After news of the announcement, Aziawa allowed all of the hero course students to take the day off, knowing that no one would be able to focus anyways. It came as such a shock and the media were desperate to find out more about the new villain named Amari.
The first thing Todoroki and Bakugo did though was head to the teachers lounge, hoping to come up with some sort of plan to get the girl back. Something wasn't right about this whole thing, there was something they were missing. Amari seemed fine yesterday.
When they slammed open the door they found All Might getting a cup of coffee, clearly not in any state of panic or stress. "Oh hello boys, I had a feeling you'd come."
Stirring the liquid around, Todoroki brow turned in confusion. "Why are you so calm, didn't you hear what happened?"
The hero just nodded his head though, using them into the next room. "Yes I have, follow me young Todoroki and Bakugo."
Looking between each other, the boy complied and followed All Might only to find a small meeting room before them with various heros seated around the center. Where are they about to have some kind of meeting?
Aziawa eyed the boys for a moment before sighing. "Sit down, I know you must have a lot of questions. Although, it seems we don't even have many answers regarding Bakugo."
Complying to their teacher, Bakugo was the first to go off on him. "Well you better start getting some fucking answers. I know my sister and she's not a villain. There has to be something wrong here!"
He slammed his fists on the table as Todoroki tried to be a little more calm, although he too was getting impatient. "So what is the plan? You have to have some sort of plan to fix this."
The heros looked between each other then as All Might replied. "Young Todoroki, we want nothing more then to help young Bakugo but looking at the security camera footage from the hospital, it seems like she willingly decided to commit that crime. I know you don't want to believe it but we have to look at the possibility that Bakugo has turned dark."
Widened his eyes, Todoroki couldn't even believe what he was hearing, were they seriously thinking about giving up on her? The idea was ridiculous. "Hold on, she was clearly forced into doing this by that other villain. You can't seriously believe that Amari has turned into a villain. No, she would never do that. There has to be some sort of explanation.."
Shaking his head, All Might sighed. "Young Todoroki if you would just listen.."
Although the boy had enough of 'just listening". No, he needed some action. "No, I will not listen to such ridiculous assumptions about her. I believe in her, and I know that Amari wouldn't do this kind of thing without a reason. She has to be blackmailed, to be forced in some way. So, are you going to be heros and rescue her or not!?"
Seeing Todoroki get angry was certainly a shock knowing that the boy was quiet most the time, they always thought Bakugo would've been the one to blow up at them for this, yet somehow he wasn't the loudest.
The hero's all looked between each other silently and Todoroki got his answer. They weren't going to help her, they were going to just sit there and assume that she was a villain. Unbelievable. "You call yourself teachers and heros? How dare you, how dare you abandon a student when she's calling out for help. Some teachers you are.."
Then, Todoroki turned around and walked out of the room, Bakugo staring for a couple minutes before following in suit. "For once icyhot and I agree on something. You better get your fucking heads out of your asses and help her before I do it myself."
Before any of the teachers could respond, Katsuki was gone as well, leaving the heros in absolute silence, Aziawa's voice carrying above the rest. "Are you sure this is for the best?"
The rest of the adults knew what he meant but still felt bad for the boys. They could tell that they really cared about the girl.
Stomping out to the room, Todoroki was reeling with rage. "Unbelievable. I can't believe they won't help her.."
Bakugo walked up to meet him before scoffing. "Screw them, if they want to sit on their asses and not do anything then that's up to them. We'll find that brat ourselves. But the question is, how in the hell are we going to do that?"
Looking towards the floor for a couple moments, Todoroki then reached into his back pocket and pulled out a single file before showing Bakugo. "This might help."
Amari's brother stared at the file for a moment before gasping in surprise. That was the same file that was on All Might's desk. "Did you steal that from All Might just now?"
Nodding his head, Todoroki's eyes narrowed. "I refuse to stand by when she might be in trouble. This file has a list of possible locations that villain frequents. There is a good chance she might be there."
Bakugo shook his head, slightly impressed with the boy for stealing from a pro hero. "Damn icyhot, good one. Alright, so what are we waiting for. Let's go get my sister back."
Agreeing, Todoroki and Bakugo narrowed down the list of places, each taking half of the options and splitting up to see who could find Amari first.
She just had to hold on and they would be there soon.
