Chapter 42 - Parents Day
Friday rolled around for the students of U.A, and it was just another normal day of high school. But for Joshua, it was painful, as the guilt and fear he was carrying was a weight in his chest. Every time he thought about his father, and the plan to attack the students of U.A at Zoo Dreamland, that weight seemed to get heavier and heavier! It got so bad that he almost couldn't breathe, and during the hero exercise for the day, he couldn't focus as well as he used to! But he didn't want to be questioned by anyone about what he was feeling, so he would play it off like nothing was happening to him…
But it was only going to get worse, as today was Parents Day, and the parents of Class 1-A were going to be visiting the dorms. Joshua knew that if he didn't do something, it could very well be the last day that the parents would see their kids alive! And Joshua didn't want that, especially since he told Jiro's father that he would never do anything to hurt her!
He only had two days left until Sunday, which was the day of the attack. Joshua had to do something, or all hope would be lost. But, he decided to suffer through today, and do something on Saturday.
The students of Class 1-A came back to the dorms in the afternoon, where they were greeted by their mothers, fathers, and siblings, if they had any. The American students also got involved as well, and were introduced to the friends of their parents.
Matthew ended up meeting Midoriya's mom, who was amazed at the fact that he was quirkless. She also told stories about Midoriya that were pretty funny, even though they were slightly embarrassing. Matthew also got to meet Uraraka's parents, and Iida's as well, along with Iida's older brother, who used to be the pro-hero 'Ingenium'.
Sunshine got to meet Kaminari's parents, and learned that his father was electrician, fittingly enough. She also meet Mineta's parents, and could barely contain her laughter upon seeing Mineta's father; he was just like his son, only taller, a little bit stout, and having a purple mustache.
Milo got to meet Ashido's parents, along with her older brother, the surfer. Unlike his little sister, he didn't have the pink skin, black eyes, or horns. However, he did have pink hair, and it was somewhat long and shaggy looking. He was cool, he adored his little sister, and Milo got along well with him, and Ashido's parents as well. He also learned that Ashido's mother was quite the romantic, and she loved that her daughter had a boyfriend.
Annabelle met Bakugo's parents, and was amazed at how Bakugo's mother was able to match her son's temper toe-to-toe. She honestly felt sorry for Bakugo's father, as he had to act as the 'referee' and keep the two from killing each other. Aside from them, Annabelle also got to meet Shoji's parents, and was amazed to find out that Shoji was taller than them!
Joshua mostly hung with Jiro and her parents, as he already knew them. But, he also got to meet Tokoyami's parents, and his younger brother and sister, who were a lot more cheerful than their older brother. However, Joshua only took little notice to these facts; he was still feeling guilty over what was going to happen on Sunday!
And Murdock… well, Murdock noticed that Todoroki was leaving and decided to follow.
"Hey Todo! Wait up!" Murdock called out, heading out the door. "Where you going? You're missing out on all the fun!"
"I'm going to visit my mother." Todoroki replied, his tone annoyed yet composed. "She's in a hospital, so she can't come and visit."
"Your mother? But didn't she splash a kettle of boiling water in your face?"
"She did that because of my father, not out of hatred for me. She even attempted to soothe the burns on my face, and apologized over and over for what she did. My mother's not the one to blame for the state she's in, but my father is…"
The look on Todoroki's face was so crestfallen, that even Murdock's cheerful demeanor faded. The two were silent for a few seconds, until Murdock spoke up.
"Can I come with you?" Murdock asked, his tone polite and calm.
"What?" Todoroki asked, a little surprised at the request.
"You mind if I come with you? I'd like to meet your mother, and your other family, if they're visiting her. I'll be polite, I won't horse around, no pun intended, and I'll keep calm and composed."
Todoroki took this into consideration, as none of his other friends had ever asked to come with him on a visit to his mother, let alone a foreign exchange student. But Murdock was different, as he was one of the people that was helping Todoroki overcome his father's control. But after seeing that Murdock's question was genuine, and not for comedic purposes, Todoroki felt it was alright.
"Okay, but please be on your best behavior." Todoroki replied. "No horsing around, as you put it."
"I'll be a gentleman, you have my word." said Murdock. "But give me a few seconds to get some new clothes on; I don't want your family thinking I'm an extra from a western movie or something."
"Alright then."
Murdock then went back inside Heights Alliance, and after a few minutes, came back wearing his tracksuit jacket, his dark blue t-shirt, dark blue jeans, and his cowboy boots. He decided not to wear his cowboy hat, as he didn't want to draw attention to himself. Afterwards, he followed Todoroki, and the two left the Class 1-A Heights Alliance.
For once in his life, Murdock decided to stay quiet as the two walked. Normally, he would be chattering away like a monkey, but considering this was a serious occasion, he didn't want to seem like he was insensitive. However, he would answer whenever Todoroki made small talk and asked him questions, though he wouldn't give long-winded answers or goofy remarks.
