SUMMARY: In the dead of night, Todoroki Touya died and a new person is born from the ashes of the bridge he burned behind him. He's finally free and his plan to destroy Endeavour begins.

FROM THE ASHES

All his life, he had watched his brother Touya gradually becoming distant and quiet. He remembered that his brother used to be loud, energetic and ambitious. Touya used to talk about his training with their father with great enthusiasm. He used to beam with pride whenever he was able to draw a smile and praise from their usually stoic and awkward father. But that has become a thing of the past.

Training with their father always resulted in pain, fear, disappointment and resentment now. Touya would come to him covered in cuts, bruises and burns. The smile and confidence that he used to wear now gone from his face and replaced with solemn resignation. His bright eyes turned dull and the smiles become forced and tired. Touya spends most of his time hidden in his room or he goes out to who knows where and returns late at night.

This was another hard week for them. Their father had been in a foul mood since the announcement of the latest hero ranking the previous week. Natsuo and Fuyumi, even their mother, had been avoiding their father, fearing his temper. Little Shoto was still sheltered from their father and he stuck close to their mother. The only one who couldn't escape the man is Touya. The one to succeed their father.

Natsuo carefully applied the ointment on his brother's blistered skin. It's something he witnessed before countless times but it was never him to be the one to treat Touya. It was always mom or Fuyumi and a long time ago, their dad. Touya only came to him to talk or just when he needed a company to feel calm and grounded. Natsuo let out a shaky breath when Touya had admitted that he's feeling like he's losing his sanity. He frowned at the trembling limb and looked at his brother's pinched face. Touya was biting his bottom lip so hard that its bleeding and his eyes were clenched shut tightly.

Natsuo frowned, his eyes stung, "I-it's okay. It's okay, Touya-nii. I'm here."

Touya broke down into broken sobs. He didn't open his eyes and just lay on the bed crying his heart out. It was always painful to watch every time Touya finally let go and just cried. His brother had long reached his limit and he understands how it must be exhausting to act normal and fine. Natsuo remained quiet and continued to treat his brother's wounds. His hatred for their father grows each day. If only there was something he could do to stop it all.

The room soon fell into silence once Touya ran out of tears and his hiccups had died down. He took some time to collect himself and then he spoke, his voice hoarse, "Hey, Natsu… do you think I'm pathetic?"

"Of course not! You're… you're strong Touya-nii!" said Natsuo.

Touya scoffed and covered his swollen eyes with his arm, "Strong, huh? Well, the old man doesn't think so…"

"Dad's an ass!"

The elder Todoroki chuckled, "Dude, language. Mom won't be happy with you."

"S-shut up!" said the white-haired boy, his cheeks tinged pink.

Touya lay on the bed quietly as he let Natsuo wrap his arm. He sniffed slightly and couldn't help but be embarrassed for crying in front of his little brother, again. His eyes were still puffy and swollen. He hadn't cried in front of Natsuo for a while. He didn't do well in training and their father had lost his temper and smacked him around. He tensed when he felt Natsuo's hand on his shoulder, "You're really strong, Touya-nii. I would've probably given up long ago but you didn't… you're amazing."

"Or maybe I'm an idiot who wants his father's approval."

"You're not an idiot! Dad's the idiot who made you believe you can be the best hero! He's the idiot who couldn't see what he's doing to this family! What he's done to you! If I have a powerful quirk, I'd take him down!"

Touya sat up and turned to Natsuo, grinning in amusement, "That would be a sight."

"Yeah… I wish I could do something…" said Natsuo as he lowered his gaze to his elder brother's bandaged arm, "Do you… do you still wanna be a hero?"

Touya looked away, "That dream is not possible. With this weak body, I won't go far."

"You're not weak! T-this is the result of overusing your quirk! Dad pushed you too far!"

His brother sighed, "Sometimes… I don't know why I kept trying to impress him. I'm all messed up."

"He messed you up. You're just a vict- sorry!"

Touya shook his head, "Nah, you're right. I am his victim. We all are. He's a shitty dad and husband."

"But we can't do anything about it because of his status," said Natsuo hopelessly.

Touya ruffled his brother's head, "You leave it to me. I'll avenge us."

Natsuo frowned in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Touya smiled, there was madness in his eyes, "One day, I'll make him pay. I'll tear down everything he worked for."

Natsuo shuddered and he had a horrible feeling growing in his guts, "You're not gonna do anything dangerous are you?"

"Just wait for it. The day will come when Todoroki Enji is exposed for the scum he is. The world will be my witness and everything around him will crumble."

Touya started giggling hysterically and Natsuo suddenly felt cold as he stared at his brother, "T-Touya?"