After checking out the couple places on the list, Todoroki found himself standing in front of an abandoned warehouse at the side of town. It looked like nowhere had been there for years which meant it was a perfect place for villains to hideout.
Stepping into a puddle, the boy walked inside, now looking around desperately for Amari. "Amari?"
The walls echoed his voice but returned with only silence. Maybe this place was a bust as well? That was the fifth one he had tried today.
Sighing heavily, Todoroki began to cross the location off the list when a large blue fire barreled towards him, causing the boy to dodge just in time.
He breathed out a sigh of relief as another voice entered the empty warehouse. "Well would you look who it is. If it isn't Todoroki? What a wonderful surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Todoroki stared at Dabi in displeasure, already feeling his palms drop in temperature. "Where is she?"
Shrugging his shoulders, the villain decided to play dumb. "Where is who? You have to be a bit more specific."
The boy only growled though, throwing a sheet of ice towards Dabi in anger as he shouted back. "Where is Amari?! I know you have her. I swear if you touched her I.."
Although the villain only chuckled, dodging his attack . "Aw how cute, you are so protective of her, aren't you Todoroki? You must really care about the girl. How interesting."
Todoroki's frustration grew at his words, his fireside fully igniting in warning. He didn't care how he had to hurt this man, he would get Amari back. "I'll ask you one more time, where is Amari? What kind of blackmail or threats did you use on her?"
Crossing his arms over his chest, Dabi didn't seem to be intimidated though. "Sorry kid but she chose to change sides. I haven't done anything. Maybe instead you should blame that fragile hero society of yours. They did cast her to the side after all."
He wasn't receiving the answers he wanted, just unknown lies and nonsense. The very idea making Todoroki angrier by the second. Fine, he would just have to beat her location out of him. "Shut up, you don't understand anything!"
Running up to the man, Todoroki had the full intention to hurt him when someone else ran in front of him, blocking his view of the villain and protecting the man. "Shoto, stop."
The boy complied almost immediately, now staring into the eyes of the girl he loved, the girl who disappeared, Amari.
Her exterior looked darker somehow, with those horrible black veins he'd come to know trailing up her neck ominously. Why was she using those pills again? It was so incredibly dangerous.
Then, he had even more questions. Why was she here right now and why was she trying to protect that villain? She should be running from him. "Amari.."
Blinking back to reality, he got serious now ushering behind him. "Hurry up and get out of here. I'll distract him while you run."
Although the girl made no movements, only staring at him blankly. "Now why would I run? I have no reason to."
Not understanding, Todoroki explained himself. "What did he do to you? Did he blackmail you or threaten you to become a villain? It's okay, you don't have to do this anymore. I'm here to help.."
He reached forward to grab her hand only for Amari to slap it away, looking at him like he was crazy. "Do you think I was forced into this? I hate to break it to you Shoto but I chose to go with Dabi."
Todoroki widened his eyes in shock at that, whispering back a response. "What..why would you do that? I thought..I thought…"
But this time it was Dabi that answered for her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders while speaking. "Little Bakugo here is just living up to everyones expectations. She finally realized that she's much more suited with the villain life, right sweetheart?"
Nodding her head, Amari threw his arms off her before replying. "You can't change the world's opinion by just sitting around and doing nothing, so I decided to actually do something about it. I bet those heroes aren't even looking for me, right? See, they've already given up.."
Todoroki's eyes fell now, knowing that she was right about that. The heros had already labeled her as a villain. "Amari listen to me, whatever it is you're going through I can help. Please don't do this, you aren't a villain. I know you!"
His words made her smirk though. "I guess that goes to show that you didn't know me as well as you thought you did. I'm done with just talking, I want to change."
Shaking his head, Todoroki couldn't believe what he was hearing. This couldn't be real, it just couldn't. "What about your brother, what about me? Are you just going to leave us just like that?! That's not the Amari I know, it just isn't.."
Amari looked down at the floor for a moment, her smile dropping as Dabi answered for the girl again. "Just face it Todoroki, the girl you knew was fake. Bakugo is just finally able to show her true colors without those judgemental heros circling around her now, isn't that right?"
Nodding her head, the girl agreed, now pointing behind her. "Just go home Shoto and forget about me. I'm a lost cause.."
Although Todoroki refused to do no such thing, taking a step closer instead. "No, no I refuse to let you become a villain Amari! I'm bringing you back to U.A. so you can realize how much of a mistake you are making!"
