Hello! Another month, another update! So far this schedule seems to be one I can consistently stick to. If it has to change again, I apologise, but I'll do all I can to avoid it being any LONGER between updates. Your patience, whoever is still reading haha, is appreciated!
NOTE: Explicit content ahoy, Mature category etc deffo applies in this chapter, ye be warned
Of all the sights I had seen recently, of all the things that had thrown me and confused me, this had to be the most surreal yet.
Endeavour smiled.
And that, dear people of the world, is just not normal.
As I left the train station with Sho, Izuku and Bakugo, costumes in hand, we were presented with this anomaly. Within the inner city area, ready to get to work, we stood before him as he waited; a smile split from ear to ear. What on earth?
"Welcome." He beamed. "I'm Endeavour."
And then normality resumed. A scowl crashed into place–I'm sure thunder rumbled somewhere nearby.
He growled. "Is that the warm reception you were hoping for?"
I tried my best, I really did, but I couldn't help myself as I laughed loudly and clutched my belly. "Okay cool, we haven't been shat out into an alternative dimension, thanks for clearing that up!"
Beside me Izuku squeaked and Bakugo smirked. Sho took my hand and gave an appreciative squeeze.
But as predictable as Endeavour was a bit of an idiot when it came to people, he continued. "Look, I'm not thrilled about taking you three on as well. I only agreed because Shouto asked. I'd hoped it would be just me and hi–"
"You already accepted." Shouto drawled. "So stop complaining."
"Sh-Shouto!" Endeavour blustered and I felt a tone being set. We would all work our asses off, but we would be best served taking a lot of his countenance with a pinch of salt. My main hope was that this initial cold-shoulder act would lessen as the week continued. No one could pout that long, surely?
Bakugo shrugged. "Since supplementary classes I've been thinking… you're a jerk."
"Shouto! You're friends with this delinquent?"
There was only so much bluster in the world. But already we had made it clear, Endeavour was not intimidating us. Not as a person anyway; as a Hero he was impressive and someone we could learn a lot from, but we were not cowering in any other way.
Izuku bowed. "Thank you for allowing us to do our Work Studies with you, sir."
Ah, the dependable Hero Deku. He would likely avoid us all being roasted, I suppose.
On the way to the agency the nerves radiated from Izuku, and my mind was drawn back to the train. He had sat by the window, knees jumping as he kept shifting his feet, hands wringing. He knew he could do the work. He was eager to learn. But he was anxious due to his previous dealings with the new Number One hero, with the way he had spoken to the man at the sports festival. I hadn't realised how early Izuku had been a badass. I'd congratulated him, but could understand the wariness creeping into place now. I doubted Endeavour would act on that interaction, either due to not recalling it, or due to having zero means of objecting.
Still. Izuku was clearly nervous, and the last thing I wanted for his time in the work study was to be sidetracked by those nerves. I should talk to him again.
But I should probably get my own worries in order first. After my rude awakening the night before, Dad had been amazingly patient. No pushing. No questions. We had two hot chocolates while I tried to figure out what I'd just seen. Memory? Vision? Or just a nightmare cooked up by my imagination; a combination of progress, me and Sho's conversation about moving on if one of us died on the field, and Izukus fears of inner darkness. Maybe. A nightmare would make it mundane, just something to get to grips with and move on from. A vision meant the League knew of my connection to Dabi and how they might manipulate it. A memory meant that I might have seen a flash of the future, and that I had those moments to dread. Shit. I had no idea which it was. And now, my present was being entirely muddied by it. I had to focus on the task at hand. Whichever way it landed, it could wait.
Right?
Regardless, for the time being the decision was made for me.
On our way to the agency, Endeavour suddenly leapt into action, chasing down a villain. Stand back and watch, he said. As if. We ran after him, scrambling with our gear. We had to at least keep up if we were going to see anything. The chaos of our chosen careers unfolded. Costumes on, strategy thrown together, team put into play. It was madness. And bloody brilliant. Working with Dad in the shadows was one thing; the strategy, the research, the quick work and quiet takings in the back streets. This? It was an adrenaline rush the entire time. People yelled, cheered, screeched. Cars rushed, horns wailed and alarms bellowed. Sunshine, heat, panic, it was a total miasma of ridiculousness. One part of me was thrilled by it. The other part, terrified.
A Villain was kicking off, ranting like a madman, soaking up the glass from the entire city. It was impressive to see how quickly Endeavour reacted, and addressed things. In and out of alleyways, in hot pursuit (pun intended) until at last we managed to catch up a bit as he rounded down an alley and we were able to make our way round to the other side. Good thing too. Goons awaited at the mouth of the alley, ready to take him down.
A trap? Had the whole thing been for this?
Two thugs held wires across the opening and one readied a blunt object. Pretty weak stuff. I aimed for the one on the right, Deku and Sho went for the one on the left, and Bakugo went for the blunt object guy. I even managed to hold the wires they were holding across the alley open more for Endeavour to avoid being encumbered. But then there was a flash of red. Red feathers. Huh? I altered trajectory and narrowly avoided slamming into the back of the Number Two hero, skidding along the sidewalk.
"Huh? What's this?" Hawks laughed. "You got yourself some followers? Sorry, guess I was just a little faster than you."
Arrogant as ever. Still, at least the incident was contained and the villain stopped.
I helped Deku contain his thug while the Number One and Two heroes bickered like an old married couple. Clearly there was some kind of connection between them, but considering the last Nomu attack I suppose that made some sense.
As the Glass weirdo was shoved into police custody, Hawks dipped his head at me. "Seems like you made other plans again, huh?"
"I just…" My face burned, in all honesty I'd totally forgotten about his offer for my Work Studies. "I'm sorry."
He laughed. "No worries, in all honesty I wouldn't have had time in the end for another kid at my agency. Good to know when to accept you're spinning too many plates, am I right?"
"Yeah, guess so." I nodded, hoping Tokoyami was still getting a decent education even if he was working with sidekicks.
Izuku looked away from the police car and jolted. "N-Nice to meet you, sir! I'm from UA high's Hero course, I'm in class 1A, my name is Izuku Midoryia."
