Atonement

He was losing consciousness, stumbled and fell. Endeavor prepared for the impact with the street when suddenly Hawks appeared in front of him. Catching him. That's right … he was not alone in this.

"I can't believe you actually used the same pose as All Might!" said Hawks whose wings were now tiny and with no feathers left. Endeavor couldn't see clearly, but he knew something was missing when his arm fell over Hawks shoulders without brushing his wings.

Had he struck the same pose All Might had? He didn't remember thinking about it. Just that he had felt the inexplicable need to do it, that he had known he needed to do it. "No …" he mumbled after a moment sitting down at the side of the street. "I used … the other arm. His was … the left!" Maybe he would have used his left, too, had it not been completely numb and unwilling to move at all.

"Whatever, same difference," shrugged the kid, handing him a towel to press against the profusely bleeding wound right down his face. It was ridiculous, really. Even with the towel he was losing blood fast from multiple wounds around his body, and he was still trembling from heat. "Anyway, thank you … for winning!"

He found he didn't care for the kid's gratitude. If it hadn't been for Hawks, he'd be dead on the ground and this city would be destroyed. He should have done better. Had to do better the next time, because there would surely be a next time. "I give it zero points," mumbled Endeavor. "I got off to a horrible start."

"Sorry, but even so, this will surely … definitely be huge!" So, they had seen, Endeavor gathered. Mission accomplished, he thought, though he still wasn't sure if he'd survive the day with these wounds. It shouldn't have taken so much!

"First things first, though, we have to do something about your injuries and stop the bleeding …"

Endeavor tried and failed to move. "I can't move an inch," he explained. "Call someone and …"

"Hold up for just a minute." Somebody cut Endeavor off, strolling down the road toward them. Hawks turned around and Endeavor found himself glaring at the direction the voice was coming from, but he couldn't make out more than hazy fog and blurry silhouettes. "A lot of things went beyond my expectations …" Who was this newcomer? "It's nice to meet you, Endeavor." Did he know him?

Who …? Endeavor was panting harshly, trying to focus on the approaching creature, trying to prepare himself for another battle if necessary. This was …

"I caught wind that you were here, you see", the stranger started, and finally his face took shape for Endeavor.

Was this the villain Dabi? He had only seen a composite sketch of him before, hadn't even seen him during the Kamino incident, but the weird wounds around his jaw and arms were a dead-giveaway.

"You … are the one who murdered Snatch," hissed Endeavor, remembering his old classmate. "Or so I hear." Not that they had been close friends. Endeavor had pushed almost everybody away, but Sajin had been a friend once. "The League of Villains' Dabi."

Suddenly blue flames erupted all around Dabi, closing the pair of heroes in. Shit … He had to … get himself together. If the villain wanted to fight now, Endeavor didn't think he had much resistance left to offer.

"Sna- … Who?" Was the villain mocking him? "Doesn't ring a bell. More importantly, let's have a little chat. Opportunities like this don't come so often."

Endeavor leaned forward on all fours, tried to push himself up, tried activating his flames, but all he managed was turning his own blood and sweat into hot steam wafting from his body. Pathetic… He gritted his teeth to fight through the pain and exhaustion, when he suddenly heard Hawks' voice.

"No, you need to rest! I'll take care of him." Endeavor wanted to protest. Hawks had lost most of his feathers. He seemed physically fine for the most part, but he had almost no access to his quirk, Endeavor knew. But he himself didn't have the strength to stand up or move or do anything. Instead he just felt himself crumble to the floor. He had to entrust this to Hawks, he realized. Dammit … Hero 101: Don't let yourself get hurt so badly that you're the one needing rescue!

"I only have these puny feathers left, but … at the very least, I can stall for time." Stall for time? For what? Who was there to come? It wasn't like they had any other choice, as suddenly the villain rushed towards them.