The two students of U.A then came to the hospital where Todoroki's mother was staying. They went in, and saw that Todoroki's older sister and brother were already there, and talking with the hospital receptionist. Upon seeing Shoto, they came over to greet him.
Shoto's older brother, Natsuo, was nineteen years old. He had white spiky hair and grey eyes, and a muscular build. His clothing at the moment was a blue and white jacket, a black t-shirt, grey pants, and white sneakers.
Shoto's older sister, Fuyumi, was twenty-three years old. She had white hair that had flecks of crimson in it, and turquoise colored eyes. Her clothing consisted of red-framed glasses, a red cardigan over a white dress shirt, dark blue jeans, and brown dress shoes.
"Hey, Shoto, how you doing?" asked Natsuo, his tone friendly as he came to greet his little brother.
"I'm doing good, Natsuo." Todoroki replied, his voice monotone but friendly. "Were you guys here to visit mom?"
"We just did." Fuyumi replied, her tone pleasant. "She's looking forward to seeing you. Oh, who's this?"
"This is Murdock Jenkins." Todoroki replied. "He's an exchange student from America, and a friend…"
"A friend?" Fuyumi asked.
"Yes. Murdock, this is my sister, Fuyumi, and my brother, Natsuo."
"Pleasure to meet you." Murdock replied, his tone polite.
"You have an interesting accent. Where are you from?" Natsuo asked.
"I'm from Texas, which is in the United States."
"Are you enjoying Japan?" asked Fuyumi.
"It's different." Murdock replied. "But, I like it. I love the architecture here, and the trees, also. The cherry blossoms look very pretty."
"That's nice to hear." said Natsuo. "Well, we gotta be heading back home. It was good to see you again, Shoto."
"You as well, Natsuo." Shoto replied.
Fuyumi then moved in and hugged her little brother, saying, "Always glad to see you, Shoto."
"And you as well, Fuyumi." Shoto replied, returning the embrace.
She then let him go, looked over at Murdock, and said, "It was nice to meet you Murdock. Look out for my little brother, okay?"
"Yes ma'am." Murdock replied, giving a nod.
Natsuo also told Murdock that it was nice to meet him, and then he and Fuyumi left the hospital. Shoto went up to the receptionist to check in, and Murdock followed behind him. The two then went into the elevators, and Todoroki pressed a button for one of the floors.
"Your siblings are pretty nice, Todo." said Murdock.
"They don't take after my father, thank goodness." Todoroki replied. "Do you have any siblings, Murdock?"
"I have an older brother, an older sister, and two younger twin brothers who are hellions. I'm the middle child, so the two younger twins enjoy annoying the crap out of me."
A small smirk came over Todoroki's face when Murdock said that, but then it disappeared when they reach the floor. The two got out and, after a couple seconds, came to one of the hospital doors. Todoroki knocked on it gently, and waited.
"Come in." A soft female voice spoke.
Todoroki opened the door slowly and entered, with Murdock following. He then saw, sitting on the bed and looking out the window, was Todoroki's mother. She then turned and faced them, a kind smile on her face.
Rei Todoroki was a middle-aged lady and, by Murdock's standards, was surprisingly beautiful. She had long white hair, brown-gray eyes, and fair skin. Her attire at the moment was light blue hospital pajamas and slippers.
"Hey, mom." said Todoroki, coming over to hug his mom.
"Hello, Shoto." His mother replied, her tone soft and kind as she returned the embrace. "How are you today?"
"I'm doing good, and you?"
"I'm fine."
Todoroki's mother then let him out of her embrace, and noticed Murdock standing there, watching them.
"Who's this?" His mother asked.
"This is a friend of mine who wanted to meet my family." Todoroki replied. "Murdock, this is my mother."
Murdock came forward, and said in a soft and kind tone, "Howdy, ma'am… my name's Murdock Jenkins…"
"Hello…" Todoroki's mother replied, extending a hand for shake.
Murdock gently took it and shook, noticing that her hands were cold, but not in an uncomfortable way. He noted that it must be because of her quirk, which was ice, considering that Todoroki got the fire from his father.
After she let his hand go, Todoroki's mother said in a somewhat saddened tone, "I wasn't always like this…"
"That's fine; I wasn't always like this either." Murdock replied, his tone kind. "And believe me, this is far from an improvement…"
Todoroki's mother laughed lightly at Murdock's words, and a somewhat surprised look came over Todoroki's face; he hadn't heard his mom laugh before. Todoroki realized that there was definitely something special about Murdock Jenkins, despite the fact that he was somewhat of a hick and a cowboy…
For the rest of the visit, Murdock stayed quiet, only speaking when spoken to. He watched and listened as Todoroki and his mother talked, and left whenever Todoroki wanted to speak to his mother in private. Then the time came for them to leave, and Todoroki hugged his mother and said his goodbye. Murdock shook hands with her, and then said his goodbye as well. Afterwards, the two walked away from the hospital room, and headed for the elevator.
"So, how'd I do?" Murdock asked.
"You really impressed me." Todoroki replied. "And you made my mom laugh, which is amazing. Thank you, Murdock…"
"Hey, like I said before, I have my moments. Besides, there's brains underneath this gorgeous head of hair here."