The boy raced forward then, fire burning from his fingers as the girl only smiled sadly, whispering back so he could barely hear. "I'm sorry Shoto."
Then, just as his flames made contact with the villain, both Amari and Dabi melted away into two blobs of clay. Damn it, they were only illusions? How was he going to help her now?!
Falling to the ground, Todoroki slammed his fists on the ground before letting out a shaky breath. No it couldn't be. It couldn't be possible.
Could it really be true? Amari didn't want to be saved?
Approaching the old bar, Dabi glanced at Amari who had her head down, obviously thinking about something in particular. "Don't think about it too much. This is your life now, right? You already chose it."
Nodding her head, the girl's expression darkened. "I know. It's just hard to let go of the past."
The man shoved his hands in pockets then whistled back. "Don't I know it, but it does get easier. You just have to forget about that part of yourself."
Throwing open the doors to the hideout, they heard Shigaraki's voice first, scratching his neck with interest. "Well would you look at what the cat dragged in? Our doll is finally here."
Amari just scoffed though, stepping into the space with annoyance. "I'm not your doll asshole so drop it with that stupid nickname already."
Although this only made Shigaraki smirk, now hearing Togas voice next to her ear. "Oh, you are here to join us?! I'm so excited, I love a new plaything. Good work Dabi!"
She gave him a thumbs up as Kurogiri eyed the new recruit with apprehension "As much as I'd like to celebrate as well, don't you think we should be a bit more cautious of the girl? The change in her attitude so suddenly is kind of suspicious don't you think?"
Amari opened her mouth then only for Dabi to speak for her. "Don't worry about that. I just saw the kid tell off her boyfriend. He was so broken hearted and she never turned back. I think that shows her intentions."
Kurogriri didn't seem fully convinced though, causing the girl in question to step forward and slam a hand on the bar counter. "What, you don't think I can be a villain? Cause you are dead wrong about that. Haven't you heard what society has labeled me as? I'm over those wannabe corrupt and selfish heros."
Hearing her outburst, Toga touched a single strand of her hair. "I don't know, we don't want a rat in our group. Maybe I should cut her a bit so we know she's telling the truth?"
Then she pulled out a sharp knife causing Amari's eyes to widen when Shigaraki stopped her. "No, that wouldn't do any good. But I do agree there should be some kind of test for her. You know, to show that she's loyal to the league."
Spinning her head around, Amari scoffed. "You want me to prove myself? Fine, I'll play along with your stupid little game. What do you want me to do, rob a store or something?"
She crossed her arms across her chest, waiting for a small request when Shigaraki smiled, taking Toga's knife out of her hands and reaching it out towards her. "No, you need something more, we need to see that you're really serious."
Gulping once, Amari tried not now show her fear as she touched the knife in question. "Why are you giving me this?"
But once again, the villain only smiled, coaxing his next words into her ear. "You're going to use it, on Bakugo."
Widening her eyes in fear, the girl almost dropped the weapon, dreading the words out of her mouth. No, there was absolutely no way, she would do anything but that. "W-What, you want me to hurt my brother? No, screw you! I can't do that!"
Although Shigaraki just answered back sharply. "No, not just hurt. Think of it as a push in the right direction. You can't fully become a villain without erasing your past. So go on doll, if you want to be one of us then all you have to do is kill Bakugo Katsuki."
Later that night, Bakugo had just finished his end of the list and yet he still couldn't find Amari. Also to make matters worse, Todoroki had stopped answering his calls for some reason which put the boy even more on edge. What was even happening? Where could she be?
Passing by the park near their house, Katsuki stopped when he saw a very familiar head of blonde hair staring at the swings in the corner. No, it couldn't be. Was it that simple? "A-Amari?"
She turned her head at his words before giving a warm smile, like she hadn't just gone missing a couple hours ago. "Hey Katsuki."
Running up to her, Bakugo shook her shoulders, fear and anxiety etched in his features. "What the fuck is wrong with you?! Didn't I tell you not to join off and join the villains. God, you are so stupid!"
Amari didn't move though, just staring down at her devastated brother. "I'm sorry Katsuki."
Slapping her head, he huffed back. "Damn right, you better be sorry! Now come on, let's go back. We can explain everything to the heros and they'll let you back at U.A. and.."