"Yeah… You're the kid who destroys his fingers!" Hawks drawled and I felt my temper rise. Way to summarise him in the most demeaning way possible.
I think that had to be the crux of what had always put me off Hawks, ever since I met him at that conference with Dad when I was still just a kid, maybe thirteen at most. Arrogance. He was good, yes. A great Hero. But he was such a bell-end about it all.
"What is it you want, Hawks?"
For once, Endeavour being a blunt oddball was welcome. Yes. Cut to the chase and let us get back to the real task here, listening and learning from the Number One, not see the Number Two show-boating.
Hawks reached into his back pocket. "Oh, not much, but I did have a question." He presented a weird looking book with a red cover splotched by black. "Have you read this book?"
The cover was vaguely familiar, some kind of manifesto about meta humans being superior or some shit. Zealot nonsense as far as I was aware. And yet here was the Number Two Hero singing its praises. The day was getting weirder.
"You should give it a shot." He offered me a copy and I just raised a brow. "Looking back at the past… Man, it can really light a fire under you."
My eyes flickered back to his and narrowed. His words sounded odd.
He tilted his head. "Don't you agree? We all kind of end up with these pasts stapled together, pushing us forward, but ya gotta watch out for looking back too much as well I guess. Could well burn you out if you're not careful. Can leave some nasty scars."
I swallowed. Fire. Scars. Staples. Was I just stuck in that mindspace, or was he trying to make nods towards Dabi somehow? Why would he? What on earth would their connection be?
I took the book and looked down at it. "Yeah... Could go mad with that kind of over-thinking."
"Mm, good point Stasis. Best you keep on looking ahead then!" He grinned and moved on, and I stared at the book in my hand, wondering if I had already gone mad from trying to untangle my own thoughts. Was I just creating connections from nothing? Perhaps. Or, perhaps Hawks knew something about the League but couldn't say it outright. It was all very cloak and dagger if that was the case. But as much of an arrogant idiot as he appeared, I had never known, or heard of, Hawks being stupid.
And when I looked back up, he had this look in his eye. All humour gone for a split second, frowning at me, like he was trying to figure something out. I blinked. He snapped right out of it and continued on his way.
Izuku watched Hawks take off. "He may seem super carefree, but I guess he's actually really socially conscious. And only 22 years old."
Sho nodded. "And already the Number Two Hero."
Bakugo rolled his eyes. "That guy's annoying."
"Yes." Endeavour peered at the book. "He is."
Yup. Definitely a weird day.
By the time we reached the agency I was already completely bamboozled by this new side to hero work. The noise, movement and constant influx of information was hard to grasp. I would do it. Of course I would. But I couldn't deny the change in pace was alarming. I gazed around the agency with it's hustling bustle, my eyes like saucers. Izuku was in a similar situation thankfully, while Sho and Bakugo both looked a little bored. No doubt Sho had been here before. And Bakugo wanted to get back out onto the streets.
Endeavour had disappeared into his office for the time being, letting us get acquainted with some of the team here in the lobby.
One of Endeavour's many sidekicks, Burnin, came over and grinned. "Welcome to the Endeavour agency!"
I had seen her work on TV like everyone else, and to be honest, every single one of the 'flaming side-kickers' was an impressive Hero in their own right. Many Heroes intended to stay as sidekicks their entire careers. It made sense. It often allowed for a slice of normal life beyond Hero work, and to remain that bit more anonymous on your down time. So as much as those folks were sometimes looked down on, I saw no reason to. They did damned good work, and weren't obsessed with the glory. I had a hell of a lot of respect for that.
From the sounds of things we would be primarily working alongside the sidekicks; me, Deku and Bakugo at least, while Sho got to work with his Dad. Made sense, after all, Endeavour had hardly hidden the fact that he only wanted to train Sho in the first place. Bakugo isn't happy, obviously but we could make the best of it and still learn a lo–
Endeavour reappeared from his office, glaring at us all. "You four will be with me this week, I will look after you myself."
No one questioned him, obviously. But naturally we were all a little confused. Something had changed in the last ten minutes, something inside his office. Had he had a call from someone? Had my Dad phoned and told Endeavour to pull his head from his ass? I doubted that would work. So no, not likely. But something had occurred behind those double doors. Regardless, at least we would be getting to learn from the top Hero.
Let's do this.
Endeavour led us into a side room, it seemed to be for training if the weights were anything to go by. He looked at us each in turn, like he was sizing us up. And I readied myself for a fight. I wasn't sure why, he just agreed to take us all on himself and teach us, but what can I say, the man made me assume arguments were incoming. It was habit by now!
He stood straight, towering over us like usual. "All right, you four are now under my tutelage. But before we begin; Deku, Bakugo and Stasis, tell me about yourselves. What're you currently capable of? What weaknesses do you need to improve upon?"
Not where I expected him to start, but encouraging.
Naturally, Deku was first to answer. He was so honest, so forthcoming and… well so damn rambling. He listed things off like he was some kind of basket-case about to break in every conceivable way. I knew where it was coming from; between the doubts over his own abilities, and a newfound power having appeared thanks to One for All continuing to develop, Izuku had an immense amount to juggle. But at least it looked like Endeavour was listening. His expression remained focused while everyone else got glassy-eyed. I could use it as my own kind of test. What form of teacher would Endeavour take? In Sho's childhood Endeavour had been a tyrant, a bully, someone who drilled discipline and training into his son like he was hammering a nail. That wasn't going to happen here. No way in hell I would allow that kind of treatment of myself, or any of the others here. I had endured enough bullies lately.
By the time Deku finished the entire room was lost. I think I managed to mainly keep up, but I wasn't the teacher here. Would Endeavour take this seriously? Or would he brush Deku aside for not being Sho?
"I see." Endeavour began. "At heart you're saying that you want to be able to constantly adjust power levels when you're fighting?"
Deku swallowed. "Uh… Yes!"
Endeavour took a second and nodded. "You've had trouble with your quirk. Trust me when I tell you, you're not alone."
Okay… Well… That's a start.
Switching back into non-Hero mode, Izuku looked puzzled, but I just squeezed his shoulder with my quirk and he gave a small nod. At least he had been heard. It was a first step in the right direction. And it seemed like Endeavour was taking this 'tutelage' thing seriously.
