

"No...I...I'll think about it." With those words, he strode out of the therapist's office.

The breeze seemed to have cooled down his temper, if only for a moment. He could feel the temperature in his body rising. The back of his neck prickled. Just a few days ago, he got the position that he wanted, although it was on a technicality. He wanted to settle the score with All Might on his own terms.

His memories went back to Kamino and the large building that was supposedly the League of Villains hideout. They raided the place while he served as a mere lookout. Explosions. Debris everywhere. People screaming. And there, standing his ground against the boss, was All Might. Yet, he appeared to be different. He looked so frail and helpless, how could someone like that be the Symbol of Peace? He froze. All Might never did that. He also looked terrified, but why?

How could this be the same man? The very man who struck fear into the hearts of villains with that stupid smirk on his face. That same cocky grin which looked down on him for years. That gloating look in his eye as though he were telling him that he was so much better, that no one would catch up with him, was shaking in his shoes at the sight of the head of the League of Villains. The boogeyman of Japan, All For One...

Why did he look so emaciated? And when he came face-to-face with this man, he looked so fragile and meek. What the hell happened to the man that once mocked him at every given opportunity?

That was the day he finally snapped. Winning the position of Number One was the final straw.

Is that how Shouto and Rei thought of him, like some sort of boogeyman? Is that the reason why the citizens of Mustafu look at him with fear and apprehension? The obnoxious ones tried to be daring by thinking they can bait him into a fight. The ones who were terrified of him dared each other in trying to get an autograph, like that Shiketsu kid. He wasn't sure if he was a fan or not. Endeavor was used to the hateful comments online and brushed them off as petty annoyances.

All of a sudden, those spiteful, venomous words from his haters pressed down on him, threatening to consume him. He heard the reports again and again, he will never be like All Might, even now after he was Number One. Those comments said the exact same thing. Those words haunted him. It echoed in his memories as the Devil himself came to taunt him.

But he didn't believe in demons. They were just superstition.

When Fuyumi was little, he could recall her grabbing the ankles of his pants one day while he was trying to come up with a training regime for Shouto. She clutched what looked like a disc in her tiny hands. She was begging him, wide eyed and innocent, to watch this film with her. It was a cheesy animated feature from the United States. The cover had what looked like a young girl holding hands with a hairy creature that was larger than she was.

To humor her and to get her to stop with the annoying caterwauling, he relented. He rolled his eyes at most of the scenes and snorted derisively at the music, until they got to the Beast...

That was the one time he managed to get one of his kids to smile. Yet, she still wasn't strong enough to learn his fire techniques, that was why he was often dismissive of her.

Much like the annoying talking objects in the film, they were afraid of his violent temper. And it was that temper that frightened away the woman into the cold...it was the exact same temper that had frightened off Rei, Shouto...and those other people...

He was not All Might. He cannot make people smile. He was not warm and inviting. His hands were large enough to crush the spines off of villains. It was the same fist that had made an impact on Rei's soft body. Hair disheveled, eyes blackened, clutching her stomach, looking very weak and fragile. She was not a fragile woman, she should be proud to be married to someone as influential as him.

Influential...as he was.

What had he done?! He threw them away and for what? Just for a power trip?

What was the point of having quirks, then, if you cannot be the best person you could possibly be? Heroism would help you get a crack at the top. It had always been about power. Status. That was the name of the game, wasn't it? And he climbed to the very top amidst all of those protests. He had been criticized for having a poor self image.

The conversation he had with All Might still burned in his memory. What was the point of having quirks, indeed? 'Only you can answer that question for yourself, Endeavor'. was the only answer he got from the old man. Although, he didn't look that old.

Somehow, Enji made it home. He glared at his reflection in the mirror. This was done by your hand alone, Endeavor.

With a roar, his fist made contact with the mirror. Shards of glass crashed to the floor, while most of the smaller pieces fell into the sink. A droplet of blood from his hand hit the floor, soundlessly.

AN: And there you have it, folks. The first chapter aka the Prologue. If you made it this far, then I am guessing you are interested in what I have to say. Yes, it is an Endeavor fanfic, you are not seeing things. . I managed to keep up with the BNHA and I admit, the Endeavor redemption arc was powerful. The reactions were also incredible to the point where fandom had become divided. He rose like a fucking phoenix, yet it doesn't change the fact that he is a shitty dad and an asshole to boot.

So why am I writing this story then? The themes are too complex to ignore. I know I am going to get a lot of shit from haters simply for the fact that I am portraying Endeavor in a less than spiteful light. I don't agree with what the man has done, we all know he is a shitty dad. And a shitty person until his heel face turn. But it takes alot to really say you are sorry. It has to be shown through your actions.

From the way the story is pacing and tone, things are about to get dark in later chapters. I noticed that puritanicals have a habit of getting triggered over the stupidest stuff. I am not saying this story is going to gloss over his flaws. It won't. In an effort for him to pause and take a quick step on the path to the right direction, he has to encounter a person who shares his issues. In this case, a woman with a similar problem as Rei.

What would he do when he encounters this woman who is in dire need of a hero? Yes, there is an OC involved but at least she has a reason to exist. It is to push Enji to become the best person he can possibly be. And, if my writing skills are indeed shitty, I might rendered her into a Mary Sue. Who knows? Your mileage may vary.

This is also canon divergent and has nothing to do with the recent chapters. This is taking place during the Joint Training arc. Take it with a grain of salt. If you want completely 100 percent pure canon, stick with the manga.