He began to pull her but sadly, the girl remained still. "I can't do that anymore. You know what the world has already decided. It's over for me. I'll never be a hero like this."
Stopping in shock, Bakugo's voice rose in anger. "What the hell are you even saying? You were fine yesterday, so what happened? Is there something you're not telling me? What's wrong with you?"
Amari only glanced to the floor though. "Do you remember what I told you yesterday before I left?"
Narrowing his eyes in confusion Bakugo remembered her saying a lot of things yesterday, but none of them justified her actions. "What the hell does that have to do with it? You never told me you were going to turn into a damn villain if that's what you're trying to say!"
The girl remained silent at that though, shaking her head in exasperation and muttering to herself. "Of course you didn't remember.."
Still not understanding, Bakugo shouted back, now taking a step closer to her so they were only a couple inches apart. "Why the fuck are you mumbling to yourself?! Just tell me what's wrong and I'll try to fix it, you idiot! You don't have to do this, It's not too late for you to be a hero."
Just then, Katsuki felt an overwhelming amount of pain as his stomach began to scream in agony. He looked down only to find a knife buried in his stomach as Amari's rang out with no emotion. "Yes, it is."
She then jammed something from her hand into his neck before pulling the knife away as Katsuki gasped in shock, now feeling an overwhelming drowsiness overtake his body. Had his sister just stabbed him? No, it couldn't be.
Watching him fall to the floor, Bakugo gasped out one word, calling out to her as black spots filled his vision. It couldn't end like this, he still had to be number one. "A-mari?"
But the girl only stepped over the boy as he breath grew shorter until he collapsed onto the ground motionless.
Closing her eyes for a moment, Amari took in a breath before calling out into the space. "Does that satisfy you?"
Just then, Shigaraki appeared from behind the tree line before leaning down at placing two fingers to Bakugo necks and finding no pulse. She had really done it, she killed him. "Welcome to the league."
Nodding her head, Amari then threw the knife on the ground emotionless before walking away, Dabi slowly following behind her.
There was certainly no going back now.
The headlights shined onto the park as two figures stepped out from the passenger side before sighing heavily. "That girl really does what she wants."
Then, the man approached Bakugo's body before looking towards his clock. If she told him the correct time then he should be waking up any minute now..
Almost as if on command, Katsuki gasped to life, now looking around wildly as the other stranger touched his wound. "What happened?! Where the fuck is she?!"
Touching his shoulder, the man's voice rang in his ear, causing him to meet his eyes. "Calm down Bakugo, there is a lot to explain."
It had been a week since their encounter and Todoroki sat in his room just staring at the ceiling absentmindedly. The heros had yet to make a plan to recuse Amari and her words to him kept replaying back to him in a constant reminder. Maybe she did want to be a villain? What was he going to do if that was the case?
Sighing heavily, suddenly his phone began to ring as the boy took it out his pocket and answered without looking at the calling ID. "Hello?"
The voice on the other hand wasn't someone that he wanted to speak to though. It was his father. "Shoto, there is a heros announcement in a couple hours that I'd like you to attend."
Yet the boy wasn't in the mood for anything like that. "I'm not interested."
He said that, but the man kept on pushing. "Shoto, as a member of the Todoroki household you must attend. The media is already expecting it."
Rolling his eyes, Todoroki replied. "I don't care who is expecting it, I'm not going so you can just forget it. Ask Fuyumi to go instead."
He lifted the phone away from his ear only to hear Endeavor sigh. "My son, I know you are disheartened by the news of that girl turning into a villain but you mustn't forget your responsibilities."
This made the boy answer back sharply, a hint of anger in his tone. "Don't you dare talk about her like you know her."
Not expecting that kind of response, Endeavor tried a different approach. "Trust me my son, you will want to go to this meeting."
Narrowing his eyes in confusion, he didn't understand. "And why is that?"
Although his father only kept it short, just saying a couple words that made him suddenly interested. "It's about the girl."
Leaping out of bed, Todoroki's eyes widened. Were they finally going to decide to rescue her? "What about her?!"
Yet Endeavor only shrugged. "You'll have to attend to find out. So I assume I'll see you there Shoto?"
Then, the man hung up, causing Todoroki's mind to race around in a million different directions. He didn't really want to be in front of all those cameras and journalists but if it was about Amari, then he would endure.
