A/N: I'm gonna rant about language and culture in fanfiction. To the reviewer who ask what 'Kami' is—it's the word for God in Japanese. When I use it in the context of this story, it's essentially Japanglish, a mish-mash of English and Japanese. I hope it's not confusing, it's just how my mind reconciles a Japanese anime within an English-language written work. Exclamations, honorifics, and maybe a few borrowed words from Japanese can be found throughout my stories as a callback to the canon work's origins. For future chapters, I will do better to explain any non-English terms or phrases I might use (and any that might be pulled from Avatar, because there's a few of those, too)


Beifong shuffles into the house with her head hanging low, arms curled inward and wrapped in bandages. She admits to no discomfort, though he doubts she's fully healed because Recovery Girl tends to leave patients to recuperate naturally when she can. Ribs fractures, both wrists sprained, and a litany of bruises over the rest of her. Something about the tenor of Beifong's voice and the solemn gaze of his son suggests that the villain attack on their high school shook them both to the core, even though no one but the teachers were critically injured.

The two first years have already been through more harrowing situations than most teenagers their age, so the thought that this incident has them so thoroughly troubled isn't something Enji can just brush aside. Shouto trails after Toph like a shadow at her elbow, not touching but close enough that it makes no difference.

"I'm starving," the earthbender announces loudly as she peels off her shoes. "The last thing I ate were Recovery Girl's gummy candies."

Enji remembers those things. He hated them, the synthetic flavors never sat right with him. "There's onigiri in the fridge."

Toph's face twists in dismay as she ducks towards the kitchen. Not because there's food, but because she probably knows that Fuyumi's the only one that would make something like rice balls and she only cooked when she was worried. Enji's daughter is a strange combination of high-strung energy and earnest sensitivity, and the more he learns about her, the less he understands Fuyumi.

"Where's Fuyumi and Natsuo?" Shouto asks, raising his eyes to his father. "I thought they'd be home."

"Natsuo took Fuyumi out for dinner with his friends. They'll be back soon." He pauses, but not for very long. Enji's not a terribly patient man and this cannot be postponed. "Can we talk about the attack?" He asks, following Beifong into the kitchen. She's already piling rice balls onto a plate that is far too small for them. She compensates by holding an onigiri in her mouth.

"Don't act like it's a request," Shouto answers testily, sliding into the chair beside Toph. He doesn't even try to hide his concern, glancing at the earthbender openly as she settles in to eat. "I already told you my side of things," he adds pointedly.

Enji wants to assume Beifong is fine, with her acting so normal, but by her own admission she was not fine. Looking at her now, he can't actually see a problem, and that's even more troublesome. His own children weren't hard to read when they were upset, each of them acting out in different, noticeable ways. Shouto mouthed off too much; Natsuo raised his voice and knocked things over; Fuyumi curled inward and busied herself with making onigiri.

But Beifong? Unless she was at the point of actively crying, she has a very good poker face.

That being said, Toph was downright inscrutable right now. "You were seriously injured, Beifong. What happened?"

The girl chews her food thoroughly, giving herself time to think. "Can't you just read the police report?"

"No," Enji says shortly. "I'm asking you, right now."

"Fine," She murmurs blandly. "Villains entered USJ through a teleportation quirk. A lot of villains, maybe a hundred…"

Her story starts out the same as Shouto's, but when they reach her fight with the Nomu creature—Toph falls short. She gives them a report than matches up with what Shouto could tell Enji, but leaves them asking too many questions and receiving too few answers. The Nomu had already subdued Eraserhead, but Beifong chose to provoke the villain leader. The villain leader had her pinned down, spoke directly to her and knew her by name because of her intervention. All Might arrived on scene, yet she disobeyed the Number One Hero to return to the plaza.

"You weren't thinking at all, were you?" Enji stares at the mutinous girl. "None of you were authorized to attack—and yes, I'd still count your actions as attacks, but you're lucky the heroes on site didn't. Haven't you learned your lesson by now?"

Beifong doesn't answer, merely eats her food in stiff and furious silence. Shouto still doesn't know the details of her tangle with Stendhal and the Quirk Rumble, but maybe he should air out that issue to properly tell off this idiot girl...

"What happened with Midoriya, near the end?" Shouto asks, his mismatched eyes zeroing in on Beifong with an intensity Enji doesn't miss. "I still don't understand why Cementoss screened off you two with All Might."

Enji frowns. To his knowledge, the fight had ended with the arrival of the rest of the teachers, so he doesn't see why Cementoss would have to intervene at that point in the plaza.

Toph raises her head, and there's a distinctly uncomfortable, almost nauseous look on her face for a second. "That's my fault," she clicks her tongue and something shifts in her demeanor from worried to ashamed. "I used my quirk on Midoriya."

Shouto immediately freezes at her words, but Enji doesn't understand. "You… attacked a classmate?" He says dubiously. Surely he's missing something here.

"No," his son corrects him, "She earthbended Midoriya. Earlier, the two of them discussed the possibility of Toph being able to manipulate bones with her quirk. You actually did it?"

Toph picks at the rice on her fingers, distracting herself. "Yeah."

Shouto looks at her, bewilderment clear on his face. "And he was injured in the process, so Cementoss had to deal with both of your injuries—but why would you—?"

"He was going to attack the villains with that janky quirk of his," Toph snaps, and it's like the ice around her is thawing too quickly, poker face melting away into frustration. "He's not fast enough for that to work, he would've been killed or left crippled—I kept him in place, but either my grip was too tight or he fought it too much, because he—it—I snapped his fibula. And his right patella." She makes an odd, breathy sound, something not quite a sob, and ducks behind her bangs. "Fuck, I feel awful."

She digs her nails into the wooden edge of the table, and it's impossible to ignore the distraught look on her face or the furious edge to her tone. Enji hasn't seen her so affected since the Izumis passed away.

And all over what, a boy?

"...I see," Enji says, but he really doesn't. But Beifong is a teenage girl now, so there's probably a lot he's not going to understand. Kami, this better not be a crush situation. Natsuo gives him enough headaches about that business major girl he's courting.

"Toph…" Shouto looks at her, equally surprised by her miserable expression. "Midoriya doesn't blame you. He gave you the idea in the first place. You have nothing to feel guilty about."

Her face twists in dismay. "I don't—no, I guess you're right—" Toph scrubs a hand over her face, a complicated array of emotions playing out over her features before she settles down. "Don't worry about me," she sighs quietly. "It's just a lot to process. And, uh, using my quirk on Midoriya took a lot out of me."

If the school wasn't going to raise any questions about Toph's actions against another student, Enji didn't see why he should. Beifong clearly cares about her classmate anyway, and the more pressing concern is what the hell Shouto means by earthbending Midoriya's bones. How was that even possible?

"Using earthbending on a person…" Enji thinks hard for a moment, recalling what he already knew of the girl's quirk. Earthbending had always seemed like a straightforward power to Enji until he met Toph Beifong. "Your quirk has evolved," he says thoughtfully, peering at the unassuming teenager.

"...Evolved?" Toph repeats skeptically, slumping back in her chair. "That's not how quirks work," she rolls her eyes. "I'm just using it differently."

Enji steeples his fingers together, catching Shouto's eye for a moment before returning his gaze to the table. "Maybe that isn't the right word. But what you do isn't just moving rocks. It's never been just that."

Seismic sense. Metalbending. Bonebending. Her quirk wasn't strictly limited to earth… that had always been the distinction made between quirks and bending, in the early days of quirk history, when people began to rehash old legends and scriptures about the Avatar.