"You." Endeavour looked to Bakugo. "Your turn."
Oh boy.
Bakugo curled his lip. "I'm only here to figure out what I can't do. That's the real question."
Burnin' was quick to laugh his response off as arrogance, but in all honesty I was impressed to hear Bakugo discussing the fact there are things he can't do. Areas to learn in. But he just didn't know where they were yet, and in order to do that, he needed to have someone else help him find them. For him, that was immensely humble.
"Very well." Endeavour nodded, and then looked at me. "Stasis?"
The spotlight swung round, along with the whole room's eyes.
"I…"
It was the kind of question that dragged every doubt, every fear, every hesitation to the surface. But at least at that agency I might be able to tackle them.
I cleared my throat. "I need to see the other side of Hero work, to see which path I ultimately want to take. Being an Underground Hero has always kind of been my goal, but I can't just do that without having at least tried this format as well. Beyond that… I need to ensure I can still throw myself into this without hesitation."
They all looked surprised.
My face heated, but I kept going. Lay it on the table. Get it out of my head and into the real world. "I've done a lot this year already, been through plenty as well, and as much as I've survived and come back stronger, I have to at least consider that it might have been chipping away at my ability to be in the moment."
Endeavour looked me over. "As in, you're worried about potential hesitations in the field?"
Glad to know he could see the core of my problem as well. It wasn't something that had really clicked for me until today. But I was afraid. Of failing. Of the past holding me back. Of not being able to be fully present. As a Pro Hero I couldn't hesitate, couldn't let fear get in my way, in the way of saving people. But I wouldn't know that until being on the field again.
"Pretty much. When in the thick of a fight I want to ensure I can still just get involved, without nerves or fears being in my way. I was fine today, but I want a consistent sense of… well, consistency."
"Being aware of weakness is an important part of growth." He nodded and I felt the spotlight fade. Phew. Then he turned to leave. "Now then, let's not waste time–"
"What about me?" Sho demanded, stepping forward.
"You're just here to learn Flashfire aren't you?" Endeavour barked, flames flickering higher for a moment.
Sho looked at his right hand, holding it raised, poised as if to use his quirk. "I poured all the training you beat into me as a kid towards strengthening my right side. I focused on perfecting my ice." Sho frowned, staring at his hand. "Now that I look back on it, I see that my hatred of you was holding me back in so many ways. After entering UA, and spending time with these guys, competing and fighting, my eyes were opened."
He'd come so far from that closed off guy who stayed in his own bubble. We'd talked about it at length, of course, but damn I hoped he knew how proud I was of his progress. Not only with his quirk, but himself. I stayed quiet of course, but my heart was fit to burst with pride.
Sho drew a long breath. "Endeavour, I now realise that I'm gonna do exactly what you wanted me to." He clenched his hands into fists and faced his father head on. "But I want you to know this, the pro I've always admired is the person I watched on TV while sitting beside Mom. I came here wanting to learn, so that I'm someone worthy of being called a Hero. This is my choice, not yours."
The entire time, Endeavour stood there stunned. But hopefully, also listening.
There was the tiniest tremble in Sho's hands, but he stood strong and continued. "The only reason I came to this place is to use you. I came because it's beneficial for me Number One. Don't pretend to be a caring parent in front of my friends."
Wow. That was quite a speech. I wondered how many times he rehearsed it in the shower.
The room was stunned.
Part of me expected Endeavour to explode, to rage out and perhaps even attack Sho outright. My shield was ready. But the other part of me, perhaps the more hopeful part, wanted Sho's words to actually hit Endeavour. To sink in. Yes, Sho was being blunt, and yes he was being particularly frank in front of others, but that's just it… This wasn't behind closed doors anymore. Endeavour was the Number One Hero. Sho would soon enter those ranks. They would be watched, and now Sho was making it clear that he didn't plan on giving his father any slack. Nor should he.
Endeavour turned away. "Right then. From now on you'll learn from joining me in the field."
And that was that.
Okay then… Let's see what we can learn.
To put it bluntly, the guy ran us ragged. And it was amazing. It had only been two days and already I could feel myself growing as a hero. Usually agencies specialised in either Rescue, Evacuation or Combat, but Endeavors' did all three. At first I figured that was arrogance, but it seemed more based in the fact he thinks that should be the standard. That we should be able to do that without a problem. He taught on the go, allowing us to apply things to the practical world in front of us. Out there it wasn't about failing a grade, it was about potentially failing those we're there to protect. It sat heavier on the chest, but damn it also fueled us far more. I'd have so much to talk to Dad about once I was home.
After two days we're starting to get a handle on how Endeavour moved so fast; he condensed his power, controlling the flames in minute ways to increase propulsion. For Bakugo and Sho that could be applied directly, for me and Izuku it was a little trickier, but I think we were getting it. But by envisioning my movement with my quirk in a more focused manner I could shift myself forward far faster, without it just being the general notion of movement, but fixed points of propulsion, kind of how Bakugo used his hands, or Sho was pushed by the ice at his feet. I could do both, and more on my back for support and head for bracing. The first time I tried it I nearly smacked right into Sho, but the control was getting better with each attempt.
Parallel processing. I could only imagine how this is all affecting Izuku, how he was making notes back in his room and applying himself into mastering his quirk further, as well as the new Black Whip development. Supposedly he was to expect six more quirks as he continued his journey with One for All, and as daunting as that sounded, as his friend I'm also excited to see where it'll take him. It would be a damn hard job to even keep up with him at this rate.
Lunchtime.
We paused atop a roof with a good view of the surrounding area. I sat by Sho and we ate quickly, a refuel stop at most if I'm being honest, but this wasn't the time for anything luxurious. Even so, it was nice to have a breather. It isn't much, but putting my arm against Sho's, feeling him lean against me as well, it was wonderful. We felt like a real team out there. And he was doing amazing. As much as I had stressed to him about me not distracting him on the field, I had to admit that I needed to avoid him distracting me. What can I say, my man is damn enticing when he's at work. But for now, small touches, and quick smiles.
Endeavour was stood talking to Deku about his quirk, about how he needed to be able to use and control it without so much thought process behind the motion. Made sense. And I think it's something I needed as well. A shield should simply materialise without me having to think about it first. Second nature. Part of me.