"Hey, give me a break! I just came to take back that Nomu. I mean, there's no way I could win against the top two heroes when they're both on death's doorstep!" gloated Dabi.

Endeavor felt Hawks next to him, preparing for the clash, while Endeavor himself mentally prepared himself to use his flames after all, maybe force one last attack out of his broken body. It wasn't necessary, as without warning something impacted with the street between the two parties.

"I saw the news and hopped right over!" he heard a female voice before he could recognize the newcomer. "Looks like things are really heating up here, eh, Endeavor? Hawks?" Mirko? Indeed, it was the Rabbit-Hero, the current fifth ranking heroine. "You're one of those League of Villains bastards, ain't ya? I'll kick you to kingdom come!"

The villain stopped in his advance then, seeming thoroughly disappointed with the new arrival. "A little help, Ujiko?" He said to thin air, and then that same grey-ish goo spilled out of his mouth, the goo Endeavor still remembered from Kamino.

"Catch you later, Mister Number One Hero." He heard the villain say through the grey goo. "I'm sure we'll have another chance to talk." Maybe had Endeavor not been wrecked by pain, heat and exhaustion he would have thought harder about these words, tried to decipher their meaning. As it was, though, Endeavor, Hawks and Mirko could only watch helplessly as the villain vanished. "Until then, break a leg out there! But don't go kicking the bucket...Todoroki Enji."

Before Enji could react to being spoken to with his real name, before he could even grasp what it might mean, Mirko jumped to attack, but when she made contact with the grey goo it was to late and she collided with the hard ground instead of the villain. They had let him get away … What a failure. But they had also survived.

"Wasn't that the same thing that happened in Kamino?" asked Mirko, confused. There was really no need to answer. Endeavor didn't have the strength anyway.

Hawks had to help him sit back up and stabilize his position. By the time the emergency services arrived, Endeavor had already lost consciousness.

He woke up again sometime between emergency operations. There were two big operations, the first directed towards his damaged organs to save his life, the second directed towards his face to save his eye and assure that everything would grow back together. The Nomu had ripped his face open from his chin to his hairline, almost destroying his eye entirely.

Finally, he woke up for good in the hospital by himself, wrapped tightly in gauze and bandages. He couldn't speak with the bandages over his face, as well as the stitches. They told him how lucky he was, that they had not only saved his life but also his eye. He assumed they were right. He hadn't thought his left eye had much of a chance. That was something at least, though he did have to live with the disfiguring scars for the rest of his life. Not just in his face, either. They adorned his entire left side. His arm was the worst off, though, they told him. He thought he would need a few months for that damage to heal sufficiently, until he could go out and fight again without pain.

Hawks came to visit a few hours after his awakening, bringing some information about the news coverage of the incident and about what had happened after he had lost consciousness. He told him about the start of the reparations, and about Mirko's sudden leave after Dabi had disappeared.

Dabi … The villain had called him by his civilian name, Endeavor remembered, but he couldn't bring the subject up with Hawks. Not because he thought it too private, but because he simply couldn't speak. Hawks' input might have even been useful. Enji had already been as good as out of it when Dabi had arrived. There was a good chance he had missed or forgotten something. But he couldn't talk, and after Hawks left Enji decided it wasn't really Hawks' burden to concern himself with Enji's private life.

The brat looked almost guilty, as his eyes fell upon Enji in his sickbed for the first time. As if he held himself responsible because he had invited Endeavor in the first place. Idiot kid … If he hadn't done it, worse could have happened. And it was Endeavor's fault he hadn't been strong enough and gotten himself injured this severely. It would heal just fine, anyway. No need to cry about a few scars, he thought, though he couldn't yet fully imagine how bad it would look in the end.

Recovery Girl would visit the next day, which came as a surprise to Endeavor. She explained that she came because he was a UA-alumni, and because he was the Number One now. Endeavor suspected it was the second reason rather than the first that brought her here. He had been a UA-graduate for his entire career, but she had never come to heal him. It wasn't a service provided to former UA-students as far as Enji was aware. Best Jeanist, after all, was still recovering from injuries sustained months ago. So it was most likely that she or the school board had seen his fight and thought it necessary for the Number One to be back on his feet as quickly as possible.