A bender's ability, in theory, was expansive, and ran deeper than the rigid rules that most quirks had to abide by. It's why elemental powers tended to be stronger; it was easy to build upon, and their simplicity paved the way to versatility. That's what made them so enviable, and at the very least, Enji had witnessed that sort of jealousy from countless people over the years, even from those with dreadfully fierce quirks of their own. Hell, even that Red Spirit, asshole informant that he was, waxed poetic about the dangerous implications of third- and fourth-generation quirked people developing elemental quirks. The newer generations of quirked people possessed more and more complex abilities, building from favorable components of a person's genetic makeup.

An elemental quirk from a first generation user wasn't nearly as complex and powerful as a third generation elemental quirk, like Enji's Hellflame. That being said, it was even more dangerous when you considered how three or four third-generation quirks would interact with each other if grafted into a single host—

Kami save him. He's been reading so many damn Avatar-cult publications that it's become a constant tangent to his thoughts. He'd already been familiar with this theory well before meeting Beifong, after all. Enji rubs a hand down his face, scratching at the stubble over his chin.

"Todoroki-san, what are you talking about?" Toph interrupts his tired mind, quirking an eyebrow at him. "What about my quirk?"

"Nevermind," Enji dismisses the idea. No need to get into quirk theory with this one, too. His own children had learned enough.

In fact, they're never had a serious discussion about Beifong's quirk before. Enji used to go over Shouto's ability with a fine-toothed comb, but it's been years since he tried to really pick apart what Shouto was and was not capable of. It's not something they need to talk about here, after the events of today, but…

He was their age when his real training began at UA, and if they were as serious as he was about being heroes, they could handle it if he pushed them. He'd talk to Shouto about using Flashfire, and sit Beifong down to explain what he knew about her element… after seeing them compete in the Sports Festival he'd have a better idea of how to broach the subject. He could already imagine how Shouto would take it. Talking with his sons was still a work in progress.

Enji glances at his phone for the time. He didn't have to patrol until tonight, but he'd spent so much time loitering around that damn school today, he ought to get to his agency early and make up for lost time. Plus, there was a meeting he had to make it to. "Detective Tsukauchi said you're on bed rest for today, Beifong." His eyes slide over to his youngest, imploring him to look after the little menace. "Please?" Is all that he says to the boy.

Shouto arches a single brow at Enji, amused. "Okay."

It's strange to think about, but he and Shouto wouldn't get along half as well as they do now if it weren't for Beifong and all the grief she gives them.

Toph pouts, curling over with crossed arms and narrowed green eyes, realizing that the Todorokis are ganging up on her. "I'm not tired. We didn't even get to train in class today—"

"You literally got slammed into the ground by an eight-foot-tall bird monster today," his son shoots her down. "Don't you know when to stop?"

"I'm healed, don't nag me." Toph's bottom lip juts out further, a perfect picture of moue. "I don't think I could rest even if I wanted to right now."

Enji checks the time again. "Beifong, you're on bedrest. That's an order. I have to go."

Her expression shifts to something like confusion, just missing the threshold for disappointment. "Go where?"

Shouto catches on faster. "You still have work today?"

"There's always more work," Enji grumbles, standing up from the table. "Shouto, don't let—"

"I won't let her train," his youngest finishes the sentence for him, and if Enji's not mistaken, there's something like a gleam of sharp mirth in his mismatched eyes. Of course there is. There's nothing like watching your father drown in his own hypocrisy.

"You're not allowed to train today either," He adds. A decade ago, Enji would never imagine he'd be checking in with his strongest son, asking him to take it easy, but this isn't even the first time he's restricted their training time.

Shouto had resisted Enji's teaching from very early on. It took a long time for Enji to understand why, but he learned to stop pushing, and Shouto thrived because of it.

Toph, on the other hand…. Toph didn't know when to stop. The Izumis had talked to him at length about the matter, while they were still alive and Toph was pushing every boundary they tried to set. There was a fire in her that Enji, at times, thought that Shouto could learn from. But it was a fire that blazed too hot, too quick, and the Izumis were the first to see it and the first ones to douse it. He would be doing them a disservice if he were to reverse that teaching.

"I'll be back tomorrow." Enji informs them, pocketing his phone.

Beifong gives a low whistle. "Late night patrol?"

"Late night meeting," Enji corrects. He hates the underground network. They took their title too literally. He's even had to check in with his contacts in actual sewers before, because spirits forbid they ever meet up at a normal time or place. "Natsu and Yumi will be back soon. Don't cause them any trouble, they're already upset about the attack."

"Yeah, yeah, we got it," the girl answers flatly.

He tugs his coat back on and casts one more sweeping gaze over the two youngest members of the household. Toph is half-laying over the kitchen table, a sure sign that she is exhausted despite how insistently she tries to deny it. Shouto stands in the doorway, his gaze lowered to the collection of shoes cluttering the entryway and his arms folded loosely over his chest.

They were fine. Or at least, they were resilient kids, and they would get over it.

And yet Enji is anchored to the spot, his gaze lingering over the two of them. If it weren't for the weight of his work phone in his pocket, a solid reminder of his responsibilities for the day, Enji thinks he'd rather plant himself right where he is; sprout roots into the ground, grow branches long enough to fence them in. Then, at least for a short while, they wouldn't be in any trouble.

Shouto eventually lifts his gaze to Enji, noticing that he's dawdling in the mudroom, and Enji wants to say something. He doesn't know what. But something.

Then his phone buzzes sharply with a call, and Enji breaks their staring contest to look at it. "I have to take this," he murmurs, ducking out the door and answering the call in one smooth motion.


"Is he mad?" Toph eventually breaks the silence lingering between them. Shouto looks back at her, still with her head resting on the table and bits of rice stuck to her fingers. Her voice isn't timid or concerned, but small, and Shouto feels much the same way.

He sucks in a deep breath, leaning against the countertop. "No. It might be something at the agency that's bothering him." Shouto wasn't all that skilled in picking apart his father's moods, solely because the Flame Hero wore his emotions on his sleeve. He's as straightforward as they come. "He was pretty upset when he first got to UA."

Toph blows a raspberry, only pulling herself up enough to rest her chin in her hands. "Worrywort."

"...Yeah," Shouto agrees, surprising himself. "I guess he is these days, isn't he?" His eyes narrow at Toph. "Because you get into so much trouble."

She makes an offended sound, flipping him the bird. "It's not all on me. He was all pissed last weekend because he watched your footage from the mock battles—"

Shouto gives her a sharp look. "He watched my footage? Damn old man, he's so nosy—"

"—then he kept requesting soba and soups from the kitchen staff, because he thought you dehydrated yourself using so much ice," Toph continues pointedly, raising her eyebrows.

Shouto's response dies in his throat. He did eat soba for three days straight after the mock battles, but he was never one to question the appearance of more noodles. Granted, he preferred cold soba and all they had was hot soba in broth, but he didn't think his father had anything to do with it.

"Hm."

Toph shrugs. "I'm just saying it's not all my fault. Plus, remember when Fuyumi went on a date and he threatened to use his police connections to stalk the guy?"

Shouto's eyes narrow once more, recalling that day differently. "Fuyumi said she went out with friends."

Toph cups her mouth, and speaks in a loud whisper. "It was a date, you dunderhead." As Shouto balks, trying to reconcile the thought of his sister dating someone, and Toph finally drags herself to her feet. "Y'think we have class tomorrow?"

"No, they already announced our day off. Hey, about Fuyumi's date—?"

"Cool, I'll go hiking." Toph decides bluntly. "I've been meaning to hang out with Shinsou, maybe he'll come with me…"

Shouto stares after her. "Toph… Toph. Does Fuyumi have a boyfriend—"

"—he's kind of a wimp, but I'm bored of the bike trail—" Toph turns a corner, waving a hand dismissively at Shouto. "G'night dummy."

Shouto sighs loudly, hoping Toph hears it and knows it's her fault he's going to worry about Fuyumi—who is shorter than even Toph, who is sweet and built for kind smiles—dating some unknown guy without letting the rest of the family even know his name. "Good night, Toph."