My throat pinched. A dull ache in the bottom of my spine bloomed.
Was I still going to be able to do that with my quirk? It was a part of me, and yet it had already caused me so much damage. Shit.
"Stasis."
"Yes, sir." I stood, wondering how I could even ask that kind of question without seeming like a total liability.
Endeavour glanced at his notes. "I read the report on your recent run-in with a villain thug, he used a de-aging quirk on you I believe?"
"Yes, but I was fully cleared for field work."
"Indeed, but looking back, you have had many incidents in which you have been injured or affected by quirks in the past year or so. A couple of times it has even been your own quirk."
I nodded, not entirely sure where he was going with this. Hopefully in a helpful direction.
He looked at me sternly. "I believe the root of your problems is based within a fear of your own quirk."
Well… Shit. Hello nail, you've been hit on the head.
I could feel the others watching me. A similar worry had been ever-present since the Yakuza incident. Me fearing my power, my darkness, my anger, anything you wanted to call it. My throat pinched, my back ached, my head spun. Maybe I was a liability. Focus. Breathe. This wasn't a test, it was to help me learn. Endeavour asked so he can help as a Hero and as a Teacher, it wasn't something to use against me later. As much of a shithead as he was, he wasn't Shigaraki. I wasn't going to be punished for being honest.
"R-Right."
"I can understand that. Early in my career many of my mistakes were based in a fear of my overheating issue." He nodded. "And you've broken your body in a few ways, some of which most people never recover from. The fact you're still on the field at all is a testament to your conviction."
Was that a compliment? I think it was.
He continued. "So your assignment, along with condensing like the others, is to learn to trust your own power again. It is a part of you, it is on your side."
I looked down at my hands. Such a simple phrase, but I think I needed to hear it out loud. For so long the League and Yakuza had been after me for my quirk, my Endurance, for whatever. So my powers, my abilities, they became the target on my back. Something to be feared. Hidden. Shit, how hadn't I seen this before?
Endeavour sighed. "No matter how powerful a quirk you may have, it's foundation is based on the accumulation of different skills. And that can only develop, if you stop trying to fight against your own power."
I sat down beside Sho again and tried to process. My power; the reason my parents even tried to have me, the reaosn I was born, why I am still being hunted, why my past won't leave me alone. It was still my power though. My choices. My life. I could do this, and make it my own, and make it work for my own chosen path. Right? Yeah. R-Right.
I gave a thumbs up to Endeavour and focused on my breathing; I definitely had a lot to talk to Dad about.
We sat down for dinner in the agency, not even changed from our Hero costumes yet, just needing to refuel again. I'd been told to sit and wait while the others brought my food over, my own progress that day having been quite something. The compliment was wonderful, even if the exhaustion made it harder to brush off. I kneaded my aching leg, looking back over the day. I got so close. At the start of our time here with Endeavour on the Work Study he had challenged us to capture a villain just once before he did. Today, I had been a mere half a moment slower. Between the frustration of an almost win, and the elation of nearly accomplishing it, I had settled in confused contentment. The competitive side to Hero work had never appealed to me. I am a competitive person, don't get me wrong, but when it came to saving lives I'd rather focus on that than 'winning' at my career. That wasn't Endeavour's point. I knew that. But still, it was something I was acutely aware of as I sat there, tending my bruised limbs.
Whether or not I took on a more media focused role as a Hero, I knew my Dad would support me. Working with him in the shadows was difficult in many ways, having as many challenges as this did, but just of a different sort. Here you had the mania, the madness of constant movement and also the advantage of daylight to help you keep up with spotting that stuff. At night, in the shadows, you had to spend so much more effort listening and preemptively being where you needed to be. A quieter role, but just as vital. As important as these day-to-day rescues are, and the big flashy battles were a big part of why the civilians could rely on us at all, it was the seedy background crimes that often had the most ripple effect. So neither side was more or less important. They just had different roles to play. And I had to figure out which one I wished to serve.
Everyone else has been coming along well too.
Bakugo was figuring out how to deal with the cold, Deku seemed to be handling his parallel processing better and better and Sho was getting faster and faster. It was amazing. All three of them had grown so much in just a few days. Sho looked every bit the Pro hero, and from the way people looked at him and responded to his help, I knew he would be a positive new light in the Hero world. What a contrast. And yet, as elated as I was to see it, it had me wondering... Seeing him shine so bright, that determination burning in his eyes, his smirks and his occasional victorious grin; I wondered how it might have gone if Endeavour had come to his senses sooner. If Dabi really was his son, what would have happened if Endeavour had realised the error of his ways earlier. If he had supported Dabi instead of pushing him to breaking point, throwing him into the shadows and left to hate the world. Sure, I'd had been alone on those streets. But Dabi could have shone like Shouto. A blazing new light in the Hero world.
I pursed my lips.
Had he been properly trained rather than abused, Dabi might have figured out a way to avoid those burns across his tormented skin. There could well have been a support item available to help. He might have taken on the name Dabi as a Hero name, or perhaps something more outright flashy. It was hard to tell. But even with all his misdeeds, I could still see that version. Unscarred, supported instead of hurt, determined instead of demented. The want to protect was there–he had shown that when we lived on the streets together. The want to fight was obviously there. And the need to change things for the better was there too, but it had been warped by his hatred. At least, that's my best working theory.
My head began to ache.
I rubbed my temples and drew a long breath. There was no point in getting worked up about what might have been, after all it's just silly theories, right–?
The pain in my head throbbed.
I jolted. Oh. A new door creaked into view within my mind, covered in staples and purpled wood. Dabi. The handle was cold, and my instincts demanded I turn away, to run. But I couldn't. I had to know what this locked memory might be; a vision of a lost future? A hope of a new one if I could help him now? Or just some maddening vision left to torment me by the Vision arsehole? Regardless. I wanted to know.
The guys were still talking at the food counter, waiting on being served. I had a little time.
The door opened.