"Watch me, Natsu. I'm gonna burn this shitty world to ashes. I'll drag him to hell with me!"

Flames erupted around them and Natsuo screamed in horror as he watched his brother was swallowed by the blue flames. His brother's manic laughter echoed around him.

Natsuo sat up with a gasp. He stared at his blanket, his trembling hands gripping them tightly. He gulped a few times and shuddered at the chill running down his spine. He palmed his sweaty face and ran his hand through his sweat-soaked hair, "W-what was that?"

He jumped when he heard a thud. His head whipped toward the door and he could hear muffled voices. He threw his blanket to the side and approached the door quietly. He pressed his ear against the door and listened to the voices.

"But it's late! Can't it wait until morning?" that was his mother.

"No. This is very important. I… I'll tell you the details in the morning," and that was his old man.

"What? Why? What do you mean by that?"

Natsuo couldn't hear what his father had said after that. He then heard his mother's trembling voice, "E-Enji?"

There was the sound of footsteps and then his mother spoke, louder and sounding concerned, "Enji! Tell me what happened!"

Natsuo opened his door a crack and saw his parents heading toward the front door. He saw his little brother opening his door and following their parents. The youngest son yawned loudly, "Mother? What's with all the noise?"

"Oh honey, I'm sorry I woke you up."

Shouto blinked and watched his father as the man exited the house, "Where is father going?"

Rei patted his head, "Duty calls."

The boy nodded sleepily and let himself be led back to his room. His mother tucked him in and began stroking his hair as she hummed a lullaby. He yawned again and snuggled into the warmth of his blanket comfortably. Rei sat silently as she watched him sleep.

Natsuo couldn't quell the worry in the pit of his stomach. He quickly went toward Touya's room that was beside his and when he opened the door, he felt dread at the sight of the empty bed, "N-niichan?"

"Natsu-kun? What are you doing up?" asked Rei.

He turned to his mother, "Mom, where's Touya-nii?"

"He said he's staying over at a friend's. They're having a group study for an assignment."

"A sleepover? He didn't tell me about that…"

"It's still late. Why don't you go back to bed?"

"Where did dad go?"

Rei hesitated, "I don't know."

Natsuo stared at her for a few moments, "Whatever. It's none of my business wherever that man goes anyway."

"Natsuo!"

The boy frowned, "I don't get it."

Rei blinked in confusion, "Get what?"

"I don't get why you're still with him! After what he's done… is still doing to us."

His mother lowered her gaze, "It's… very complicated."

"What's so complicated about it?! He's a bad man and we should get away from him!"

"Natsuo, enough!" said Rei firmly.

The boy clenched his fists tightly, "Don't you wanna be free?"

Rei looked at him sadly, her eyes tired and pleading, "Go to bed, Natsu-kun."

Natsuo bit his bottom lip and walked back to his room. He locked the door behind him and leaned against it before sliding to sit on the floor. He stared at his shaking hands and his dream flashed before his mind. The horrible feeling returned and kept twisting in his gut, like a snake ready to strike. He felt nauseous and he gulped a few times to settle his stomach. He clasped his hands together and pressed his forehead against his hands, "Please. Please, be safe Touya."

The ambulance drove in silence on the empty road. The lone escort following closely behind it. The nurses and doctor sat around the patient, eyeing the monitor displaying their patient's vitals. They tensed when the heart rate suddenly spiked.

Touya woke up with a scream, accompanied by the frantic beeping of the heart monitor. There were hands pushing him down and he roared, releasing blue flames. The nurses and doctor shrieked in terror and pain as they were engulfed in flames. The ambulance swerved as the driver lost control for a moment, startled by the flame and screams. He turned his head and cackled, "About time you wake up, kid!"

The teenager ripped out the IV and wires attached to him. He watched the three people burn to death emotionlessly. Touya turned to the driver, "Who the hell are you?"

"Oi, oi, don't you recognise me, flame boy ?"

Touya narrowed his eyes, "Noname?"

"Ha-ha! Look you're gonna have to kill this guy too, and the guy following us. I'll stop when we're close to our rendezvous point!" said the driver gleefully as he drummed on the steering wheel.

Touya tilted his head curiously, "How are you able to control this guy?"

The driver tapped the back of his neck where Touya could spot a little bug-like device, "A little something I'm working on. It was fifty-fifty but I'm glad it turned out well! I bet I could sell this and make some dough!"

The teenager clicked his tongue in annoyance, "You maniac, what if it didn't work?"

"I got plan B, C and so on! Oh, hey! We're here! Get roasting kid! I'll send in the decoy after you're done!"