He wouldn't complain. If this was what it was, fair enough. It had been what he had wanted after all. To be recognized and accepted as the Number One. For people to trust him in this position. He took it as a good sign. And yet, there was also that irritable thought, that maybe All Might had sent her …

With Recovery Girl's help he made it out of the hospital only two days after the battle. He still felt a bit sore and would have to take it slow for a week or so, but in case of emergency, he'd be there. For now, he thought, he might as well take a weekend vacation, something he rarely did.

Hawks had come to accompany him to the airport. They both went in civilian clothes, both still recovering, but Hawks' wings had grown back enough to make him stand out even out of his costume. His wings were comparatively small, though, and Endeavor felt almost worried that the feathers he had burned wouldn't regenerate so easily.

Endeavor himself was almost unrecognizable without his costume, fiery mask, beard and cloak. It had always been the upside to his hero costume, he thought. Without the fire, he could pass as just a regular civilian. He assumed that that was over now, what with the gruesome scar marking half his face. As soon as that fact became public knowledge, he'd be as easily recognizable on the street in civilian clothes as he was in his costume.

"I'm glad your left eye made it out ok," rambled Hawks, who hardly stopped talking … ever. "But I'm really sorry about everything that happened. It's all my fault."

"Quit acting so noble" reprimanded Enji. He had been right in his assessment when they had met again after the battle. Hawks felt guilty about something. Putting Endeavor in this position to begin with, probably. "My injuries are my own responsibility," he declared stubbornly.

"Hey, that's a good one! Can I use it the next time I'm injured?"

Enji rolled his eyes. "You had no intention of actually apologizing, huh?" asked Enji. Strangely enough, he didn't feel angry anymore. Two days ago, he had thought the kid was utterly infuriating, and yet...now he felt calm. Even when Hawks made his stupid comments about just about everything. It didn't concern him anymore. Not the way it had before, at least. The kid had proven himself, Enji thought. They stood on the same side, and they both had bigger fish to fry than getting annoyed at stupid jokes. He had found himself a new goal. The feeling was well-known and almost welcome. A new enemy to defeat. Not just some elusive, undefinable goal like 'resurrecting a symbol' or 'making somebody proud'. Something he could reach with his own hand. Something definite, solid. Somebody to defeat.

He would beat this League of Villains. Fight them with all he had, never stop and never give up. He found his old determination again, but there was a difference. He felt like he was out of the tunnel. Back when he had pursued All Might with everything he had, that had been the only thing he had ever been able to see. This big back in the distance, the gigantic chasm between them, his single-minded goal moving further and further away no matter how hard he tried to get closer.

Now, it wasn't like that. He had the same determination, the same will to struggle, the same unstoppable drive, but he was not in the tunnel. There were more things to achieve than just this one thing. He remained aware of the things around him: people, allies, family, rivals, obstacles and enemies. He found himself weirdly content despite this new decision to pursue yet another goal, subscribe himself to yet another endeavor.

"But more importantly, that Nomu came charging in aiming directly for us. And on the same day we arrived … was that truly a coincidence?" wondered Enji. It seemed off.

Maybe they'd been seen, and the League had acted quickly. That would mean, however, that they had a Nomu on stand-by, just waiting for an opportune moment. And that, on the other hand, meant that they hadn't targeted the city at all, but it had only been Endeavor's and Hawks' presence that had invited the attack. That would be bad. His goal was to intimidate or warn villains not to dare engage in their criminal acts, not to give them somebody to challenge.