It was more fragmented than most, which made my churning stomach settle on the idea that it was a lost future. Maybe. I don't really know a damn thing, do I? But the sun was shining bright, the city bustled, and people went to and fro. A young Hero stood in the aftermath of a battle, white hair shifting in the breeze. Who the hell was that? Then he turned. His smile, not splitting at staples, not shifting with an uneasy gait, just broad and beaming. Dabi. Eyes blue as ever, but not dulled by world-weariness. Hair in the same style, but snow-white rather than raven-black. He waved to the crowd, he helped a few more people along from the street. The vision shifted. I jolted. The street vanished, a blank canvas except me and Dabi.
He turned to me.
He patted my shoulder. "You're doin' fine, I swear. A mis-step sure but you'll get it. Too smart not to, eh?" He laughed and led me to the group of newbie Heroes on Work Study like me. How did I know it was a Work Study? Shush. Focus. Sho was amongst them. The vision flickered again, and suddenly we were over there, Dabi nudged me towards Sho. "You know how to cheer this one up?"
"I can give it a go." Sho smirked and put an arm around me, the scar over his left eye not there, just normal bruising and scuffs from our Hero work. "Beating herself up again?"
"As ever. Gotta keep in mind Stasis, that you got a team out there, a family to depend on, huh?"
"Right." I nodded, eventually dragging my eyes back up from my scuffed boots.
Dabi was smirking at me, head tilted to the side, hands on hips as we waited for the final reports. He still had a piercing on his nose, and a couple in his ears. But the eyes were so much brighter, the stance not so defensive, the voice warm and unguarded. Like when I first met him, when we first depended on each other. It was as amazing as it was heart-wrenching.
And then it began to fade.
The smiles, the laughter, the untainted hopes of someone who just wanted to do good by the world, to do their best for change. Could I still get him there? Was Dabi simply too far gone to ever be that Hero now? Perhaps. But maybe I could bring some of that person out. Maybe.
Or. Or the other vision would happen instead.
Where we fight.
Where he just wants it to end.
Where I killed him.
The vision ended and I slumped against the table, panting. No one else seemed to have noticed my little moment, and only now were the boys coming over with the food, chatting amongst themselves. I gulped at the air, swallowing down the nausea. It could have been so different. Dabi could have been so happy. My throat pinched again and I tried to calm myself down. It wasn't useful information for anyone, just a means of tormenting myself. They didn't need to know. And I didn't think that was me falling into bad habits, it was just the kinder choice. Sho didn't need to know how different his entire life might have been. No scar. No pain. No loss of a big brother who would help and support him. No. That helped no one, least of all Endeavour. And as much as I didn't owe that ass any favours, I had no reason to poison the well either. Especially as I didn't even know if it was true or not.
Deku sat beside me. "You feeling all right, Alex? You look a little pale."
"Just tired." I yawned and slumped against him a little harder to play it off, he chuckled and easily held me up. "You're a handy cushion, Deku."
"Heh we're off duty now, Izuku is fine." He nudged me and nodded to the tray in front of me. "Get some fuel in you, might help. I could let Endeavour know you had to skip the debrief if–"
"I'm all good." I stirred my soup. "Can't go following up my almost win with a wimp out."
"All right, if you're sure."
I was.
I had to be.
Talking to them would just muddy things. Talking to Dad would just make him worry about something that might not even be real. But I wanted to talk to someone, I really do want this out of my head, I just didn't know who I could turn to right now without outright confusing things.
Or did I?
Hawks.
Maybe I should talk to him… Maybe he would know more. Or, maybe I was just seriously reading into his words too much and he'll think I'm a total nutter.
Then again, why not try?
Another day, another dawn, another mad-dash of work and mania. Villains, small-time thugs, accidents; they spilled over each other constantly in this urban setting. And as much as we are flying around, rushing from incident to incident, the side-kicks were doing all that and more. They kept everything running. They did the paperwork. I thanked them whenever I got the chance, because frankly they are some seriously dedicated people. But there's barely time for a 'thanks' before we're off again.
No dreams occurred the previous night, which I was grateful for. Contacting Hawks was likely going to be a bit of a headache in all honesty, as I wanted to do so without drawing attention. I figured I could disguise it by pretending to want to talk to him about flight–it might fool a few people. But mainly I just wanted to focus on the here and now, not the what could have been, or what had been lost. Now is my focus, now is my goal. And as we made our fifth arrest of the day, it got easier to stay in the present. Sho and Bakugo worked so well together, but of course me and Deku only spoke of this together, not with them. Bakugo needed no reason to fall back into bad habits and be awkward. But Deku was doing well too, his confidence was growing, and I hadn't heard him stutter all morning.
I say morning, and yet we're already at the other end of the day.
Time is very odd when you're in this Hero world of one incident and then the next. An hour, a day, a week, it seemed to all bleed into one. But still, watching us all go from strength to strength was enough to keep me going regardless. And on top of that, Sho was especially impressive today. His flames were focused, his ice on point, and all the while he actually looked like he was enjoying himself. Beautiful. It really was a beautiful sight.
We returned to the agency as dusk fell, the building still buzzing, but now filled with the night shift folks instead of the day.
As we got through the doors, Sho touched the small of my back. "Fancy eating in one of our rooms?"
"Done with people for the day?" I chuckled, looking up and finding the merest hint of a smirk in place on his lips. "Sho?"
"Something like that." He murmured, and we headed for the elevators.
"You guys not wanting dinner?" Izuku called as I wandered towards the elevators with Sho by my side, our hands touching occasionally as we went.
I glanced back. "Gonna order some to my room tonight I think! Have a good one."
"Night!" He called, then turning to Bakugo with fresh rambling ready to go.
We impatiently waited as the light descended from halfway up the building down to the lobby.
"Great work out there guys!" Burnin beamed at us as we headed inside.
I waved to her as the elevator door closed. Click. Alone at last. I rounded on Sho. Thankfully we were on the same page. He met me halfway, grabbing my hair with one hand and my hip with the other, pulling me close. Bliss. I clasped the front of his uniform, pushed him back against the wall and was glad that I'd been right in guessing he wasn't really thinking about dinner. He'd been amazing out there today. Decisive. Strong. Focused. Powerful. I didn't expect it to affect me so much, but there was no denying that he was scintillating. He had been all week. A girl could only resist so long.