Touya groaned, "Making me do all the hard work right after I woke up."

The ambulance slowed to a stop. The driver turned and saluted, "See you later kiddo! I got my lab ready for treatment so be quick because you look like shit."

"Shut up. Why don't you just come pick me up?"

"Hey, I gotta make sure no there are no witnesses. I'm hacking into a lot of the cameras right now and controlling the dummies! So, get going, kid! Stop dawdling!"

"Fine," said Touya as he raised his arm and sent a stream of blue flame to the driver who cackled manically. The back doors were suddenly pulled open and a man in a suit was there, "What's going o-OOOAAAAHHHH!"

Tachibana's flaming body dropped to the ground with a thud. Touya struggled to get off the ambulance as his body felt stiff. He looked down at his bandaged arms, I don't feel anything though.

"Hey, kid!" said a voice cheerfully.

Touya looked up to see a teenager running toward him. He was dressed in a hospital gown and was around his height. The teenager grinned, "This is the decoy! You gotta make sure you burn him enough to erase any chance of them getting DNA samples. Though I do hope they didn't do that, makes things quick and easy!"

Touya frowned as he stared at the teenager, "Where'd you get him?"

"Oh, don't you worry that crispy head of yours! This kid's been in a coma for a while and he's an orphan. No one's gonna look for him. Trust me!"

"Whatever. Get in there."

The teenager climbed onto the ambulance and tiptoed around the dead bodies. He sat on the bed and grinned at Touya. He raised his hands and create a frame with his thumbs and index fingers, "Alright, time for Todoroki Touya to die! Cause of death, accidental combustion because you had a panic attack and lost control of your quirk!"

Touya stared at the teenager for a moment then he shakily raised one hand and sent a stream of blue flame into the ambulance. He turned around and sent a stream of blue flame to the other vehicle. His hospital gown was caught on fire when there was a sudden gust of wind and he quickly and awkwardly patted it to put out the fire. He sighed when he managed to put the fire out. He stood on the road and stared at the burning vehicle for a few moments and then he turned away and started walking slowly into an alleyway.

Touya staggered and struggled to keep his balance on his feet. The bandages on his arms were stained and stuck to his skin. His footsteps echoed around him as his barefoot smacked the ground. His vision was becoming hazy. He wheezed slightly, his throat scratchy and dry. He tugged at the burnt hospital gown on his body, "Is it worth it? Is this freedom? Am I finally free?"

He gazed up to look at the sky. Heavy clouds hung over him and the wind howled in his ears. A manic laugh bubbling in his chest and reverberated off the walls. He stared at his hands and summoned his flame, "There's no more pain."

Touya watched in fascination as the bandages were burnt off his arms. He vanished the flames and lowered his arms. He continued to walk stiffly, deeper into the intricate alleyway and further away from society. He doesn't belong there anyway, might as well just go deeper into the dark parts of the city. A reflected light caught his attention and he blinked. It was a cracked full body mirror, propped up against a wall near a dumpster. He approached it slowly then looked at his distorted reflection. His hands rising to touch at the charred skin of his face, it was unrecognizable! His shoulders trembled eyes widening at the reflection staring back at him, "Look at me! Look what you've made of me, DAD! A hideous MONSTER!"

He slammed both fists at the mirror and then fell on his knees. Hundreds of his reflection stared back at him and his body shook as he laughed as he focused on the reflection of his face, I can't cry! There are no tears! He thought. He clutched at his head and bowed down until his forehead touched the ground. A howl escaping his lips as he cursed his father's name.

Touya didn't realize he blacked out until he heard Noname's voice, "Hey, kid! Open your eyes! C'mon, you can't die on me! I need you!"

"S-shut… up…"

Noname sighed and fished out what looked like a pen from his pocket, "Okay, I'm not strong enough to carry you so I'm gonna need you to stay awake for a few more minutes, okay? I know you feel like crap but I got something here to give you a little boost!"

"Fuck… off…"

"Rude," said the man as he pressed a button which caused a needle pop out of one end of the pen. He slammed the needle down onto the teenager's thigh and pressed another button, "Don't worry kid, you're getting some good stuff here."

Touya gasped and his eyes widened when he felt a rush of adrenaline and his senses suddenly felt like they're on fire. He gritted his teeth to muffle his scream. Noname quickly jumped back when there was a burst of flame from the teenager's arms, "Breathe kid! It'll pass, give it a few seconds."

And true to his words, the pain subsided and Touya felt his senses go numb. He glared at the man, "The… the heck was t-that?"

"A special mixture of drugs and adrenaline shot. C'mon, can you stand up? The effects don't last long and I want to get you fixed up as soon as possible before there's any irreversible damage on your body."