Enji peers at the dancing flames etched across his partner's eerie face. Or what passes as a face, in Takayama's case. Ryouichi Takayama, who barely passes for a partner in this damn case, is an insufferable underground hero that goes by the moniker Looking Glass. The only thing that keeps Takayama from being mistaken for a frail office worker is the silvery, reflective pantyhose mask he wears, turning his head into a lumpy round mirror attached to his shoulders.

Glass skims through a newly-released report regarding the UA attack. Enji read it earlier in the evening, before Glass deigned to show up to their rendezvous point, so he's stuck hovering impatiently over the underground asshole, waiting for the man's verdict. Endeavor keeps his flames low in the dim light, to not draw attention to the pair of them while they discuss the case, but the light is still captured in the warped reflection of Looking Glass's mask. They were beneath a fishing pier like a couple of drug dealers, and it smelled terrible.

"You made the news today," Glass says out of the blue. It's impossible to tell what the man is looking at, much less the expression on his hidden face, but Enji can hear the inquisitive note in his raspy, smoker's-lung voice.

"I always make the news," Endeavor points out.

"You made the news for this attack," Looking Glass clarifies mildly, flipping a page. "And you didn't even fight in it. That's pretty unusual for the Flame Hero."

Enji pulls his gaze away from the underground hero, as if that would be enough to stop the asshole from reading his expression like a book. He did make the news this evening. More specifically, his picture was scattered across the gossip channels like seeds tossed in a park, destined to be picked apart. UA generally handled the media very well in order to protect the privacy of its students, but an attack like this one meant media coverage—All Might's involvement was noticeable enough, but then Enji had arrived that afternoon and, well…

In particular, there was a very telling photo of Endeavor ushering Shouto and Toph into a black limousine, one hand on each of their shoulders. His flames were subdued enough for the discerning eye to see the complicated and tender expression on his face, looking over the pair of first years. Shouto seemed the most composed, his face turned to speak to Enji, but Toph is visibly shaken in the photo, pale and closed-off. Enji doesn't think she realized it at the time, but she had leaned back into his side like a cat seeking warmth.

Or, as the anchor on Channel 7 put it, like a daughter seeking her father's protection. It's all a pile of horse shit, but that's what people wanted to see, wasn't it?

"So, how much of this has to do with AV," Glass inquires, "And how much of it has to do with the unnamed geokinesis student that keeps popping up in this report?" Enji glowers silently at the man. "She seems like a recent addition, did the mother come knocking at your mansion for compensation—?"

"Glass," Endeavor cuts in frostily. "When did you start believing everything those gossip rags spout?" He waits a beat, letting himself seethe for just a moment, blazing internally but putting out the wildfire before it spreads out of control. Everyone is well aware that Endeavor keeps his personal life far away from the press, but Takayama is the only one that seems to think this is an unreasonable practice—he pries at Enji's life like a hungry beast, sniffing out scraps better than any journalist has managed.

It's just part of Looking Glass's nature, as one of the top interrogators in the country up there with Tsukauchi in the force and Dream-Catch with the Hero Commission, to stick his nose where it doesn't belong. And it's because LG is such an accomplished detective that Enji bothers tolerating such blatantly unprofessional invasions of privacy.

Doesn't mean I owe him any answers, Enji thinks rebelliously. Glass could theorize all he wanted about Beifong. He'll get closer to the truth than the paparazzi, but he won't know. Toph's records were sealed. Her tips were anonymous. Few people knew what she went through before cropping up at UA as some mystery offspring.

Enji cared very little about it. This wouldn't be the first time rumors surfaced about Endeavor having an extramarital affair or love child.

One of his newer sidekicks, Burnin', was rumored to be a relative when she first joined the agency. Hell, Miyuki Izumi of the Water Hose Duo was briefly gossiped as his secret lover after she was spotted leaving his office. Beifong may not enjoy it, and Endeavor thought it disrespectful for others to insinuate it, but rumors about her being his bastard daughter were both numerous and ultimately harmless.

"You're reading this report because of the Nomu's description, as given by All Might's testimonial. It fits with the forensics from Sendai, doesn't it?" Enji asks at last, steering them back to work.

Looking Glass hums vaguely, cocking his head to the side. "Ain't that dandy. So this League of Villains is probably working with the doctor we're after." He thumbs the page, humming some more. "I have news from the wonder twins, too."

A small hard drive is tossed to Enji, and he catches it with a frown. "The fuck is this?"

"Uh," Looking Glass tilts his head judgmentally. "I know you're getting up there, but surely you know what a USB stick is. If not, go ask one of your little sidekicks to help—"

"I mean, why don't you have any hard copies? Does it look like I carry a laptop in my utility belt?"

Glass huffs. "Was that a joke?"

"What's on the drive, Glass?" Enji deadpans.

The underground hero raises his hands in defeat. "Just some intel from the boys in Miyagi. Photos, mostly. Send 'em back to the fuzz in Sendai, there should be enough evidence to get warrants to enter a couple of hidey-holes in the mountains."

"The boys," Endeavor repeats dryly, placing the USB in his belt anyway. "You sure you're not getting too chummy with those illegals?"

"Aw, Endeavor, you know they're only illegal if you can pin a crime on them," Glass sounds like he's pouting under his mask, arms spread wide as if that'll make Enji trust him more. "Plus, they're more useful that you'd think. I'd reckon those two have beef with AV, just like you."

Enji gives Looking Glass an unimpressed look. "How soon can they get back to Tokyo?"

Glass tilts his head curiously. "Usually you ask, 'How soon will they leave Tokyo?'"

Enji thinks back to the discussion he had with the Chief of Police before he was able to access the files about the UA incident. "This incident changes things. It's risky enough for my agency to take tips from vigilantes—"

"Alleged vigilantes," Glass interjects cheerfully.

"But we need to talk in person, see what they know about the League," Enji concludes, clenching his jaw. "Tell the Red and Blue Spirits they're needed in Tokyo."


Toph groans loudly when she senses Shinsou's approach, a slow jaunty walk as he rolls a terrible no-good bicycle towards her. "This is our day off. We are not biking."

It doesn't matter that it's a clear and warm outside today, with just the slightest breeze in the air and birds tweeting around. No, it doesn't matter at all that this is an excellent day for bicycle riding, because Toph doesn't ride bicycles.

"It's a new bike," Shinsou points out, and she just knows he's grinning like a motherfucker. "We can still go hiking, I agreed to that. But I know you'll pick the hardest trail," he says. "If you're gonna torture me, I get to punish you too."

"Punish me? Control yourself Hitoshi, we're in public," Toph replies slyly. Shinsou literally trips over his own feet in response, which counts as a win for her. "Oh, that one got to you, didn't it? Loser," she cackles.

Toph Beifong and Hitoshi Shinsou have been friends for four years now, and for good reason. Having villain parents tends to blacken one's sense of humor—so now, Hitoshi's cynicism meshed well with her own. Toph could joke with Hitoshi about things that would make Inasa squeamish or leave Shouto confused. Maybe it was a coping mechanism, but mostly Toph just saw it as part of their friendship.

It probably started around the time that Natsuo introduced Toph to dirty jokes and Hitoshi got a smartphone and discovered internet humor. No matter the instigating factor, at some point in junior high the two of them entered a game of chicken and they've been goading each other with vulgar jokes ever since.

Shinsou groans. "Here I was offering you wholesome fun, and your gross mind had to go there," he complains, flicking out the kickstand and letting go of the bike's handles. Toph laughs, a clever response forming on her tongue. But then Shinsou take a step too close, and without a word envelops her in a tight hug.

"Ah," Toph manages to get out a single syllable before the rest of her sentence flies off into the void. His heart beats steadily under her ear, and she wraps her arms around his torso obligingly, feeling the tension in his frame. "I'm okay, Snoozles, sheesh."