He would do anything for her, even brave his father.
A couple hours later and Todoroki was standing in the middle of a mass of people, everyone wondering just what the new number one hero was going to say. He hated the crowds and flashing lights but knew he had to endure for her sake.
He stopped thinking though when Endeavor moved onto the stage, everyone cheering at his presence as he made his way over to the mic. Todoroki could only roll his eyes at the display though, wishing for it to be over as quickly as possible.
Clearing his throat, the man began to speak as the crowds hushed. "Good afternoon everyone. I know all of us are still unrestful by the recent events that have befallen us the last couple months. The rise of villains seems more rapid than ever and I am here to settle any concerns you may have given the topic."
Suddenly, the lights to the room cut out, leaving everyone in a state of panic and distress as Endeavor tried to calm the crowds. "Now, let's not panic. I'm sure it was just a circuit breaker that has been tripped."
Although, that was soft lived as soft laughter echoed through the space, revealing Dabi a couple feet away from them. "Well I don't know about that."
The crowds began to scream, already running towards the exit before realizing somebody was in their way. It was Toga. "Don't even try, we already locked all the exits and cut all communication lines, courtesy of our new recruit. I think you know her.."
Endeavors eyes widened as a very familiar face then stepped onstage next to him, sarcastic and smooth as Amari revealed herself. She was the new recruit. "Did you miss me?"
Getting his fire ready, Todoroki's father frowned. "You picked the wrong place to show your face Bakugo. Now I can imprison you correctly. "
Throwing a large mass of fire towards her, the girl only smirked as she was protected by blue flames. "Yeah, I don't think so. Have you met my new friend? I think you might know each other."
Just then, Dabi stepped in front of her, a smirk plastered on his face. "Oh have I waited for this day. You have really made some dangerous enemies, haven't you Endeavor? If only you let her become a hero, then she wouldn't have turned against you."
Todoroki voice echoed through the halls then, causing Amari to freeze in her tracks. "Amari! What are you doing? Please stop this…"
She stared at him for a moment before laughing low and empty. "It's your father's fault for being an asshole. Don't tell me you don't want this also? You want him gone, don't you Shoto?"
Staring at the man he hated more than anything, Todoroki frowned. "Not like this! I want to beat him with my success, not by cheating!"
Amari shook her head then, willing his words away as Dabi narrowed his eyes. "No matter, we'll make you see just how much you don't need him."
The villain approached then, fully ready to kill Endeavor when suddenly he was hit by a huge explosion, blowing the man off his feet and stumbling backwards. What the hell?
Turning around he saw Amari cross her arms over her chest before huffing, a small smile grazing her cheeks now. "You're late."
Then, stepping out of the shadows, Bakugo scoffed, now lowering his hand. "I'm sorry, I was recovering from getting fucking stabbed!"
Dabi held his side in confusion, now looking at the boy who was supposed to be dead. "What, how are you alive? Impossible, You had no pulse."
Amari only smirked then, pulling out a small bottle and circling it in her hands. "This sedative slows your pulse to an extremely low rate into a death like state for a short time. It lasts up to five minutes before the effects wear off. Good thing about using those pills for so long is you start to pick up on various medicines."
Realizing that she had tricked them, Dabi growled only for Amari to stick two fingers in her mouth before wiping them on the black veins covering her neck.
Well at least that's what they thought they were before she was able to rub some of the ink off, showing the villain. "Oh and speaking off which, this is fake. I never touched those pills again so my sanity is still very much intact."
Balling his hands into a fist, Dabi raced forward, then anger etched in his brow. "You.."
He lifted his arm up to throw a blue ball of fire when someone else blocked him, now shielding Amari from the villain. "Bakugo, what did I say about agitating the villain during the reveal?"
Amari only rolled her eyes though, scoffing back at Endeavor. "Then what fun would that be? Oh, speaking of which…"
Then the girl reached into her pocket before pulling out a small flash drive and handing it to the number one hero. "I think this will have what you were looking for. All the plans for future villain attacks along with the Nomu experimentation files, per request."
This time it was Toga that gasped in shock. "Hey, you stole from us! That's not fair. I thought you were one of us.."
Although Amari only shook her head. "I said it once and I will say it again, I am not and will never be villain."