If they had a Nomu in the area on stand-by, did that mean they had multiple Nomu ready at any given moment, at several different places? That would be even worse. Or was this just an isolated incident? A coincidence, maybe, that it just so happened the Number One and Two heroes met in a city they had chosen for an attack anyway? Maybe their arrival had just moved the plot along? Or had that teleportation quirk they had access to been the reason? Could they just start an attack at any given moment at any given place by teleporting the Nomu to the designated area? He remembered reading some specifications about that particular teleportation quirk. Apparently, it was not too flexible in where to send somebody. After the Kamino incident, he had read that this All For One-villain had only been able to teleport hist targets to himself and to other people close to him. Still, he couldn't be sure.

What bugged him most was that, if Endeavor and Hawks had in fact been the target, it meant the League of Villains had access to information that they should not have been privy to. This would seem to suggest a spy or traitor of some sort. The leak would have to be either in Hawks' or his own office, or maybe they'd been spied on during the Billboard Charts Announcement Ceremony? The implications of any of that were bad. He trusted the people in his own office. He was also certain that Hawks surely trusted his own people. And Endeavor trusted Hawks. The brat could have easily let him die during the battle without raising any suspicions. There had certainly been enough opportunities. Instead, Hawks had helped him secure the victory.

The idea of a traitor or spy was even worse when he considered that there were already implications of a traitor within UA. The school didn't make it public … but Endeavor could count one plus one. There had been too many incidents to not raise suspicion. That made two leaks at high enough positions to be privy to important information.

Hawks made a flippant sound next to Enji. "When the new Top Two are walking around right outside the station in broad daylight, it's bound to raise some eyebrows. The villains were waiting for their chance, and we caught their eye," explained Hawks.

Was that it? Had they been seen, and had the villains thought the moment opportune to … what? Just throw a Nomu at them? So, had it been an attempt against their lives, or an attempt to topple the new Number One. Did he invite challenge, after all? Or was there something more? What had Dabi said …? He tried remembering the villain's words, but he only remembered blurry faces, blue flames, mockery, and the fiend calling him by his real name.

"It's possible that the Nomu rumors themselves were just bait spread by hero hunters," thought Hawks aloud. "We'll have to notify the League Search Team."

The redhead agreed. "Tread carefully," warned Enji.

There was a questioning look by the younger hero.

"If you're planning on continuing your investigation from here on out, you should ask someone to cooperate with you." Enji explained. It was a good idea, he thought. Over the last days, he had learned that he was not alone. All Might had shouldered the entire burden of keeping Japan safe alone. Endeavor couldn't imagine how the other hero had done it. Endeavor himself had almost been killed in his first battle, multiple times. He was well-aware that he would be dead without Hawks, that both of them would probably be either dead or injured even worse had Mirko not hopped in. However much he wanted, he could not do this alone. He had learned that much. And if he was being honest, he worried for his younger colleague. He had seen the sheer strength of this Nomu, and he knew that, while Hawks was surely capable and strong – especially for his age – he was not as strong as Endeavor. Alone, neither of them stood a chance against beasts of that caliber. Not in the long run. "That way, even if another powerful enemy appears, you'll be able to stand against it."

There was an awkward pause before Hawks suddenly laughed silently. "Endeavor, have you always been this considerate? You haven't, have you?"

"You wanna get burned?!" warned Enji angrily, but he was more embarrassed than actually angry.

They parted ways at the airport.

His flight was only an hour long, but checking in and out made the process drag a bit. Back on the ground, he first visited his office to bring in his costume for repairs, as well as handing over leadership of the place for the next three days to his most senior sidekick.

Another hour later, he was back home. He was surprised when he found Eraserhead outside his home, and figured the man wanted to discuss business, before he remembered that he was also Shoto's homeroom teacher. They only greeted each other briefly outside. If Aizawa was here, did that mean …

As he opened the door to the living and dining area, he was surprised to find not only Fuyumi and Shoto, but even Natsuo sitting around the table. The TV was running, broadcasting Fuyumi's favorite cooking show. There was a table setting at the head of the table supposedly dedicated to him. It was … really quite unexpected.

