The first day of Shoto Todoroki's second internship at his father's hero agency was far better than he expected. Even though he did not catch any of the criminals before Endeavor, he could tell his skills had improved since his last internship. This was noted after the fact by the #2 Hero who then led his three interns back to the office. Once there, the interns were assigned to take emergency calls.
"Well, so what?" the loud blond yelled into the phone from where he sat near the back of the office at the interns' table. "Some guy broke into your house, big deal! If I were you, I wouldn't be crying in the corner like a sniveling wimp. Yeah! I think you should!"
"Well, I will send someone to get Mr. Fluff…" Izuku Midoriya glanced to his right with a look of concern, but Shoto could only shrug. Emergency calls were the bottom of the rung in hero work and it was a skill Bakugo needed to learn.
As long as he didn't get anyone killed, it was fine. Right?
"Aim for the knees! I'm telling you that's an easy target!" Bakugo continued. "Or better, hit the left side. The spleen is- your left. Not mine!"
"Hey," Flamin' muttered as she walked past the table next to Shoto. "Endeavor wants to see you about another task."
"Uh," Shoto glanced at the silent phone to his right and nodded. "Right. Be right back." He still was not sure if what Bakugo was saying to do was legal, but he decided to let it go. It did no good to get on Bakugo's nerves this early in the morning. Shoto set his pen down and made his way to the office in the front.
What is it now? He didn't want to be given any special missions. It wasn't fair to Midoriya or Bakugo. If that's what it is, I will turn it down.
"What do you need?" he asked, walking into his father's office where the man was staring out the window at the vast city below. "You know you promised to-"
The heavy blow sent Shoto staggering backward, his teeth grinding against one another as his jaw was offset by force. "I asked so little of you." The voice in the back of his mind spoke aloud as Endeavor towered over him. "You disappoint me."
"I am sorry." Shoto automatically apologized.
"You've learned nothing."
The teen could only nod, even though he could feel himself shaking. If with fear or anger, he did not know.
"You are my son," the man he had come to forgive said as if his lies meant nothing. "You will not fall behind the others."
"Y-yes." He drew air through his misaligned teeth.
"Do not fail again."
"Yes." He watched the monster turn back to the window and the silence told Shoto he could leave. He took another shaking breath and tried to feel for a bruise on his face before walking toward the door. He did not need to trouble Bakugo or Midoriya. To them, it was all over. The man had changed- even promised to become a better person.
And I was such a fool. Shoto hated himself for everything. Everything he had done wrong. The lies he believed. The failure that he was. He reached the doors of Endeavor's office and after a second, walked into the main area where Midoriya waved to him from the back of the room. Shoto nodded in acknowledgment, disgustingly pleased with how well he had hidden his terror and anger.
He had been hiding his feelings for so long, it was too easy to deceive his classmate.
"Hey," Shoto said as he came over to the table where his classmates were still manning the phones. "Endeavor asked me to get lunch for the three of us. What do you want?"
He would be right back. All he needed was a minute to himself and lunch was a perfect excuse. He could come back after getting their meals and maybe he would forget what happened.
Besides, his father was trying to be a better person. Everyone made mistakes, right?
Shoto wanted to believe that.
He really did.
But the terror he felt trying to take control of him said otherwise. It told him to run. Run as far away as he could and never come back.
"You got it?" Bakugo asked again, snapping Shoto out of his thoughts.
"Yes." He said, realizing his hand came to touch his face for a brief moment as a twinge of pain shot through his jaw. "I have your orders."
"Thanks," Bakugo said. "I've been waiting for lunch all damn day."
"Well, it's not really that-" Midoriya's eyes caught a glimpse of the clock on the phone screen. "Are you sure we shoul-"
"It's lunch!" Bakugo screamed at him. "I don't give a damn about what the clock says! I'm hungry, Deku!"
"Uh-okay!" Midoriya wasn't sure that they should be sending Shoto out at 10 AM, but he didn't want Kacchan to be grumpy. "I guess I can eat mine later."
"Damn right!" Bakugo wasn't going to ask what happened, but he could tell something was wrong. He didn't know what, but his instincts said otherwise. "And you." He turned to Todoroki and shoved a wad of small bills his way. "Get me a different brand of bento and I'll kill you!"