His hold tightens around her for the briefest moment before she's released from the cage of his long arms. "I was worried," he says quietly, hands still resting on her shoulders. "Yoarashi and I wanted to wait for you yesterday, but Endeavor showed up at the gate and I figured we'd give you space."

Toph rolls her eyes. "Please, like a couple of no-name villains could take me down," she scoffs, but nothing she does can erase the tight, coiling delight in her chest. Toph doesn't know how to address just how touched she is by their concern. She had texts from most of her classmates flood in after the incident too, in a group chat too fast-paced for Toph to keep track of with her text-to-voice app. Inasa had talked to her for over an hour last night, and the only reason he wasn't joining them today was because he was with Shouto, probably trying to bundle him in bubblewrap.

"Of course not." Shinsou's hands slip off her shoulders, settling once more on the bike and quickly moving onto less serious concerns. "So. Bike ride?" Toph frowns. "Pout all you want, you big baby."

She scowls instead. "Do we have to?"

"Come on, it's not like this is your first time." Shinsou pauses, registering the innuendo at the same time as her. "Hah. Don't worry, I'll be gentle with you."

"Shut it," Toph can feel heat creep up her face, but stubbornly moves towards the contraption, resting her hand on the seat. "Huh, this is different. I actually get to sit down now?" Toph points to the back wheel, which has a flat metal grate affixed to the top of it. There's also a larger basket in the front of the bike, currently holding Shinsou's stuff.

"I did say it was new," he agrees, balancing on the bike but leaving the kickstand down. "Just keep your feet away so I don't hit you while I pedal."

Carefully, Toph climbs on, already disliking how precarious the balance is. It's easier than standing on the back wheel, but she still anchors herself with the back of Shinsou's t-shirt. "A train would be faster."

"Aren't I better company, though?" Shinsou quips right back. "On a bike there's no gross businessman to leer at you."

"Nah, you're gross all on your own," Toph jibes automatically, lifting her legs carefully so Shinsou can begin to pedal.

"You always say the sweetest things," Shinsou croons, making a tight turn.

Toph resists the urge to jab him in the ribcage, looking thoughtful. "But actually, Shinsou, do… do people ever look at me weirdly on the train?" She doesn't often think about how she looks or dresses, but Endeavor did once tell her that she fit the profile of most female victims of predators, which is not something she's likely to forget anytime soon.

"No," Shinsou assures her quickly, "I mean it might happen, but I haven't noticed anything besides that guy last summer, the bird-mutation man?" Toph cringes, remembering the encounter. She'd been on the train with Shinsou and his father, returning home after dark, and even standing with an adult and a friend there had been some dude staring at her for five stops. "Are you gonna keep taking the train to class? The chances are higher the more often you travel alone."

"I don't need a driver," Toph reminds him firmly. "And you know I can take care of myself—"

"I know, I know, but you literally—" Shinsou clicks his tongue, annoyed but not with her. "You don't see how creepy people can get. It's messed up. But it's not illegal to stare, so like—at least keep Todoroki around to do the scary look for you."

Toph barks out a laugh. She'd argue further about the whole creeps on public transportation issue, but the truth is Toph doesn't want to run into weirdos if she can help it. The excess vibrations from the train tracks coupled with her normal footwear means her sight is pretty limited in train cars. Toph instead focuses on the latter portion of Shinsou's words. "The scary look? Hey, is that a thing now? I think my classmates are afraid of him."

"Really? Why would…" Shinshou trails off thoughtfully. Then he chuckles, and she can feel the vibrations of his chest through the back of his shirt. "I bet Todoroki has never been in a men's locker room before UA, has he?"

"Huh?" Toph raises her eyebrows. "I mean, yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?"

He clears his throat. "Well, think about it. What kind of things do girls talk about in the locker room?"

"Boys," Toph answers without hesitation. "Like, relentlessly. Who's cute, who's handsome, who's just hot. I had no idea there was a difference until I met Ashido. Also, like, bra sizes and shit." She listens for a moment, and Shinsou doesn't respond verbally but she sure can hear his heart rate go up. "Aw, you're embarrassed," Toph laughs again.

"Didn't think you would tell me so quickly," Shinsou mutters, his heart still thumping. "But, uh, my point is—guys talk about girls the same way. Aaaand there's a pervy kid in 1-A, right? The short one?"

"Yeah?" Toph agrees, surprised Shinsou already knows about the kid. "What, the sticky kid said something gross and Shouto's protecting my honor?" She guesses, half-joking.

But Shinsou just hums in response, not laughing along with her, and her humor dies quickly. "I think that's exactly it, Beifong."

"Oh, come on," Toph quirks an eyebrow, "Really? It's one thing if it's the perv guy, but Shouto totally scared off Midoriya the other day."

"Midoriya?" He questions. "Haven't met him."

"He's like a puppy in human form," Toph explains.

Shinsou snorts. "Maybe Todoroki doesn't like dogs."

"I'm serious, Snoozles," Toph presses, tapping his back insistently. "It's ridiculous, and he can't be so hostile with everyone."

"Todoroki's just overprotective," Shinsou offers honestly. "That's his default…. And not just because you're a girl. He checks in with Yoarashi a lot to talk about training. Hell, he texted me after the first day of school asking if anyone had given me trouble about Puppetmaster."

Toph's eyebrows shoot up her forehead in surprise. "That's… huh, that's…"

"Overkill?"

"Sweet," Toph settles on, though for some reason she almost feels dismayed now. "I mean, I never thought about asking you that, even though we started a new school."

"You don't have to, no one's mentioned it," Shinsou assures her, slowly pressing on the brakes to bring the bike to a stop. Toph lets her foot drop to the pavement for a moment, feeling the cars roll by as they wait for the light to change. "But it was nice of him to ask. Todoroki's kind of oblivious at times, but he's… thoughtful when he tries."

Toph lifts her foot and readjusts her grasp on his shirt as he begins pedaling again. Despite how perceptive she is, Toph knows she's not the most sensitive person. She doesn't want to be, anyway. But she cares about her friends. It just never comes naturally to her—hugging someone after they've been through danger, checking in to see if they're okay. She's not that kind of person. Maybe because she's just… not a kind person.

She snorts to herself. If I was a kind person I'd be sitting still and prettily for the Beifongs right now, Toph decides. Kindness is overrated.

"Shouto needs to lay off," Toph concludes, brushing aside her other thoughts. "I can handle classmates on my own."

Shinsou chuckles. "I don't doubt it. I kinda wanna watch you kick Class 1-A's ass."

"What, all of them?" Toph grins. "Just wait for the Sports Festival, I'll kick their asses and yours too."

"Are you sure about that?" Shinsou taunts immediately. It's like he's dangling a fishing line before her, he's so obvious when he asks her Questions.

Except. Well. Toph has never not answered Hitoshi. She ain't a coward. And Toph can't help but run her mouth, so.

(She may have a hard time in the future, fighting Shinsou for real.)

"I'll end your whole life—" And then Shinsou's quirk hooks her, entering her into a pleasant fog.

Bastard, she thinks, the only coherent thought left.

It only lasts a second, and then consciousness rushes back in. Toph jerks forward with a shriek to regain her balance before she slides right off the bike. "You little bitch," she gripes, clutching around Shinsou's torso like it's a lifeline. "I'd rather you just throw me off the bike at this point."

Shinsou, who's been laughing his ass off this entire time, doesn't even jolt when she grabs him, the bike still gliding along smoothly. Just goes to show how much practice he's had balancing with a squirmy earthbender. "Sorry," he says, utterly unrepentant. "You really were asking for it though."


When they get to the mountainous area outside of the prefecture, Shinsou lives up to his word. He lets her choose the hardest route, a trail that's borderline rock climbing, though he does whine every time she tries to pick up their pace. He's not weak, not after years of her bossing him around on bike trails and playgrounds, but he's also done very limited physical training. And the mountainside is basically Toph's ideal terrain, so she has the edge over him. She knows where to step to avoid loose rocks, how to shift her weight properly without even thinking about it as she ascends.