"Nice work out there. You must be tired," said Fuyumi as if nothing abnormal was happening.

Enji just blinked at her quietly, then he looked at Shoto and Natsuo. He wasn't even sure when he had seen Natsuo for the last time.

"Long time no see" was really the only thing he could come up with, now, as he saw his family – minus Rei, still in hospital - gathered like this.

"Shoto even went out of his way to get permission to leave school grounds, you know," said Fuyumi excitedly. She was clearly happy to see them all together like this. Enji looked at his youngest son. "I told the teacher he was welcome to come in too, but he respectfully declined. Well, anyway, I'll just say congrats on a job well done … and leave it at that!" Fuyumi was rambling, he realized. She only did that when she was nervous. This was important to her, he knew. She more than anybody had tried keeping the family together. She'd given even him second and third and fourth chances he had never deserved … never mind actually used.

Shoto glared back at him, his left side with the burn mark turned toward him. Enji only now realized that his own newly acquired scar looked eerily similar to his son's. Enji felt suddenly horrible just looking at him, looking at the burn mark on his son's face and that turquoise eye so much like Enji's own looking at him with … not quite the contempt it normally held for him, but not quite acceptance either.

The boy didn't even stop slurping his noodles as he locked eyes with his father. "That's, ah, quite a nasty scar you got there," said Shoto in between slurps.

Natsuo behaved just like Shoto, staring at him with this look that Enji couldn't quite place, though there seemed to be more judgement and anger in Natsuo's eyes. Natsuo would be the most difficult of the three, Enji knew. It was his own fault. The boy had seen his own brother die, and instead of being supportive, Enji had thrown him to the side, only so he didn't have to face his responsibilities. He'd been a father to Fuyumi for a while. There were some years when he had actually tried hard with her, tried to be a decent father at least, tried to be there and offer support. He had never been great at it, but he had tried. Maybe Fuyumi still remembered. Maybe that was the reason she was most willing to give him second chances no matter how many he had let slide already. With Shoto … he'd been a shitty father. Almost certainly traumatized the ki. But, in his own twisted way, he had cared for him, raised him, showed concern for him. He had done it wrong. Of course, he had never given the boy the feeling that he cared for him beyond his value as a potential rival to All Might. But at least Shoto could've always been sure that he had some value in his father's eyes. He had made Shoto hate him … try to prove him wrong every step he took … but at least he'd been there for Shoto. Well, so he thought.

Natsuo, though … He'd never been anything to Natsuo. He had thrown him to the wayside first chance he got, never even tried to help him with anything, teach him anything, show him anything, talk to him at all. He had traumatized him by not being there for Touya, leading to Touya … burning to death, god dammit, in front of his then three-year-old son. And then instead of helping Natsuo get past that trauma, he had abandoned him shortly after.

Enji had realized that long ago, really, but it was only now, as Natsuo stared at him quietly eating his soup, that he couldn't escape this knowledge anymore.

"Hey, you two! Can't you at least manage a 'welcome back'?" he heard Fuyumi whisper. "We all promised we'd thank him today, didn't we?!" Thank him for what, he wondered. "Dad's finally trying to reflect on the past and show more concern for his family, you know?!" He knew she was trying, and he loved her for it, but even he realized that it was futile. This wasn't her job. It shouldn't be her burden to keep this family together. It should be his. Should've always been his. "Just because you hate him doesn't mean you should leave it written all over your faces like that!"

He quietly raised an eyebrow. Did she think he didn't hear? "I can hear you," Enji informed her. Fuyumi looked a bit embarrassed.

Natsuo and Shoto both finished eating at about the same time, before Natsuo rose from his seat.

"Sorry, Sis. I just can't do this," declared Natsuo making his way for the door past Enji, while his sister begged him to reconsider.