"Alex." He gasped, pulling on my hair, kissing along my neck, his teeth catching like he wanted to eat me alive. In all honesty, it didn't sound like a bad way to go. "Alex…"
"Yes?"
"Can we… Would… Would you like to…" His words got stuck between kisses and pants, our hands all over each other, unable to touch enough at once. "What I mean is… I'd like to…"
"Yes." I ground my hips against his and he moaned into my mouth. Yes, we are definitely on the same sordid page.
He cupped my face as the doors dinged.
His eyes were blazing, colour nearly enveloped by the black of his pupils. "My room?"
"Yes." I grinned as he pecked the end of my nose, grabbed my hand and led the way.
The corridor was mercifully deserted.
We tumbled inside his room. Chaos ensued. Up against the door, my back, his, moving, roaming, kissing, gasping, grabbing. Nothing was enough. My whole body fizzed, aching to be closer to him despite how flush against each other we were. Fuck. We hadn't even turned the lights on. No need, I guess. My quirk went to work removing our uniforms as our hands remained distracted. We laughed as we staggered over to the bed and I fell back, him quickly following.
"So beautiful." He breathed, hitching my leg onto his hip. "You were amazing out there today."
"Says you." I dragged him into another kiss as we were finally both bare.
He hummed and dragged me up to the pillows, laying beside me now, tracing his touch up from the inside of my knee to my thigh.
"Sho…" I bit my lip as he got closer to where I was literally aching for him. "Please…"
"You're so beautiful." He kissed me deeply, stroking my soaking core. I whined and he groaned against my lips, touch slipping inside of me, thumb working my nerves as my hips rolled on sheer instinct. More. All of it. Another finger. I moaned and palmed at his dick. Rock hard and hot to the touch. "A-Alex. Nngh... I won't last if y-you…"
"Then get inside me." I whimpered, not even thinking about the words as they tumbled out of me.
He shuddered and swallowed hard, kissing under my jaw. "You're making it difficult for me to be careful."
"I kn-know, sorry." I gasped, stopping my touches to avoid him being dragged over too early for his liking. "Just being an impatient brat."
"Mm, I get it." He sighed, licking into my mouth again as his touches continued.
Perfect. Oh god I want so much more, but he was right. First time. For both of us. This was the time to be careful. Or as careful as we could be. His mouth moved along my throat and lingered at my chest. Yes. He took a nipple into his mouth as he added a third finger and I gulped, swallowing the want to scream. So good. More. More! I writhed under him, hands grabbing at his hair or shoulders.
"Sh-Sho… So good. Fuck. You're amazing." I mewled, voice betraying me as he made my nerves sing. He chuckled, moving to the other side, biting softly and sucking hard. I groaned and my nails dug into his skin, his own moans rumbling against me.
He shifted his weight and pulled open the nearby drawer. Yes. Please. But he was blind to what he was doing, so I reached with my power and plucked the condoms free, handing him one.
He laughed softly. "Always one step ahead, huh?"
"Just desperate." I giggled, running my hands along his forearms, anywhere I could reach as he sat up between my legs, panting hard. In the dim light he was stunning; body carved out of marble, mismatched eyes practically glowing in the light from the bedside clock and street light filtering through the curtains. Stunning. How was he mine?
The space allowed us a moment to think. As our eyes met, the wrapper tearing in his fingers, we both blushed. We paused. I sat up and tapped under his chin when he looked away for a moment, blushing. He looked back at me and I kissed him chastely. Present. Awake. Wanting.
"Hey."
"Hey." He smiled, kissing me back softly, slowly tilting his head to deepen the kiss.
"I love you, Shouto."
"I love you, Alex." He kissed the end of my nose. "I'd like to make love to you."
"Glad we're on the same page." I breathed, fingers momentarily threading into his hair before I laid back. He watched every movement, making it very hard for me to not feel utterly adored. Then he looked down to concentrate, his cheeks still pink. Good to know I wasn't the only one who was nervous too. When the hesitation continued for a couple more seconds, I smiled. "Learning together, right?"
"Right." He huffed a laugh and leaned forward, one hand propping himself up by my head, the other helping to guide himself inside. I bit my lip and did my best to stay still. Even so my nerves were tingling, the anticipation driving me mad. I'd never known myself to be so greedy.
There.
Oh god.
I took a deep breath and let my head fall back as the pressure pressed against me in the strangest way. Nothing like fingers, his or mine. Thick, dull and so much more potent against my nerves. And yet, with me being so turned on and his previous attentions, it slipped inside with little resistance. Fuck! I keened and Sho's head rested against my chest for a moment.
He panted. "Are–Nngh… Are you all right?"
"Y-Yeah." I breathed as my body ached for him to move. "Keep… Keep going."
"Okay, but tell me if you need me t-to stop."
"I will. Promise." I hummed and he pushed further, my body arching as my nerves throbbed. A soft moan escaped me until a tightness appeared and I gripped Sho's arm, and he immediately stopped. "Just… Mm… Just a little t-tightness."
"Okay," he soothed, kissing along my neck again, pulsing his hips, sinking no further than that point where it felt tight.
Gentle. Loving. His hand on my hip squeezed softly, thumb rubbing small circles into my hip bone. And bit by bit it loosened. I sighed in relief.
He nosed my cheek in question. "Good?"
"Y-Yes." I gasped, rolling my hips as he sunk deeper.
Despite having touched him, having seen him and felt him plenty of times, I don't think I'd really appreciated how big Sho was. Until now. Fuck. Finally his hips were flush to mine. Oh god. Yes. Yes! Full. I'd never felt so full. My hips rolled again and he moaned against my throat.
My voice mewled out of me. "Sh-Sho… Sho!"
"Alex." He panted, shifting his hips, pulsing in and out of me. "Is… Is this good for you?"
"So fucking good." I growled, pulling him into a kiss before putting my forehead to his. "Y-You?"
"Too good." He gulped, our breaths panting against each other. "I dunno how l-long I can–"
"It's fine. Just… Nngh… Just go for it. I think I'm close anyway." I laughed breathlessly, and he joined me, kissing me desperately as his hips sped up. I clung to him, crying out as he slammed into me. Oh god that was good. "Yes. Sho, harder. Like that. Like that."