Noname helped the teenager to his feet and pulled his arm over and around his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around his waist and led him toward their destination, "You should be numb right now, I'm sure those wounds hurt like hell."

Touya chuckled dryly, "You have… no idea."

"I'm glad you didn't get yourself killed. You went off the plan!"

"There's a kid…"

"Why? Is he important?"

Touya stared at the ground, "Forget it."

"Okay, whatever man. So, it'll probably take you some time to recover, and one of my good pals is unfortunately out of the city, but I managed to pull in some strings and she'll be here in tomorrow to help heal most of your wounds. After that, it's gonna be some physiotherapy for you. I read your records, you've got some deep muscle damage there kid. It'll take some time until you can move freely."

"This friend of yours…"

"Oh, you can trust her! We know each other waaaaay back! You could say we're best buds! Nothing romantic between us, I assure you! I'm just not interested in all that! She definitely doesn't have any interest in me other than money and business."

"Have I ever told you… that you're annoyingly chatty?"

Noname guffawed, "Hey, if you lived alone for so long as I do, you just end up talking to yourself a LOT! And talking helps me think! So get used to hearing me chat your ears off kiddo!"

Touya sighed as he shuffled his feet, "Well… at least you can drown out the voices…"

Enji grit his teeth as he flew toward the hospital where they said his son would be sent to for further treatment. He was surprised when he got the call from the agency. Touya wasn't supposed to be at the facility, he was supposed to be doing some school assignment at a friend's place. That's what Rei had informed him when he had asked for his eldest's whereabouts. He would've asked for more details but he wanted to see his son as soon as possible. The man on the phone seemed to understand his urgency and informed him the name of the hospital where Touya was being taken to.

The stench of smoke caught his attention and he scanned the road below to spot two burning vehicles. His hero instinct demanded that he investigate and save anyone who might be hurt but he wanted to see his son as soon as possible. He's not far. He glanced at the vehicles again and his heart stuttered when he realized there were blue flames. He quickly changed course and headed for the burning vehicles. His ears picked up the sound of sirens as he neared his destination. A firetruck arrived before he does and the firefighters worked quickly to put out the fire.

When his feet hit the ground, Enji couldn't help but freeze, eyes staring at the blazing blue flames. It's an ambulance . I-is it… Touya's? he thought in trepidation. He was oblivious to the frantic activities around him. The firefighters stopped to stare at him in confusion for a moment before continuing their work. A low-rank hero who could summon water from her fingertips was helping the firefighters to control the raging flames that licked at the ambulance. A black vehicle not far behind was in a blaze too. It took a while but the fire was soon put out.

Enji snapped out of his trance. He approached a firefighter and grabbed him by his sleeve, his hand trembling, "Tell me, did anyone survive?"

The firefighter looked up at the taller man, eyes wide in awe and fear, "I'm sorry, Endeavour. We didn't find any survivor!"

The hero growled and shoved him away, he stomped toward the burnt ambulance, eyes-catching at the hospital name on the ambulance. His stomach clenched with anxiety as he looked through the opened back door. There were charred bodies inside. His eyes trained at the body on the bed, "T-Touya?"

It was badly burnt but judging by the body's size and the blue flame… his eyes widened as realization dawned on him. NO!

"Endeavour! I'm sorry but you have to step back. Leave this to the fire department and the police to investigate," said a firefighter who had the captain mark on his uniform. He looked up at the still hero, "Endeavour?"

The man was surprised to see tears in the hero's eyes. He's never seen such a broken expression on the hero's face. Endeavour was well known for his fierce temperance and intense attitude. He has never shown weakness to anyone. The firefighter looked at the charred bodies in the back of the ambulance, "D-do you know the victims?"

"My s-son," it was whispered so quietly that the firefighter nearly missed it. He took a step back and lowered his gaze, "Oh… I – I'm sorry for your loss."

He turned around and motioned people to stay away from the hero to give him some space and privacy to grieve. He looked over his shoulder and felt pity for the man. He shook his head and asked his men to tape the area and put their supplies away. The wail of the police siren was heard in the distance. The smoke clearing off and the sun was rising for a new day.

Touya groaned as he regained consciousness. He opened his eyes to stare at a grey ceiling. He heard a squeak and then hurried footsteps before Noname's face loomed over him, eyes wide with excitement and a manic grin stretching the lower half of his face, "Welcome back to the world of the living, kid! You have me worried!"

The teenager feebly tried to push the man's head aside. His voice was hoarse as he spoke, "Ever heard of personal space?"