Enji grabbed Natsuo on the shoulder before the boy could move past him and actually leave the room. He couldn't let him just leave like that. He'd waited for a chance to talk to his estranged son for so long. "Natsuo, if you have something to say, then go ahead and say it."

"Say it?" repeated his son in sudden rage. "That's rich, coming from the guy who wouldn't even look me in the eye for all these years! You've got some nerve, you know that?!"

Enji felt shame at that. It was true, no talking around it, and maybe he had no right to demand that Natsuo talk to him, when he had never talked to Natsuo. He knew he had made mistakes, and he didn't demand to be forgiven, understood … loved even. But he wanted …

He didn't know, what it was that he wanted. A chance? How many of those did he let slip by already?

"It's funny, I had no idea Soba was Shoto's favorite food until today. You took special care to never let us, your 'failures,' into his life, after all." Natsuo looked at him angrily, and Enji didn't know what to say. It was true, but what was he to say to that? Where could he start? Every explanation would just sound like an excuse, so he couldn't start with that, but just knowing where he couldn't start didn't mean he knew where he should start. He wished he could take himself back in time half an hour to start this whole conversation all over again and maybe go a different route ... or maybe just let Natsuo go unchallenged.

There was a short pause from Natsuo before he balled his fists, raising his voice again. "For whatever reason, Mom and Sis both seem to have no problem with forgiving you." Enji felt his eyes flicker to Fuyumi for a second before focusing on Natsuo again. "As far as I'm concerned, that crazy bastard we knew all to well is still going strong! They're acting like you've changed, but you haven't changed a bit!"

The words hurt but again Enji couldn't completely deny them. He thought he had changed, he … FELT changed. But most of his recent changes had been in his professional life. In a way, he had hoped that, if he just proved himself to be a hero they could be proud of, everything would change. That making them proud of the hero Endeavor would somehow make them care more for the father Enji. Maybe he had started wrong after all, should have focused on his family first instead of his hero work.

He had tried. These recent days and weeks he'd tried so hard to find a place to start, a direction to go, a chance to reconcile with his family and clean up past mistakes. But after all his efforts, all the promises he had made to himself to do better … be better, what exactly had he actually done better. He'd won against a Nomu. He'd done the same both in Hosu and Kamino. Endeavor had always been a strong hero. He'd fought his hardest battle yet, but in the end, fighting and winning battles was all Endeavor had ever done, his daily bread and butter for longer than any of his kids had lived.

Natsuo was probably right after all. In the public eye, perhaps, he had changed. He had gone out there, fought his first battle as Number One, and triumphed. But really, he had just done what he always did. Had gone and done his job. And then he had come home to demand admiration.

It felt different. He felt different and changed and … better, really. But to Natsuo, nothing was different.

"You completely neglected us," Natuso's voice was growing in volume now, "and left us to listen to Mom screaming and Shoto crying. Not to mention what happened to Big Bro Touya …" Enji winced at that. The judgement in Natsuo's voice which he had always shied away from was out in full force. "You going off and beating some strong villain doesn't make all that just disappear, dammit!" He hit his fist against the door frame.

"And here you are," now he was finally screaming, "deciding now's the time to have a change of heart! You just make a half-assed attempt at coming back into our lives?! It makes me sick! Do you have any idea how any of us feel?!"

Natsuo seemed exhausted from his outburst, and this seemed to be the point where Enji should address all these issues, say something. But he didn't know what, so he just reiterated the decision he had made with himself.

"From now on," he started solemnly, "I'm going to face my past and atone for everything I've done."

"Oh, is that so?!" screamed Natsuo in his face. "Well, good luck with that, asshole!" He turned away and stormed off down the corridor. "Sorry, Sis! Thanks for the food!"

He didn't know if he had said something wrong, done something wrong. It was a good rule of thumb to say he probably had. But this was so difficult, and he could only stare after his son's retreating back until it vanished around another corner. He thought he heard Natsuo violently shut the door to his old room, where he didn't normally live anymore. Not since he had moved into the student's dorm as soon as it was legally possible.