"This?" He struck hard again and my hands reached to push back against the head of the bed, my voice tumbling in a euphoric laugh and moan combined. He grinned. He did it again. My nerves sang.
"Yes, Sho! Fuck, yes!"
He moaned into his own whimper, holding onto my hips tightly as he put his head against my shoulder, used my leg as leverage and picked up the pace. Thank fuck we had good staminas. I tried to meet him halfway. Yes. So close. He gasped my name like a mantra, and his name tumbled from my own lips. Then he shuddered and his hips grew erratic. Yes. My nerves built to that moment. Yes. So close. He kissed me, slammed again and bliss enveloped us both. Our voices combined. Sho went rigid; mouth ajar, eyes closed, brows lifted in the middle. Gorgeous. I never wanted to forget that image. Shouto Todoroki falling to pieces in my arms. Crumbling against me as I rolled my hips to make him feel as good as possible, his lips panting my name against my chest once his body turned to liquid.
Prefect.
He melted against me.
Quiet took the room.
In the aftermath we slowly moved together, gently writhing against each other, easing each other through those gentle pulses of pleasure. Little by little. Heartbeat by heartbeat. Breath by breath. It was probably only a minute at most, but when we were both back down to earth, our eyes met. We smiled. We kissed. We laughed.
Sho propped himself up again, looked down and slowly eased back. Oh. Oh that was odd, good, but odd. I sighed and arched again, hips trembling as he left and my nerves ached at the loss. The condom landed in the bin. Plonk. I giggled. An unceremonious ending to an amazing occurrence.
Sho laid beside me, stroking along my cheek, searching my face. "Did you… Did you uh…"
"Finish?" I hummed, and he nodded and blushed softly. I grinned. "Yes, yes I did. You were wonderful, Sho. Really."
"Good." He pulled me into a tender kiss. "I was worried I was enjoying it far more than you were, but I dunno that I was able to perceive much either."
I laughed. "It was amazing for me, Sho. And from that, I'm guessing pretty good for you?"
"So good." He smirked and kissed me again, slowly and deeply. Like he was savouring his favourite meal. "Makes me look forward to everything else, and being conscious enough to watch you during. You made some wonderful sounds."
"Oh, do I?" I nuzzled in close, kissing his throat.
"The best."
"How about a shower, dinner, then some sleep?"
"Mm." He kissed my head and sat up, running a hand through his hair. I watched the light flicker along his strong back, noting the few scratch marks I had left behind, aware of how my core throbbed at the sight. He laughed and looked over his shoulder. "Wow… That really happened, didn't it?"
"It did." I smiled.
Everything else, he said. I think my boyfriend might be a bit of a pervert, and might have many plans for us in the sexy future. And I was totally here for it.
So much had happened that week.
So much.
Though admittedly, this part I would not be telling Dad...
SHO POV
When he woke she wasn't in the bed. His hand drifted across chilled sheets. But before he could call out her name in confusion, he spotted her by the window, looking out over the city. For a moment, he just watched. Her eyes studied the city lights, her fingers lightly tracing the chilled glass, nails skimming patterns like an ice-skater would with their blades. A small smile played on her lips. She wore one of his t-shirts, barely skimming her thighs. Beautiful. He had the most beautiful girlfriend in the world.
"Hey…" He called over, and she glanced back with that smile blooming just for him. "You okay?"
"Mm, I'm good. Just couldn't sleep."
He sat up. "We have a lot to do tomorrow, you should come back and try."
"I will, just a sec." She turned back to the city, mind clearly on other things. He went over to her, hugging her from behind, kissing her hair. She squeezed his arm. "You should sleep too, Sho."
"I will, but I want to know what's got you up first." He held her tighter and nuzzled into the joint between her neck and her shoulders. She reached up and played with his hair. She didn't seem to be trembling, but she was oddly quiet. He kissed her throat. "Nightmare? Can I help?"
"No, not a nightmare. I was just… Thinking…"
"Mhm?"
"We've been doing good work, right?"
"Of course." He kissed her shoulder and then took note of how her eyes were fixed on the horizon, dotted with the lights from sky-scrapers. Something rumbled in her mind. Something important. "Alex?"
She closed her eyes and smiled. "Sorry, I'm being weird."
"A little. But it's fine if you explain."
"I just…"
He waited, giving her time to process the thoughts, to put them into the right words. Or the words she wanted.
She clicked her tongue. "I just know at some point the League is going to reappear, to make their next move and… Well, all this progress has got me thinking," she frowned and looked at him, almost like she was looking through him. Her eyes always seeming so much older than his. Wiser? Maybe. Mainly just haunted by experience.
He put his forehead to hers. "Go ahead, I want to hear all of it."
"It doesn't matter what they do. We'll get through." She smiled broadly, eyes shining. It hadn't been where he thought she was going, and he matched her smile with his own. "The danger is there but… I dunno, it feels further away right now. For whatever reason. The… I…"
He kissed her cheek. "Take your time."
"As long as I'm still me, the bruises and scars mean nothing." She turned to lay her head against his bare chest, looping her arms round his back. So warm. "When they took me before… When they messed with me… The worst part was feeling like their puppet, hurting you guys, bringing my past into things. But I get that it's not my fault if Shigaraki fucks with things now, that's not my responsibility. But I can still fucking stop him."
She had come so far. It was so easy to recall that scared girl, the one who would freeze up when her past was mentioned, the one who dodged the subject, or even had full on panic attacks at the sound of a rusted hinge. Not that it mattered if she was scared again, he would always support her, but the biggest part of her progress was how open she was being. So much trust. And so he had to meet her half way, had to ensure she knew how much it meant to him.
Shouto hummed and leaned back so he could cup her face and kiss her properly. "The last thing you are, is someone's puppet. But I get it. It's easy to end up feeling like a damned doll under people's control sometimes."
She simpered. "Mm, guess we've both had that, huh?"
"In our own ways, I suppose." He sighed, brushing her hair back. "You don't sound upset though, just… thoughtful?"
"Yeah, exactly. I just started thinking about it and… Fuck it, we'll get it done. We might be dolls, or even broken dolls, but… Heh, we're a couple of broken dolls, but broken together."
