Fire. Everything was on hot, blue, fire. Natsuo didn't know what was happening. One moment Natsuo was watching his eldest brother Toya pushing himself past his quirk's limit all so Endeavor would be pleased, and the next, Toya was screaming. The younger boy didn't know what to do, so he ran to help. A single touch had jostled Toya's little control on his blue flame quirk, accurately named scorch. Blue flame erupted and everything was fire. That's when Natsuo passed out.

The next thing he knew, the Todoroki family was announcing the death of their oldest son and sibling. And Natsuo was left wallowing in the guilt of his brother's death. He had distracted his older brother. He had been the one to break the teen's concentration. He was at fault for Toya's death. Natsuo could never bring himself to tell Fuyumi or his mother. Endeavor never told them, but the threats the flaming hero made about the only ones who he cared for finding out about Natsuo's mistake was enough to drive him straight to college the moment he got the opportunity.

Natsuo Todoroki wasn't a coward. Yes, he'd left his youngest brother to the mercy of his abusive father the moment he'd gotten the chance. Yes, he'd left his sister behind to struggle in the toxic environment he'd barely managed to escape. Yes, it was his fault their eldest brother, Toya, was dead and nobody would talk about it. But he still wasn't a coward.

So when he'd gotten a call from a distraught and crying Fuyumi begging him to come home, Natsuo couldn't say no. He wasn't a coward.

Natsuo had pulled his car up to the innocent looking house in which he used to reside. In his three years away for college, he'd only ever visited on holidays and special occasions. Fuyumi had called him before, but she had never once questioned why he left or asked for him to return. For her to do so now scared him more than he'd ever willingly admit.

Natsuo had mustered all the courage he possessed and willingly walked back into the cage.

"Who the hell are you!?" Came a voice Shouto hadn't heard in a long time. Shouto pulled back in shock only to see his older brother Natsuo standing at the doorway to Izuku's room, Fuyui directly behind him. He felt, more than saw, Izuku stiffen and slowly back away from the confused and slightly angry face of his brother, the chain rattling slightly as he stepped.

"Natsuo?" Shouto breathed in confusion looking between the white haired man and his equally white haired sister. Natsuo didn't respond, his eyes still heavily trained on Izuku who was also scrutinizing the man, but with more caution.

Finally, his brother focused on Shouto.

"Hey Shou," He said with a slight smile, before his face immediately darkened, "Fuyumi, who is this?"

"YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME! THIS IS TOO LARGE OF A PROBLEM FOR YOU TO HANDLE!" Natsuo screamed at Fuyumi. He'd listened to his sister and brother's terribly dark explanation about the stranger's presence, and what was said made him angrier than ever at the man who was his father.

"I did tell you!" Fuyumi yelled. It was the loudest he'd ever heard the voice raised. "I called you, and showed you them, Natsuo!"

"YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME SOONER!" Natsuo hadn't meant to start yelling, but the entire situation had short circuited him, and he wasn't using his common sense.

"I KNOW!" Fuyumi cried, effectively stopping what Natsuo was about to say next, "Of course I know!" Fuyumi was crying again, "I was a coward, and I didn't know what to do! I still don't know what to do Natsuo! That's why I called you! Don't you see? You escaped this place! You escaped him! They need your help! I need your help!" As Fuyumi finished, her tears quickly turned into the loud sobs of someone who bared the weight of the world on their shoulders.

"No," Natsuo said ever so quietly, "I am a coward." Fuyumi looked up sharply at him. "I didn't escape. I ran. I ran and I left you, and I left Shou, and I never looked back." Natsuo swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat, his eyes trailing down to the floor, "I am a coward, Fuyumi," Natsuo looked up and met the watering, raw, eyes of his sister. His voice cracked as he uttered; "I'm sorry."

That was the final straw. Fuyumi threw herself at Natsuo and hugged him deathly tight. "Please don't leave again," She muttered desperately, "Please, I need you."

"I won't" He said, making the declaration both aloud and to himself, "I won't' leave you and Shou." Not again.

Izuku was scared. Shouto's brother had appeared just to start yelling, and it was activating some ingrained fear in him that a training session was about to begin.

Izuku was scared, but then Shouto was ensnaring him in another hug, and he was gently pulling his fingernails out of his bloody arms which were wrapped tightly around his knees. And Izuku wasn't as scared.

Izuku slowly became aware of his surroundings again, and he looked up into the beautiful eyes of his frein-... of Shouto. "You're okay," The beautiful teen murmured, "I've got you, you've got me."

The next thing he knew, Izuku was standing up (much to the hatred of his body and the chain firmly attached to it), and Shouto was cautiously explaining what had just occurred and who those two people had been.

Natsuo, Shouto said, was here to help. Izuku believed him.

Then Natsuo walked in closely followed by his sister. The man held out a hand. "Hello," He said with a slight grimace, "I'm Natsuo."

"Izuku," He responded, but didn't take the outstretched hand.

"Can I...help you?" The white haired Todoroki asked.

Izuku looked at Shouto. Then at Fuyumi, and then finally back to Natsuo.

"And Shouto?"

"And Shouto."

"A-and Fuyumi?" Natsuo nodded.

"All of you."

"...please."