Toga frowned at that just as Endeavor turned to the camera that was still recording and showed them the flash drive. "Yes, it is just as you see it. For the last couple months Bakugo was working as a spy for the league to retrieve this flash drive. Anything you witnessed during that time was all staged for the sake of the mission."
The crowds began to gasp and gossip then, one brave fool stepped forward in question. "Then does that mean that the fight between All for One and her was staged as well?"
It clearly wasn't, but Endeavor only smiled, covering for the girl and lying smoothly. "Of course, you didn't think, we'd seriously let a villain stay at U.A. did you? Now that would be just foolish."
The crowds seemed to buy his story, writing all those events off as a part of the plan and in a single second, Amari's name was cleared. Instead of screaming and running, now the people below her were cheering in celebration and saying thank you. It brought tears to her eyes as she witnessed the display.
Just then, a bunch of pro heros burst through the doors before successfully capturing the two villains and bringing them into custody. Amari may have sneaked in a tiny drug in their food this morning to make their quirks weaker for a short time, so that helped.
The reporters bursted to life then, throwing cameras and microphones in her face and wondering how a small girl could raid the villains hideout and steal such important information so easily. She tried to answer but everything was so overwhelming, Amari didn't know how to respond.
Another reporter spoke though, his question seeming louder than the rest. "Bakugo Amari! Can we get your hero name for the papers? Everyone needs to know the bravery you showcased today!"
Amari looked down at the floor then before smiling to herself. She already knew what her name was going to be.
She was that last small burning piece of coal that never gave out no matter what, she was the spark that kept burning throughout the night no matter how impossible it may seem, and she was the hero that mother and daughter were proud of.
"My hero name is Ember."
Finally getting away from the media, Amari gasped when she felt something slap her upside the head. "Hey nerd, if you think you can get away with stabbing me and live then you have another thing coming to you!"
Turning to find Katsuki, Amari laughed nervously. "Yeah, I'm really sorry about that, but I made sure to get Recovery Girl and Endeavor to you right after so she could heal you. The league was watching and they would've known if I faked it."
Her brother narrowed his eyes in a frown before reaching forward and suffocating the girl in the hug. He was just happy to see her safe and sound. "You really are an idiot, you know that?"
Smiling under her breath, Amari teased. "Well, I guess it runs in the family then.."
Katsuki at that as well before shaking his head at the joke. "Shut up."
Wrapping her arms around him, they stood like that for a couple minutes before another voice caused them to break apart. "Amari.."
She turned her only to find Todoroki staring at her from a couple feet away.
Almost at all once, they ran to each other, throwing their arms across one another as a hard ball of emotion built up in her throat. "Shoto, I'm so sorry. I couldn't tell you.."
Burying his head in her hair, Todoroki shook her head. "No, you told me to trust you and I didn't listen. I knew you couldn't be a villain. Somewhere deep down I knew it was all a lie."
Breaking away she touched his face lightly before sighing. "It was your dad's idea. He said it would help me clear my name and it worked. The world doesn't see me as a villain anymore. I can still be with you, Shoto. I'm so happy."
His eyes crumbled before her then, knowing how much she risked just to clear their names from the media. This girl, she really was amazing. Although he already knew that from the first day he met her.
Leaning forward, Todoroki pushed his lips onto hers and Bakugo pretended to look away and try not to be sick. She had gone through so much so Katsuki supposed he could let her have this moment.
Although that's when Endeavor cleared his throat, frowning at the couple. "Could you not do that here? Have some self control you two."
They pulled away then, both parties about to die from embarrassment as the man coughed. "You did good Bakugo. I'm honestly surprised you were able to follow the plan without going rouge again like last time."
Knowing he meant the intern training, Todoroki had many questions for his family. He wasn't usually the helping type. "Why did you offer to help Amari clear her name anyways? You usually aren't one to do that kind of thing."
The man looked down for a moment before glancing at the girl in question. "You are correct, from the time that I've known her, Bakugo has only been a reckless, outspoken child."
Rolling her eyes, Amari scoffed. "We get it."
But that's when Endeavor put his hand up, continuing. "Although at the marriage interview a couple weeks ago, during her outburst I saw the tiniest glimmer of a hero in her."
Todoroki seemed speechless at that, watching Endeavor gaze at Amari with somewhat pride as he spoke. "I set up the engagement as a test to see if Bakugo would crave under the pressure and walk away or if she could prove her loyalty to my son, even if it meant she had to admit her own weaknesses. I wanted to make sure that she wouldn't actually turn to the villain side during the mission."