The man cackled as he grabbed a paper cup with a straw, "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit," said Touya as he struggled to sit up. He glanced at the straw aimed at him and quietly took a sip. He sighed when the cool liquid helped soothe the itch in his throat. He looked around and could only tell he's somewhere that looks like an operation room, "Where am I?"

"Welcome to my humble abode! It's not as fancy as your place, I'm sure, but hey! It's home! This is my lab ," said the man as he air quoted with his fingers, "Where I do most of my work!"

Touya looked down at his bandaged body, "How long have I been out?"

"Three weeks!"

"What?"

"You heard me, kid. I had to keep you under so you don't open up any of your wounds."

"The hell happened with the healer friend of yours?"

Noname paused, "She was killed before she got here."

"... I'm sorry."

The man waved his hand nonchalantly, "People die every day. Death is inevitable and unpredictable. Anyway, I lost you twice and had to bring you back. Luckily you, I have some medical background so I was able to treat the worst of your burns. I don't have enough materials to give you plastic surgery though so that'll have to wait. I've asked some favours from some friends to help me find another healer to help speed up your recovery though."

Touya sighed, "Well, as long as I could start on my new life, I'm not going to complain much."

"That's the spirit! I helped you disappear and provided you a place to stay so I'm expecting you to pay me back for my services and hospitality!"

"Of course… but I can't do much when I'm like this."

"Don't you worry! I'll do whatever I can to get you better! So, you hungry? I made chicken soup! Don't tell me you're not hungry, kiddo! You've been in a coma for three weeks! You need to eat to get better ASAP. After lunch, I'm going to need to change your bandages."

Touya watched the man leave the room. He took the time to check his body. He felt stiff and there was some pain on his face, arms and chest. He sighed in resignation when he realized it'll take some time to recover. But he can be patient. As long as he has his goal in mind, he can wait.

Noname returned with a tray, humming a tune to himself. He put the tray on a desk and rolled the desk toward the bed, "I'm gonna warn you though that I'm not a master chef."

"It's just soup," said Touya as he eyed the bowl the man handed to him. He raised his stiff hands to accept it, holding onto it with two hands.

"If you can't hold a spoon, I have an alternative!" said Noname as he pulled out a large straw from his lab coat.

Touya stared at the plastic, "You… want me to drink my soup with a straw?"

"Well, it's either this or I spoon feed you or the needle!"

The teenager sighed, "Whatever, just give it to me."

"It's not that weird, you know? Soup is basically liquid. I do it too when my hands are busy!"

"You're such a weirdo."

"Thanks!"

After they were done with their simple meal, Noname had soup and rice, the man had brought some bandages, antiseptic and healing ointments to the bedside table. He talked about his plans for the evening as he unwrapped the soiled bandages and Touya only talked when he was asked a question. He spaced out as he let the man clean his wounds, applied the ointment and then wrapped him up.

"Looks like you're healing up well. By the way, I didn't know your hair's white!"

Touya raised a hand to his bandaged head, "Yeah… I dyed it red to stop folks at school from asking annoying questions."

"Well, that's one more thing you don't need to worry about! Though you have a bald spot right here, not quite obvious since it's close to your hairline. I'm sure your hair will eventually grow back. I'm gonna get back to work but feel free to call me for anything or if your painkiller wears off. I'll just be riiiiiiiiight here," said Noname as he plopped down on a chair at the desk littered with metal scraps and tools.

Touya sighed as he lay back down on the bed. He stared at the ceiling and wondered what he missed while he was in a coma. Did his family mourn him? He wanted to see the old man's face. Was he in despair? His mom and siblings are probably sad over his death... He clenched his fists, no. He shouldn't think about them. He has a mission and sentiment will only get in his way.

Todoroki Touya is dead.

He's a nobody living in the shadows. He'll take his sweet time to plan out his revenge. He'll make sure it hurts Todoroki Enji. Let the man stew in guilt for some years before he hammers down the final blow and destroys him. He yawned and closed his eyes. He'll have to think of a new name since his past self is dead, but right now, he's tired. He'll think about it when he wakes up.

It takes a monster to destroy a monster

(Kalther Janasen)

A/N: So I'm finally caught up with the manga and I decided to adjust the story a bit. It's not much, just a mention of Touya's hair, that's it! So from here on, it'll be some of his (mis)adventures before he joined the League of Villains! And I quite enjoy writing eccentric dude Noname! Fun fact! My original plan was that Touya "perished" in a forest fire during training but I thought how would he end up with Hawks and Katsuki in a forest? and then just scraped off that idea and decided on the current one I wrote. If I stuck to that first draft, I could've been closer to canon and freaked out. Lmao. Fun.