Toph cuts him some slack after an especially difficult stretch of terrain, earthbending them a smooth bench to stop and rest on. They collapse on the earthen ground side by side, dusty and more than a little sweaty under the midday sun. Her wrist tingles with a strange ache, probably still sore from yesterday, but it doesn't stop her from punching Shinsou in the arm for good measure. "Slowpoke," she grumbles, sitting up.

"Ow," Shinsou laughs, falling over onto his side. He lifts his head. "Is this abuse?" He asks, not for the first time.

Toph presses the palm of her hand over his forehead and shoves him away. "If it is, you have an odd way of reacting."

He gives a low hum of complaint. "But it hurts so good," Shinsou says, head tilted against her hand as he sits up. Except his voice isn't sarcastic like she expects—instead it's low and throaty. Something about his voice strikes differently; thrums like harmony from an untuned instrument. It's nice. It's very nice.

Then he reverts to a familiar deadpan, "Harder, babe."

Toph slides her hand away from his forehead and she swats his arm. "You're a freak," she complains.

Shinsou huffs. "Sadist," he grouses, though he's not even trying to move away anymore. For all his bravado, she can hear the quickened pace of his heart. He's kind of embarrassed, but she doesn't know why.

"That makes you a masochist," Toph volleys back, like nothing's changed, like she's not thinking about how deep his voice has gotten compared to when they first met. It's the only thing that keeps this from being totally new territory.

"Only for you," Shinsou keeps his head ducked down, hanging over her shoulder. His words are suddenly velveteen, wrapping her in warmth that has nothing to do with his quirk or the sun beating down on them. "You can do whatever you want to me."

"That's—" Toph can't even get the words out, her tongue turned to lead. This is a terrible new addition to his arsenal. Not only for when they were joking around; Toph can imagine the sort of efficacy his quirk will have if he did something like this in a fight.

He chuckles suddenly. "You're looking feverish. Was it something I said?"

This is unfair. Shinsou has definitely said more embarrassing shit than this without leaving her speechless. All he's done is lean closer and talk slower, it shouldn't—it doesn't—affect her at all, no way.

"You're just trying to stall me, aren't you?" Toph says abruptly, brushing her bangs back. "C'mon Snoozles, let's keep climbing."

"Already?" Shinsou fusses, getting to his feet after her. "We were just getting started."

Yeah, you've started something alright, Toph can't help but agree.

She steps off the platform and crushes it back into the mountainside, rotating her wrist a few times to rid herself of the continuing ache in her hand. "You're just a slacker, c'mon."

"You're a slave-driver then," he answers back, wicked fast. He still follows her up the trail though, easily brushing off the potent, blatant tension that had built up in the moments between them. He probably has a stupid, smug grin on his face now. "Gonna whip me into shape, huh?"

"Yeah, I'll ask Midnight for her cat o' nine tails," Toph replies, glad she's facing away from him now. There's a nice breeze up here, but it's not cooling her down fast enough.

"Yikes, I take it back," Shinsou shivers, melodramatic. "I can't do masochism, I'm scared of that whip."

"Fair enough, I've heard upperclassmen stories about her," Toph agrees halfheartedly.

Suddenly the earth beneath her trembles, ever so slightly. Which should be generally seen as alarming, but damn if Toph isn't glad for the diversion.

"What was that?" Shinsou asks automatically, coming to a stop against a tree. "An explosion?"

"Maybe?" Toph kicks a shoe off easily, digging her toes into the ground and ignoring Shinsou's pointed comment about her dirty feet. The earth itself isn't trembling, there's no disturbed rocks tumbling down to worry about. There's just—people. Voices. Toph snorts loudly. "No need to worry," she promises, tugging her sneaker back on.

"What?" Shinsou asks suspiciously. "What is it?"

The voices carry over to them, echoing through the trees. The two of them wait, close to the crossroads of two hiking trails, and before long two boys appear around the bend, arguing loudly.

"—telling you it was nothing! Fuck off, Shitty Hair—"

"Aw, I'm only trying to understand, I mean it was… oh! Yo! Bakugou, look! BEIFONG! HEY!" Kirishima howls in their directions, quickly falling into a light jog to meet them.

Toph never thought she'd think this, but Thank Kami for Bakugou and Kirishima.

"Yo!" She calls back, raising a hand to them.

"Oi, don't you run off on me—!" Bakugou snarls, stomping after the cheerful boy at a more sedate pace.

"Beifong!" Kirishima slows down as he nears Toph, but doesn't actually stop—and before she knows it, she's being tackled backwards by a hundred-and-something-pounds of sweaty teenage boy. He smells like earth and some brand of deodorant she doesn't recognize, and there's also a sort of human musk she wouldn't normally notice but her face is being crushed against his shirt—

"It's good to see you, dude, I'm glad you're okay!" Kirishima exclaims, hugging her like a clingy octopus. She barely knows Kirishima, so she's more than a little surprised.

Toph pats his back twice before shoving him from her, nose wrinkling a bit. Shinsou has a hand clamped over his mouth, but she can still hear him snickering. "Ugh, don't jump me like that," Toph tells him sourly, doing her best not to snap at Kirishima. He's like a big puppy, much like Midoriya, she'd feel bad if she yelled at him. "I'm fine. Enough mushiness."

"Sorry, sorry," Kirishima laughs brightly. "But you looked rough after USJ, dude! You got, like, actually crushed, like Aizawa, I saw the crater. Your mouth was all bloody, and—well," he stutters over his words, "It was scary, when you and Midoriya got taken away."

Toph sighs. She's already gone through all this with Shinsou, but Shinsou wasn't there—and right now he's quiet, and seems to be listening closely to Kirishima's account. "It wasn't as bad as it looked. Definitely nothing to hug me over." Bakugou finally makes it over to the three of them, and she jabs a finger in his direction to derail the conversation. "If you ever hug me, I'll kill you."

"Like I'd ever want to, Earth Bitch," Bakugou sneers, and Toph can't help but grin because it's the most normal response he could've given. "Don't smile at me, fuckin' loser…and who the fuck are you? You look like a dead fish."

Shinsou hums noncommittally. "Beifong, you know this thing?"

"Thing?!" Bakugou must be frothing at the mouth. Kirishima quickly lays a hand on Bakugou's shoulder.

"Technically we're all things," Kirishima laughs nervously, giving Bakugou a hard pat on the back.

Toph just bites her lip, suppressing a grin. "These are my classmates," she elbows her friend lightly. "Kirishima and Bakugou. This is Shinsou, he's in 1-B."

"Nice to meet you!" Kirishima thrusts out a hand at him. Bakugou just growls like an untrusting dog. "I'm Eijirou Kirishima!"

"Hitoshi Shinsou," he answers flatly, shaking the proffered hand. "You were both at the villain attack, right?" He asks, but there's an odd inflection to his voice. Not like he's going to activate his quirk, but like he's about to do something really rude and wear a resting bitch face the whole time.

"O-oh, yeah," Kirishima answers, sounding a little perplexed. "Hah, it was pretty crazy!"

"Mm, that's what it seems like," Shinsou murmurs, and there's no way to mistake the derision in his tone. "You guys must be so impressive to survive a fight like that."

Oh. He's starting a fight, Toph realizes, keeping her expression carefully neutral. If Shinsou wants to dig his own grave, that's his prerogative.

"Hah?!" Kirishima squeaks, growing upset. "What the heck dude!"

Bakugou, on the other hand, is silently broiling. "Forget it, Shitty Hair. Extras like this one don't even matter."

"What?" Kirishima yelps, beyond confused.