Todoroki sighed and made a mental note of that. "Anything else?"
"No. Go get the food, already!"
Shoto nodded and put the list in his pocket. He made his way to the elevator and down to the ground floor. Soon, he was walking through the streets in search of nothing.
His chest ached and it was still hard to breathe. If from his injury or his emotions, Shoto did not care to think over the matter. All that mattered was that it was all a lie.
Everything his father said.
Shoto flipped open his phone and stared at the screen as he came to a halt on a side street. With Bakugo's demands, he could wander around for as long as he wanted. His shaking hands scrolled through the numbers. He needed someone. Anyone.
But I can't tell them.
He couldn't break his sister's heart. No. He wouldn't do that to her. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe I am overthinking this. It wasn't… He's hit me harder. Maybe I soft. Maybe that's how he is- I am just- someone picked up the other end of his call. Shoto paused as he did not realize he even called anyone.
"Hello, Young Todoroki! How can I help you, today? Do you have a homework question? Or perhaps you would like some more feedback on your last hero exam!"
Shoto shuddered as he realized what he had done. He had called All-Might. His teacher. His- no. Don't talk to him. Hang up. I can't talk to you. Dad said never to-
"Young Todoroki?"
I can't. The terror he had fighting took over, freezing his very heart with its invisible ice. I can't. Please. Please hang up.
"Are you there?" All-Might asked again.
Hang up. the voice in the back of his head demanded. Don't betray him. Don't disappoint-
"…Help me."
Help me, All-Might!
He wanted nothing more and the next words that reached his ears were ones he dreamed night after night of hearing: "I shall! For I AM HERE!"
Shoto nearly dropped the phone as he was overcome with a flood of emotions. He wanted it to be all right, but-
His trembling fingers ended the call.
What had he done?
He couldn't-
He just-
No. No. He's going to kill me. I-
The cellphone in his hands buzzed. It had to be All-Might- no one else would be-
"What happened?" his teacher demanded as he reluctantly answered. "Young Todoroki, please tell me what is happening."
"I-" his words were lost to him. He couldn't tell All-Might the truth. He-
"It's okay," All-Might said, his voice becoming gentle. "I know you didn't call about homework. I will stay here with you as long as you need."
"He…" Shoto began, trying to muster up the courage he always had in his imagination. His younger-self so much more brave than he would ever be. "He hit me."
It was all a lie.
I thought I could do this…
"I can't. I can't continue this internship."
That was the only truth he knew.
Shoto's teacher was silent. Is he disappointed in me as well?
"I understand," All-Might told him. "It's brave of you to call me. I will meet you at the station to take you back to the dorm. Then, we can figure out another arrangement."
"Yes."
"Are you hurt?"
"It's not tha- I think something's wrong with my jaw."
"Don't worry. I'll send you to Recovery Girl when you get here. Do you have someplace safe to wait?"
"I can wander around." He told his teacher. "Bakugo told me I have to bring him a specific bento box or he'd kill me."
"Smart." All-Might knew he was going to have to talk to Young Bakugo when he got back to the academy. "Do you have money?"
"Bakugo handed me…" Shoto pulled the wad of cash out of his pocket and counted it. "3400 yen."
"Then, head to the train station and get on the next one back to UA." All-Might wished he was not smiling so wide- it hurt! But by some miracle, Bakugo must have known what was going on.
"All right." Shoto put the money back in his pocket. "I will see you soon."
"I will stay on the phone with you until you get on the train." All-Might wasn't going to leave anything to chance. "And…I am sorry."
The last he had heard, Endeavor had promised to make things right.
"Thank you." Shoto had thought the following words often: "Thank you for saving me, All-Might."
A/N: Yeah. Another MHA Story. I wrote this in one sitting. Oops. But anyway, I still do not buy that Endeavor would suddenly become a better person because one plucky teen had a chat with him. But anyway, I really wanted to re-write some of the internship stuff. To me, it just seems so weird that Endeavor is a normal human being now- Not some abusive asshole with high expectations.