"Natsu!" he heard Fuyumi cry, and Enji felt he owed her an apology for this disaster. He probably owed her an apology for so many things. And a thank you for how much effort she had put into this family, how many chances she had given him, for being the only one to help him as he tried to make amends. She had been here, always.

"I guess things won't work out after all …" Fuyumi muttered to herself, sounding utterly broken. "After Shoto got accepted into UA, and he was able to see Mom again … and then Dad approached us and started coming around, and Mom started to smile again …" He hadn't even known that. Hadn't seen Rei for the last ten years. The doctors still advised against the meeting. "I finally thought we could be a proper family, and …" She suddenly grabbed Shoto, crying onto his shoulder, "Your sister was really happy, Shoto!"

Shoto seemed a bit helpless with what to do. He looked after Natsuo, eating another bowl of noodles. "I've never seen Natsu get that emotional before," he muttered.

He was right. For as far as Enji remembered, although he hardly was an expert, Natsuo had never been the emotional one. This outburst was unlike him. Or perhaps, Endeavor thought, entirely like him: he simply had never noticed.

They were distracted when the TV – the cooking show was long over by now – started broadcasting a news report on his battle with the Nomu. They produced those almost every hour now, though he didn't particularly bother watching them.

"It's been two days since that fierce battle, and opinions of The Number One Hero continue to waver," the newscaster said on screen. Enji and his two children turned their heads in mild interest watching as the screen showed a group of different people giving their opinion on the hero Endeavor.

There was an older lady worrying about his injuries during the battle, then two younger blokes talking about how he had let the villain – Dabi – escape and how Nomu's had already been defeated in the past, so shouldn't that one have been easier to handle? Fuyumi didn't seem to like those comments, maybe fearing it would worsen the mood in the living room even more if Enji heard the criticism and threw a hissy-fit. But Enji was well aware of the critics. He'd gone over the fight himself both in the hospital and on the plane, and he couldn't agree more. It should have been easier. He still gave himself zero points for this performance, even if Hawks and many civilians seemed to think it had been an amazing battle.

"As you can see, the voices of anxiety haven't changed …" Fuyumi wanted to turn the TV off, but Shoto was apparently interested. "On the other hand …"

There was a kid on the TV-screen that seemed mildly familiar. "Don't go broadcasting despair all over the world!" He was … what? Fourteen years old maybe? Maybe a bit older. "Not when our symbol hasn't given up yet!" He could see from the pushing and panicking crowd that this must have been a video recording from the day of the battle. He could hear distant noises of the fighting in the background. "Who do you think is straining himself for our sakes right now?! Can't you see?!"

Enji hadn't heard or seen this recording before, but as the news cut to different people proclaiming themselves Endeavor-fans for various reasons, it became obvious that the brat was a bit of a celebrity now after the fight. Apparently, he had ranted at the news crews talking about the lack of All Might in the midst of his battle, and his desperate shouting now served as some sort of rallying cry for a massively growing Endeavor fanbase. They had even turned him into something of a meme, thought Enji, as he saw tea cups and T-shirts with his face printed on them along with several captions.

And he was now more sure than ever that he had seen the kid somewhere before.

"A certain boy," the broadcaster said, "has become the talk of the town, earning himself the nickname 'Can't ya see-kun'. His impassioned shouts moved many hearts and drew them to cheer on Endeavor." Oh … he remembered now. This had been the kid who had told him that Endeavor was not doing fan-service.

"Yeah, that battle was something else!" they interviewed a couple on the street of a ruined city now. "I mean, Endeavor goes without saying, but 'Can't ya see-kun' and, of course, Hawks' dedication were both huge! Everyone was like, in unison, 'let's cheer him on!' It was crazy!"

He had asked them to watch him. Now he knew they had. They had seen.