Shinsou hums, rubbing the back of his neck. Toph feels like there's a lot being said without words, because Bakugou is getting antsy now. "Is this what Class A is like, Beifong?" He pauses, rather dramatically. "What a let down."

Even Toph feels the sting from that one. Bakugou literally snarls at the taller student.

"I hope you get complacent at the top," Shinsou continues smoothly, delivering acerbic words like he's spreading butter on warm bread. "Then I'll sweep your feet out from under you."

Toph wants to slap him, bark something derisive to cut through the chilly tension he's created, but that wouldn't be honest, would it? Shinsou's not lying about anything right now. Like earlier, when she'd promised to kick his ass if they were matched up in training—the brainwasher certainly won't go down easily. Of course, he's doing it in a totally different way than before.

"OH," Kirishima yells at last, jerking the two other boys out of an impromptu staring contest. "This is about the Sports Festival, isn't it?! Dude, that was so manly!" Kirishima pumps a fist. "But couldn't you wait till we were back in school before declaring war?!"

She snorts. You can only get so intense before the spiky guy kills the tension with his sunny personality.

"Probably," Shinsou deadpans, rolling with the swift change in the atmosphere. "But I figured I'd make a good first impression, while you're here."

"Tch," Bakugou's hands twitch, but don't leave his pockets. "Is that all you had to say, you purple fuck?"

"Well, I am still waiting to see if 1-A is really all they say it is," Shinsou shrugs. "That's no joke."

"You can't really mean that," Kirishima gives another nervous laugh. "I mean, aren't you two friends? Beifong, you're okay with him saying stuff like this? Shinsou, dude, it's like you're asking for a fight!"

Toph raises her eyebrows at the question. "Yeah, we're friends," she replies, setting her hands on her hips. "We're also rivals. We all are." Then she flashes a smile. "To be fair, I wasn't gonna start picking fights until we were on campus. Right now I just wanna get to the summit and Shinsou is still stalling me."

"Not true," Shinsou denies, but he also exhales a short puff of laughter. "You never said we were going to the summit, that'll take ages."

Toph sticks out her tongue. "That's quitter talk, Snoozles. If you were on my level, it'd be easy."

"Your level?" Shinsou scoffs, waving a hand in dismissal. "Hard pass. Kneeling hurts my legs."

Kirishima can't help but snickers alongside Shinsou. Bakugou just clicks his tongue, but she gets the sense he's amused too, so Toph gives them all an unimpressed look. "Don't forget we're on a mountain, boys. I can kick you off it anytime I want."

"That's illegal," Shinsou gasps. "I'm calling Endeavor."

"Oh, fuck off," Toph punches his arm. Shinsou yelps, but then he just laughs at her.

Kirishima swivels his head between the two of them curiously. "Um, actually—" he pauses, and Toph can tell he's probably looking at her now. "I have questions—and I know this is also very personal, Toph, but like, Endeavor was in the news after the USJ attack—" Toph arches an eyebrow. She hasn't heard any of the news coverage about the incident, but she did hear photographers clicking away when she left campus. "Is… is Endeavor your dad?"

Toph's eyes widen. "What."

Shinsou slaps a hand over his mouth and turns away from them, cackling.

"What? It's an honest question!" Kirishima insists. "I mean, you went home with the Todorokis. But last time when I asked if you were siblings you said no?"

Maybe she should've listened to the news before leaving the house… Toph rubs the back of her neck, trying not to frown. "We're not related," she grounds out. "The Todorokis are very private people, so I don't talk about it. I was adopted by their family last year."

"O-Oh." Kirishima balks. "I'm being really insensitive again, aren't I?"

"Don't sweat it, I'm not a very sensitive person," Toph deadpans, crossing her arms. "If it's in the news like you say, I'm sure the rest of the class will ask too." She chews on her lip, brow furrowed. "I don't consider him my father. And Shouto's been my friend for years, but I have a little brother that lives with his blood relative now and—it's just complicated. I don't like explaining myself."

"I see…" Kirishima says, subdued now. "Sorry for asking."

Toph shrugs, not really knowing where to go from here.

"I'm leaving," Bakugou barks out, spinning on his heel and marching away from the conversation. "Fuck all of you."

Bakugou may have the shortest fuse in the world, but she really is grateful for it right now.

"Oi!" Kirishima jolts. "Bakugou, hey!" He begins to go after the explosion boy, but then turns back to Toph and Shinsou. "Which trail are you on?"

Bakugou growls. "The fuck does it matter—"

Toph laughs, utterly delighted for the chance to mess with Blasty. "Wanna hike together?" She guesses. "We're doing the Kamikura route."

"We should join your trail!" Kirishima suggests, vibrant as the summer sun as he talks over Bakugou. "Why not? Kamikura is a hard route, right Beifong?"

"Oi," Bakugou yanks him backwards. "I didn't agree to shit, I ain't about to drag along the blind bitch and her purple sidekick—!"

"Bakubro! It's Beifong—you're probably a great climber to make it this far up! Plus, this is like, the only free day we're gonna have until after the Sports Festival, we should enjoy it together!" Kirishima declares, throwing an arm around Bakugou that the explosive boy immediately shoves off. "Shinsou, what do you think?"

"I don't really care," Shinsou claims, insouciant to a fault. He's like a cat, sometimes, Toph has noticed. Weirdly antisocial but also craving attention. "Either way Toph's making me do this."

Kirishima, willfully overlooking his mood, claps his hands amicably. "... Alright, so we're all hiking together!" he decides gleefully. Toph hears both Shinsou and Bakugou mutter swear words, and bursts into laughter.

"Fuck off, Earth Girl. We're wasting time," Bakugou grumbles, taking the lead to begin their ascent to the summit.

"You sure gave in quickly," Toph notes.

"You wanna die, shithead?" Bakugou snarls her way.

"You first, asshole," She answers easily, not even reacting to the small explosions crackling on his palms as she walks past him. Having learned from their past arguments, Bakugou doesn't try to grab her, and Toph doesn't try to earthbend him into a shallow grave. Neither of them have to say it—they'll save their fight for the Sports Festival, when it actually means something.

"Hey Bakugou, are you the guy Toph bit in the entrance exam?" Shinsou speaks up randomly.

Kirishima chokes. "What?" Bakugou swiftly turns around to threaten the two of them.

"I—!"

"We're over that, Shinsou, he bit me during our mock battle," Toph says dismissively.

"What?" Kirishima repeats, in a higher pitch. Then he starts to laugh. "Okay, now I have to hear the story."

Bakugou slowly raises his hand and sets off an explosion over Kirishima's face. But Kirishima keeps laughing, his face hardened and completely unfazed. "Shut the fuck up, hair-for-brains—"

"B-But you bit each other, I can't believe the strongest students in class are such children—" Kirishima jerks out of reach before Bakugou can smack him. "Ha! Race you all to the top!" Kirishima declares hastily, scrambling away.

"Oh, like any of you can beat me," Toph scoffs, bounding forward to pass them both.

"Fuck all of you!" Bakugou follows.


Hitoshi strolls up to meet them at the top of the summit eventually, while Bakugou and Beifong argue loudly over what constitutes as the end of their race. Kirishima is flat on his back, panting in the shade of a tree. They're all gross and drenched with sweat through their clothes, but all he feels is a slight burn in his legs from the climb.

Honestly. Hero students were so easy to manipulate.

He offers a water bottle to Kirishima and sits down next to the red-haired boy. "How long have they been at this for?"

"At least ten minutes," Kirishima replies, accepting the water with a grateful smile. He glances at the two shouting teenagers fondly. "I don't think they're gonna stop any time soon."

"Good," Hitoshi says, laying down and closing his eyes. "I needed a nap anyway."