Amari didn't seem surprised which meant she was already told this information. Todoroki on the other hand was the opposite. "Wait, all of those letters and the engagement were a test? You planned all this from the beginning.."
Nodding his head, Endeavor replied. "Yes, and then we made a deal. If she could recover the villains' plans then I would use the media to her advantage, cover for her and prove she wasn't a villain, working in both of our favors."
Amari agreed and the boys just seemed in utter shock. All of this was planned, the engagement party, her becoming a villain and finally stealing those plans. She was working together with Endeavor this whole time. "And as much as I hate his guts, the plan was pretty smart, so I went with it. That's why I told you to trust me."
Todoroki tried to process everything but finding it difficult as the girl only smiled. "And now, both you and Katsuki don't have to worry about those rumors anymore."
Not really caring about the rumors, Todoroki reached forward to hug the girl who did so much for him, squeezing her to show how much he meant to her all at once. "I can't believe you did all that."
Nodding her head, Amari smiled sadly then. "I guess a girl with no quirk can do a lot also, right?"
That's when Endeavor spoke again, crossing his arms over his chest. "You know, that small glimmer I saw could mean something someday once you stop acting like a child."
Although Amari only shook her head. "Nice try, but I can't use my quirk anymore. Without the pills it will kill me."
Looking down at the girl, the man replied. "I looked into you Bakugo and the only reasons your pills almost killed you the last couple times was because you were trying to use it at its max capacity with such a weak body. You have no sense of control at all."
Amari frowned back, not really understanding what he was getting at. "What are you saying? The doctors told me I shouldn't even try to use it cause it's dangerous."
He thought for a moment before answering. "They are correct in a sense. If you push your body over the limit, you will be killed instantly. No wonder why the doctors told you not to try. One mess up or reckless move and you're dead. Any hero would be insane to train someone like you. It has a lawsuit written all over it."
She had never heard his information before, but still not really seeing the point. "Gee thanks."
But that's when Endeavor, Todoroki's father and the man that hated her, said something surprising. "So, I suppose I'm insane then."
Widening her eyes in confusion, Amari gasped. "Wait, what are you saying? I thought you hated me. You called me reckless and a child a second ago. Why on earth would you want to personally train me?"
The man stared at Katsuki's sister before shaking his head. "Don't be mistaken, I do still think that, and before during your intern training I would have never made this offer. Back then you outright disobeyed anyone not following your desires and pushed yourself past your limits in a reckless and foolish manner. Trying to train you would've definitely resulted in your death since you refused to hold back. But now, after everything I can see you've changed a bit Bakugo, and it's possible you can control yourself more."
Still not really believing him, Amari gaped. "You think I can be a hero still?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Endeavor replied. "It's going to take a lot of work, and you'll have to build your body up to support your quirk, one step and a time. It won't be easy like those pills and you can't ever push yourself or else you'll die. But yes, I suppose it's possible."
That was enough for the girl to put a shaking hand to her mouth. She always thought that without her pills, the hope of being a hero was gone. But now, Endeavor was telling her that it was still possible. "I don't care what it takes. I'll do it."
Letting out a suppressed sob, Todoroki rubbed small circles on her back as the reality finally set in.
She was going to be a hero and this time, it wasn't for Katsuki, but for herself.
End of S3! Okay so there is a ton that happened in this chapter but can we talk about the character development for Amari here? Because she started off with her pills, wanting to be a hero for the sake of her brother and pushing herself to her breaking point, willing herself to be stronger as fast as possible just to be equal with him. But now, she cares about her well being and chooses to be a hero for herself, agreeing to work one step at a time to complete her goal. She doesn't care if it takes years now, she will still be a hero. Old Amari would never agree to something like that. She got pushed back from the bottom only to rise again as a true hero. I'm so proud of her ugh.
The whole Dabi thing will come back in S4 as well. I'm not ready to reveal his secret to the characters yet, even though Amari knows.
Also let me just say that this story has taken off way further than I ever meant it to go and I just wanna say that I'm so thankful and happy you are enjoying it so much! We have really come a long way from a character standpoint and I'm just so proud of the process. 3
Next Chapter: S4! (Going take a couple day hituas after this chapter because oof it was a big boy.)