He remembered his conversation with All Might. His despair after taking over the Number One position, when he had wanted to fulfill it, but there had been this invisible something just crumbling away, falling apart under his hands, and he didn't know what to do. Had he done it? Had he taken the first step that he needed to take?

"He may yet be faced with tough opposition, but everyone has now realized that the Age of Endeavor has arrived." The Age of Endeavor …? What … the age of eternal struggle? What a fitting name, he thought sardonically. He knew it wouldn't be easy. "The voices of support for him are steadily growing louder and louder."

"Endeavor," Shoto spoke up suddenly, making Enji shift his focus back on his youngest son, waiting for … whatever. Condemnation, acknowledgement … He had wanted to make him proud. "The hero … He's … amazing. He's remarkable." Enji stared at him in surprise, because he hadn't expected that, but it had been what he wanted. Making his children proud. Had he done it, achieved that much?

"But pretty much everything Natsu said was right on the money, I think." Enji frowned quietly, waiting for what was to come. He realized that the hero Endeavor had never been the problem. Endeavor had not been perfect. He'd been too lost in his pursuit of something impossible to reach, too frustrated, too desperate. But still, Endeavor had always been a good hero, and while the people might disagree on their opinion of him, at least they all seemed to agree on that point. He might not be everybody's favorite hero, but he was a good one, nonetheless. That, however, had never been his family's problem. Not Endeavor … Enji was the fuck-up. Enji was what needed fixing.

"I still haven't forgiven you … for how you tormented Mom." He expected it. He certainly didn't think he'd be forgiven that easily, if at all, so he just took in his son's words. "That's why … I want to see what kind of Dad you'll become from here on out." It was a chance, he realized. The first and last chance Shoto would ever give him. "One small inspiration really can completely change a person. I know that better than anyone." Enji thought he was talking about the Sports Festival this year. Afterwards, Shoto had indeed been a changed person.

"Shoto … I'll bring some more soup." smiled Fuyumi. She seemed happy. He wanted to see her happy more often, he realized.

He'd become the Number One against his own will, and in the worst possible way. For days and weeks, he had felt nothing but irritation and bafflement in his heart, but Endeavor had still continued to do his job. All Might had showed him, made him aware of a truth he should have realized long ago already. Power … A reason to reign above them all … For what did Enji want it, pursue it, struggle so much to achieve it? What was the point? To just get stronger until there was nobody left to challenge him? It seemed to be such a vain goal in hindsight.

Back then, when he had thought about All Might's words, feelings had welled up in him. Trite, banal … sappy, really. He HAD to secure a future for them.

That was his duty as the top hero. But if so, what of the future he had cut short?

He remembered. Touya, Rei, Natsuo, Shoto, Fuyumi … his regrets. His past mistakes. His past evil.

He quietly turned away from his two children. Fuyumi jumped up to stop him.

"Dad! Now you're running off somewhere?!"

"Fuyumi," he heard himself say her name. He should thank her, he knew. And he should apologize. For now, one thing was far more important than the other. "I'm sorry … for everything." He'd apologize again later, for now, he had a different course of action in mind. His eyes trailed down the corridor to where Natsuo had vanished. "I chose the wrong words when I spoke to Natsuo just now."

And with that, he left his two other children to look for Natsuo in his room. The boy probably didn't want to see him. He'd respect that. But he had to try. He had a new starting line, a new goal to accomplish, a new endeavor. Maybe his most important endeavor yet. Not one for Endeavor to pursue, but for Enji. For both of them maybe, because in the end Enji and Endeavor were one and the same.

Natsuo was right. Shoto was right. After everything that had happened, he had no intention of asking for forgiveness. Not after everything. It may well be too late, but …

All he could do now, was atone. That was the only path forward.

In the end, Enji was Endeavor. And this was Enji's endeavor.

Thanks so much to Lionheart261 who betaed the entire story over the last few months. Thanks so much.