You'd expect a man like Endeavor to make a ruckus entering a room. Bursting through doors, flames dancing around almost too close for comfort, heavy boots stomping hard enough to feel the vibrations through your toes. That's exactly how Endeavor makes an entrance. It's a known fact about the Number Two Hero. He's fierce, he brings the flaming wrath of justice down on anyone in his path, and he's never seen in public without his blazing suit of fire.

Two men crouch in the rafters of a dark warehouse, silent and motionless as the minutes tick by. The warehouse isn't ideal for a number of reasons, the most pressing concern being the poor visibility throughout the building. The rafters gave the best vantage point, but it also left them an easy target. Still, that was part of the reason this was the meeting place.

Neutral ground and all that shit.

Endeavor enters the room darkly, a trench coat over his costume leaving him desaturated to an inky black without any fire to glint off his belt or regulators. His sidekick is similarly un-ignited, a tall and slender woman with a shark-like grin and an assortment of grenades wrapped over her like an explosive corset.

"Yoo-hoo, LG!" The woman calls out sweetly, her energy vibrant and blinding even in the dirty, damp warehouse. "Come out and play! I'm dyin' ta see our spooks, it's been too long!"

Beside her, Endeavor is blissfully silent. The men in the rafters exchange looks, equally mute. The sidekick is not a new one, just a headstrong hero that didn't know when to hold her tongue. Burnin' was good because she could speak a lot of words without giving anything away.

"It's too early for that kinda energy, babe," comes the raspy response, as a slim man with a reflective head strolls out into the center of the room. "You'll scare off the little demons."

As he says this, the two men in the rafters drop down one after the other, landing with little more than a whisper. All eyes turn to them, though it's only Burnin' that perks up in delight. Endeavor's expression is flat and impassive. Looking Glass gives them a gruff nod.

The two newcomers wear hard, carved masks, completely hiding their faces. One mask is painted deep red, with a scowling mouth carved out wide enough to see the beginnings of a human mouth behind it. Besides the mask, they wear plain, black clothes. In dim light, the scowling mask is all the more intimidating, eerie floating in space alongside twin silvery katanas. The Red Spirit's reputation grows each day, a menacing presence that haunts alleyways. Controversial as he may be, the Red Spirit has successfully deterred petty crime in four prefectures over the past six months.

Touya's mask is blue, with a grinning face and no mouth piece carved through it. He doesn't have a prehensile tongue like Stendhal, so there's no need for it. The swords he uses are tempered differently than the Red Spirit's katanas to work in tandem with Cremation, though he tends to replace them more often. Touya doesn't have any reputation at all, and he doesn't patrol like a wannabe hero, but he's been spotted beside the Red Spirit often enough that a nickname developed for him anyway.

"The Blue Spirit, in the flesh! You look dashing as ever!" Burnin' beams his way, as subtle as a freight train. He doesn't answer, but blows her a kiss because it pisses off both Endeavor and Stendhal.

"What's the big deal, calling us back here?" Stendhal cuts to the chase, his voice low and gritty. "The Miyagi syndicate's been handled by the local police, LG must've told you."

"I'm aware," Endeavor is the one to speak this time, his eyes intense as he looks between the three masked men. "The evidence is still circumstantial, but it looks like we're being forced to expand this case." There is no doubt that Endeavor is beyond angry about this.

"Oho," The reflective man, Looking Glass, is the first to recover. "The hell does that mean?"

"It means more police interference, and bringing out the big guns!" Burnin' chirps, her face still cheery despite the edge to her voice.

Endeavor was supposed to be the big guns. That was the whole point of cooperating with Looking Glass, a down and dirty sort of underground hero that Stendhal and Touya stumbled across a year ago. With LG's help, they dove into the web of horrors that was Amon's Vision. This is about the same time that Stendhal and Dabi started going by the Red and Blue Spirits, sporting theater masks and dual blades. They worked with the silver-masked man on a number of smaller cases, and LG learned to look the other way when Stendhal or Touya took the lead.

At some point, they gained a good enough rap to stop the current cases against them. And that's when LG introduced the Spirits to the current group in charge of the official investigation of Amon's Vision—the Flame Hero Agency.

Touya recalled his middle-school-level reading terms the first time he laid eyes on Endeavor as the Blue Spirit. Dramatic irony, that's the fucking word.

At the moment, Touya is looking pointedly at the Flame Hero in silent accusation. They were risking a lot by being in contact with the Number Two hero—Touya is suffering a lot, looking at the Number Two Hero—and yet the damn investigation is going nowhere.

Endeavor doesn't sneer, but he certainly looks annoyed. Without any flames over his face, it's all too easy to make out the twitches of frustration rippling over the hero's expression. He looks… old.

Finally, the Flame Hero responds. "There was an attack on UA last week."

That's the last thing he expected Endeavor to say. Touya heard about the attack, but he'd been working in Miyagi for the past month and rarely had access to cable news.

Stendhal clicks his tongue. "What of it?"

"One of the attackers was an experiment, some modified host grafted with multiple sets of DNA." Endeavor gestures to the sidekick, who brings out files for them to flip through. "That alone would be enough to get me involved, but—" and here, for the first time, Touya watches the Flame Hero struggle for words; hears a sliver of emotion strangle his voice. "There are also four students that were admitted to UA this year that have been previously targeted by Amon's Vision."

"Including your kids," Looking Glass points out, going for the kill like a huntsman loosing an arrow.

Touya stiffens, but no one notices because Endeavor freezes too and it's much more noticeable. Kids, LG said, plural. But only Shouto Todoroki could be in UA, his siblings are older and out of high school.

"Yes," Endeavor agrees evenly. Touya has no idea what to think of that. "They were involved from the start, back when I worked the Elementals case."

"Back when you forgot the Elementals case," Touya mutters frankly, surprising even himself for a moment. His voice is carefully muffled by the mask, and he gives no hint of emotions curling over his limbs, blazing in his chest, but hearing him speak at all draws attention from everyone.

"Yes," Endeavor answers neutrally. "Though I don't recall the Spirits being active back then, so don't presume to know how it all went down, brat." He gives the young man a calculating look, searching for any reaction. Touya knows the Flame Agency is putting together profiles for him and Stendhal, though, and holds his tongue.

"We know enough," Stendhal cuts in, effectively dragging the hero's focus away. "So we know you're only interested in this case because you've lost to AV before."

Touya pulls his eyes from the Flame Hero casually, picking through the report handed over to him. Nothing seemed to be redacted, though the report wasn't as complete as Touya thought it should be. He pauses over the students mentioned in the file, hands going still. First year students. No names had been given, but there were two students that got close enough to the villain leaders to give detailed reports. A male student with super-strength, and a female student with geokinesis.

Touya will be twenty-four this year. When he entered the Quirk Rumble, he'd been sixteen years old. She had been so small the first time they'd met. Scrawny and agile, with unfathomable strength. Eight? Nine years old? That meant she could be as old as sixteen by now.

No. It was impossible to imagine her as a teenager so soon. It couldn't be her.

His hand is shaking. He quickly curls his fingers into a fist so it's less noticeable.

Endeavor gives a sharp exhale through his nose, just shy of igniting the air like an irritable dragon. "My point," he continues, looking Touya in the eye again, blue to blue, so dead-on that he panics for a moment thinking Endeavor could see turquoise irises mirrored in the depths of his mask—"is that there could be a correlation between the attack and the students. The villains claimed to be after All Might, but everyone I've spoken with seems to doubt this is their only motive."

There was nothing in the report that explicitly stated that any students with knowledge of AV were there to confront this 'Nomu' thing, but Endeavor seemed rather certain there was some connection to be made about it. The Flame Agency had countless anonymous contacts they were filtering information from, so it wasn't so far-fetched to think the agency would accept tips from underage civilians but keep their identity from getting around. The only two sources that could be informing the Flame Agency about the AV connection to the Nomu incident were the ones that got closest to the villains, and neither student described seemed to be Endeavor's youngest son.