"Could've fooled me the first time we met… Dock."
"Dock?"
"Short for Murdock. Consider it my 'nickname' for you." Todoroki replied, a small smile on his face.
"Never knew you had a sense of humor, Todo." said Murdock, a smile on his face.
Todoroki chuckled at that, and the two exited the elevator. They walked out of the hospital, and began heading back to Heights Alliance. As they walked, Murdock noticed a change in Todoroki's mood; he wasn't brooding anymore, but had a small, genuinely friendly smile on his face. In a way, without knowing it, Murdock had contributed to healing Todoroki of his past…
The two friends continued walking down the sidewalk, keeping silent but chatting with each other every now and then…
…
It was now nighttime, around nine o'clock, and Parents Day had ended. Joshua excused himself from his friends, saying he was feeling good and was going to lie down. He was now in his room, and the lights were off. As he lied there, his breath came out in short gasps, his chest felt tight, his stomach hurt, and his guilt was reaching a critical level!
He knew about the plan, but he couldn't tell! If he told, the students would know! They would hate him for being the son of a villain, and after all they had been through! He didn't want to go back to being evil, but he wanted to stay with his friends and be good! For the first time in his life, he was accepted, and he didn't want to give that up! But after thinking about his friends and their parents, he just felt like a jerk who was going to betray those that were close to him!
Just as with last night, Joshua began thinking about all that happened since he and the other Americans came here. He thought about the friends he made, how he found love, how he had fun. And every good memory was like a punch in the gut, as guilt kept creeping in. He then thought about his past, and how he was brought up to be a villain: how he was beaten, told to never cry, forced to do things he didn't want to, forced to see things that nobody should see, forced to live in a veritable hell of an existence!
If he didn't tell, he would go back to that nightmare. But if he did tell, he would be thrown in jail, and his friends would hate him. It was a lose-lose situation for him, and now, more than ever, Joshua wished there was a way out…
But there wasn't a way out. Just as Eon had told him, the choice rested on Joshua's shoulders alone.
He couldn't lie down anymore, so Joshua began pacing the room. And then he tried to lie down again, but that didn't work, so he continued pacing. Over and over Joshua went, trying to distract himself and forget about what was going to happen. But he wouldn't forget, as both good and bad memories kept coming into his mind!
He wanted to break down crying from the amount of guilt and pain he felt, but growing up as a villain had rendered him unable to. There were only two times had he ever cried in his life: One, was when he was younger, and was told that he couldn't become a hero. Second, was when he was laughing so hard and couldn't control his emotions.
But despite this moment of doubt, Joshua felt the glowing light inside him. He believed, truly believed that he belonged here. Here, at U.A, with his friends… no, not just his friends, his family. His true, honest to goodness, family. And families stuck together, no matter what. They would do anything for each other, and he would do anything for them…
Anything… even if it meant giving himself up for them.
"Anything for them…" Joshua said to himself. "Anything for them…"
Taking a breath, he knew what he had to do. There was no way out of it, and no way around it. He had to tell them who he was…
Joshua left his dorm room and went downstairs, finding Class 1-A, along with the other American students, just doing their regular nighttime activities. After walking around for a couple of seconds, he spotted Matthew, who was playing 'GO FISH' with Mineta and Shoji. Joshua went over to them, and Matthew looked up from his cards at him.
"Hey, Joshua." said Matthew. "We're playing 'GO FISH', and I'm currently losing. You want to join in? We could start over and do-"
"Matthew." said Joshua, stopping Matthew mid-sentence. He then leaned down and whispered, "Round up Kyoka, Milo, Ashido, Midoriya, Sunshine, and yourself, and meet me outside. I need you to speak with you six."
"What about?" Matthew asked, but Joshua was already leaving. He then called after him, "Joshua, what do you want to talk about?"
But Joshua wasn't listening. Instead, he headed out the door of Heights Alliance, walked down the steps, and stood in the middle of the courtyard. Out there, the sky was dark and clear, and the moon and stars were out. They would all be part of the audience, to Joshua's confession. Joshua then prepared himself, saying a small prayer that his worst fears would not be confirmed. After he prayed, he felt a little bit calmer, and just spent a couple of minutes staring at the night sky.
"Joshua, we're all here." Matthew's voice came from behind him. "What's going on?"
Joshua turned around and, true to Matthew's word, they were all there. Matthew, Milo, Ashido, Midoriya, Sunshine, and… Jiro. She had a look of concern on her face, as she was truly worried for her boyfriend. All six of them were standing there, waiting to see what Joshua had called them outside for.
"Josh, are you alright?" asked Jiro, her tone concerned. "Why did you call us out here?"
Joshua's chest tightened, and he felt his stomach hurt. He clamped his fists to his sides, shut his eyes, and gritted his teeth, as he prepared to tell them all who he was. This was it, the moment of the truth… there was no going back for him now…
Just as Eon had said, he was going to make a choice.
It was do or die…