A girl with geokinesis confronted the villain leader…

Stendhal shifts ostensibly, drawing Endeavor's eye again. "You think the little wannabes are in danger?"

Endeavor looks over the Red Spirit disdainfully, probably thinking something along the lines of I can crush you like the impudent bug you are.

"Aw, but UA's probably the safest place for them," Looking Glass murmurs reasonably, smoothing over the conversation as usual. He's still flipping through the file given to him. "The League of Villains, you say? You knuckleheads heard of em? They must've been recruiting for a while for the number of villains that showed up."

Touya crosses his arms tightly and nods once. Stendhal answers, reluctantly, "We heard someone was collecting thugs for a job, but there was no way of knowing the scale of it."

"Giran," Touya adds, and Stendhal nods at the reminder.

"The broker must have pulled on a lot of threads for this. Whoever's in charge of the League, they're up there. Giran wouldn't give away so many grunts for just anybody." Stendhal surmises, annoyance drawn in every line of his stance. They'll have to pay the broker a visit sometime soon to sort through that.

"So, even if the League's a separate entity, they're sure causing a stir on their own!" Burnin' interjects, her grin pointed and strained."Y'might wanna shop around for some tips on them."

"Are we really bringing All Might into the fold?" Looking Glass presses, flipping the paper file shut and handing it back to Endeavor. "This ain't a clean-cut deal we're working. He's not the kind to dig into the gray shit." Neither was Endeavor, or at least that's what Touya had thought at first. "You've at least got a bone to pick with this lot, after they pulled the wool over your eyes with that brainwasher." Looking Glass continues.

Endeavor takes the file back from LG and promptly incinerates it in his palm. Well shit, Touya better take a good look at his copy before he turns it to ash too.

"They've gotten away with too much for too long," Endeavor replies firmly, shaking the ash off his hands. "Bringing new eyes to the issue could be the push we need, but it might also slow down the progress we've made at first." He looks directly at the two vigilantes. "Your cooperation has done a lot for this case, but if things keep going this way, you'll be shut out."

This comes as a surprise to both the vigilantes and their underground contact. "I see how it is. Can't let the public know you're fraternizing with our type," Stendhal sneers, rolling his shoulders agitatedly. "I don't know why Glass ever thought a pitiable man like you could be of use."

"Quiet," Endeavor mutters coldly, and it's like ice dripping down Touya's spine. Some things don't change. "You're not any type of hero, don't kid yourself. I can't technically prove you're Stendhal, but don't fucking think I won't turn you in if you step out of line while we're still cooperating."

The two of them stare each other down with far more venom than Touya thinks is necessary. Stendhal has killed villains and suspected villains, but he's not some big time vigilante that the Number Two would bother himself with. The vigilante's philosophy was a bit twisted, but he wasn't well-known. Yet something about the way Endeavor glowers at the Red Spirit seems oddly personal. Touya doesn't have the slightest idea of what kind of history Endeavor and Stendhal could share.

Suddenly Endeavor's eyes are on Touya again. "You're a novice under that mask," he says plainly, and Touya startles at the attention.

"Did I fucking ask for your opinion—?"

"—I don't know what has you so invested in this case, but I can take a few guesses," Endeavor continues calmly, blue eyes flickering to the dual swords strapped to his back for the briefest moment. "And I can guess you'll keep inserting yourself into this case, even if we cut you out." He sounds neither annoyed with or opposed to this outcome, merely accepting. "...If it comes to that, the least you can do is not get caught."

Touya feels bile rise up his throat, but he pushes it down. He crumples the file still in his hands, mashing it down into a ball between his fingers and cremating the paper so quickly, there's nothing but a glimmer of blue to show for it. "Don't worry, hero," he assures the man blandly, shaking the greyish dust from his palms. "We wouldn't want to spoil your reputation, now, would we?"

The Flame Hero simply turns his back to them, walking away. Burnin' flashes them a peace sign before trailing after him.

Looking Glass scratches his nose awkwardly through his mask. "Keep a better lid on that temper, boy," he heckles, tilting his head at Touya. "You were doin' well until you opened your fat mouth."

"You're the one that had to go and mention his kids," Stendhal growls, turning his attention to the silver-headed man. "You get anything from him?"

"Just a better look-see. This is a rare opportunity for a fella like me, seein' such a famed hero without the mask," he rocks on his heels playfully. "There's a lot he hides, but there's a lot he showed today, too."

"And?" Touya pulls his eyes from the empty doorway, back to Looking Glass. The underground hero was a sort of empath, but the exact workings of his quirk remained a mystery to all.

Looking Glass rolls his neck muscles slowly, humming to himself. "Funny guy, that Endeavor. You know he went to UA himself after the attack? He was serious about there being a connection to the students. He must know UA's going to increase their security, but he's worried anyway."

Endeavor was worried about the safety of hero students? Touya's known for a while that Enji Todoroki's been trying to reshape his public image, but it was another thing entirely to see this personality shift in person. "Did I miss something?" Touya cuts in. "Since when does Endeavor have more than one kid at UA?"

"Oh, you haven't been readin' the gossip rags?" Looking Glass gives a gruff laugh. The man tilts his head to look at the two vigilantes, as if dissecting them through their masks. Not that Looking Glass could read people without a clear visual of their faces. "Most people know about Shouto Todoroki, but there's a girl, too. No name on public record yet, but just give the paparazzi time to work their magic. Or wait and watch the Sports Festival. I'm sure Endeavor's mystery daughter will take center stage."


Touya waits until they're back in their shithole apartment before finally breaking his silence. He turns to Stendhal and says, "Do you remember that earthbending girl from the Quirk Rumble?"

Stendhal lets his red mask clatter across the battered coffee table, pinning Touya with sharp black eyes. "How do you know Beifong?"

"'Beifong'?" Touya repeats, alarmed. "Why the fuck do you know her real name? She's been out of the underground fights for years."

"She told me," Stendhal snaps, glaring at Touya with suspicion. "What about you, Dabi?"

"When?" Touya ignores his question, and there's a strange, squirming feeling in his stomach now. "How?"

"You first," Stendhal shoots back. "Is she involved with AV—?" His eyes widen in realization. "Dabi. Is that kid the reason you got so invested in taking down Amon's Vision?"

"No," Touya says immediately. "But she was one of the kids at Cato Hospital. And now I'm pretty sure she's in that report from UA—"

"Back up," Stendhal growls. "You know Beifong. She recognized me on the street last year, and I haven't seen her since."

"Last year? And you never thought to mention it until now?" He demands, bewildered.

"It wasn't any of your business," Stendhal points out, almost sounding defensive. "Except apparently it is. Now what's all this about her being Endeavor's kid?"

Touya runs a bruised hand through his hair, beside himself. He was stressed enough after talking to the fucking Flame Hero again, absolutely hated having to look that man in the face and "work" with him. Not to mention the League of Villains, who were either allies or rivals with Amon's Vision, and he and Stendhal were basically tasked with finding out.

But now there's a whole new element to this freaking situation with that damn earth girl, again. The irony is stronger than ever. She isn't a blood relative to the Flame Hero, but beyond that… "I have no idea."


A/N: I was going to save the last sections of this chapter for a later chapter, but... I'm too excited for my own story. I love Touya, he's even more of a mess now. Also, holy shit, I couldn't even fit in Inasa or anyone else from UA, Shinsou took up so much of this chapter flirting-haha-not-really-unless? with Toph. Only the best teenage drama for my best girl.

I took the name 'Looking Glass' from a really cool character from HBO's version of Watchmen, I love his stupid mask. Burnin' is a canon sidekick in the manga, if you're up to date!

PLEASE READ: I'm more active on AO3; there's a version of this story posted on that site, under the same title, and it's usually a few chapters ahead of this version. if you have questions, or really want to stay up to date with this fic, I suggest reading it on AO3!