"Together." He smiled and the lights twinkled in her dark eyes. Like stars. "Was that everything?"
"Yeah. Just… Noisy head."
"Mm. All right." He nodded towards the bed. "Can I take you back there for a bit more sleep now?"
"Please." She breathed, wrapping her arms round his neck, curling against him as he scooped her up and returned to smooth cotton sheets. She was warm against him, and her eyes were already closed, lips in a relaxed smile, breathing evened out.
She was right, no matter what happened, they would get through.
Together.
He kissed her head. "Good night, Alex."
SHIGARAKI POV
Scratch. Scratch.
They still had so little information, so little idea of where the pieces were and how they might be played with. But still, they had to keep going. Keep moving. Keep somehow gaining ground. Sure, they were the most famous villains in the country, if not the world, but that wasn't enough. Not for Shigaraki. And not for Master either. Dabi had continued to be evasive about his contact and dealings with Alex, but at least the connection there might come in handy. During her time with the Yakuza, supposedly she had been hit with foresight quirks and all manner of mind fucks. If it helped the Vision weirdo gain access to her, all the better. Master always said she was intended to be Shigaraki's puppet, his doll with which to play with how he saw fit.
All they needed now was to attach the strings.
Previous attempts had made small progress, but more recently it seemed she had gone and developed a way of fighting against the mental assault. It seemed likely this was due to Dabi being a moron and over-using that means of communication with her, making her too used to the process. But at the same time, it allowed the Vision guy more data on how her head worked. And supposedly, he had new theories on how to gain control. Whether they worked or not would determined how much longer he was permitted to live, but he didn't need to know that part yet.
Their recently acquired contact in the mind erasing woman could apparently be a key component.
The Vision guy, in perhaps a desperate attempt to show results, asked for a meeting. And so one had been arranged. He sat a few seats away from Shigaraki, Dabi on the other side of the table, Toga and Twice lingered nearby and the Memory woman sat at the opposite end. She looked unimpressed. She lit a cigarette. She sighed. Every part of her radiated impatience, and part of Shigaraki began to hate that. She was a small player, a nobody, where did she get off on acting this high and mighty when they had–
"So!" The Vision guy chirped, clearing his throat and trying again in a less squeaky voice. "I was wondering about some specifics on your quirk miss."
"Such as?" She drawled, smoke drifting from her parted lips. "I'm hardly going to spell out my power to one of the leading villain syndicates, am I?"
"Of course, of course, I simply wanted to ask a few things to see if your power might be of some help when it came to gaining control of the target."
"The rat, yes. Well, I can certainly make her mind more malleable for you, if that's what you're getting at?" She looked him over, clearly glad to be outside the splash zone of that ongoing sweaty brow.
The Vision guy nodded. "Yes! Exactly! I am wondering if the added confusion and trauma from your power might allow me to get a better hold on her consciousness, perhaps even send it on it's own path of generating a false reality and–"
"Less jargon." She sighed, raising a hand and shaking her head. "I can do that, yes. But why? What's the end goal here for the rat?"
Shigaraki leaned forward, liking the direction that conversation had quickly taken. A malleable Alex. It wasn't something he had ever seen. Not yet. But if these two could turn her into that? Perfect. It could work out perfectly.
Shigaraki chuckled. "She'll be our puppet."
Cigarette ash tapped into the provided dish.
A simper appeared on red lips. "Oh? And what will this puppet be doing upon your stage?"
"For one thing, her endurance quirk is of interest to us, beyond that, she'd make for a good scapegoat while we get our pieces into place. Having her, the adopted daughter of a Pro Hero and teacher at UA, terrorising the country, would make for some pretty juicy headlines, don't you think?"
The lips grinned. "Destroying buildings, tearing up roads, that kind of thing?"
"Indeed. Big, bold, and bad." Shigaraki snickered, glad to see the Memory woman slightly on board for once. Dabi of course looked angry, but he stayed quiet–probably because this did at least mean Alex would be within reach again. Was it a familial connection or something more? Either way it could be manipulated later if needed, but still, it peaked Shigaraki's curiosity. And suspicion.
"One catch though, boys." The red lips smirked. "I have to be touching her head, remember?"
"Mm, indeed." Shigaraki gestured to the Vision guy for the rest of the plan.
His less nervous comrade nodded. "Yes! Of course, that's why I'll be attempting to get a hold of her this week while she's out on the field with Endeavour. It will be tricky, but I plan on essentially sending her into a deep sleep state, and then while she's out we grab her and–"
"Oi." Dabi snarled. "How the hell are we meant to be doing that so soon?"
Shigaraki sighed. "What's the problem? You need extra notice before we do these things?"
"I thought we had some kinda shitty contract with a support client?" Dabi glared. "Or has that just gone and vanished due to your bullshit need to control Alex?"
As annoying as the flame patchwork had become, he had a point. A small-time, but growing, group of Support Item inventors had reached out. They wanted to be an item hub for villains in the same way the black market used to be, but in a more direct fashion. Problem being that they hadn't had the chance to test any of their items. Yet.
Shigaraki nodded. "That contract stands, they need guinea pigs for their items and want young Heroes to test them on. The plan goes ahead as intended, it's just that this way we can test out this knock-out ploy of the Vision's as well. If we can have her sedated long enough to be kidnapped and chucked into a cage with her little pals for some literal lab-rat time, then we can definitely get control of her long term. It's part of the bigger picture, Dabi. Heard of it?"
A staple oozed blood as the teeth were bared. "Fuck you."
"Mm, just keep in mind where your loyalties are supposed to lie."
The Vision guy cleared his throat nervously. "So… So I should continue with this plan?"
"Yes." Shigaraki stood and leaned on the table. "If we can steal her from right under the Number One's nose the media will have a field day. And then with everything else that follows… Well, the Hero world is already on shaky ground, we're just getting closer to pulling it out from under them entirely."
The Memory woman stood and snubbed out her cigarette. "You lot might prove to be interesting after all…"
And there we have it! Things are in motion... in more ways than one! Dun Dun DUUUUUN! Haha, thanks for reading, faving, following, and revewing! Shoutouts below! See you in a month!
SHOUTOUTS:
HarleKing31: Hi there! Haha absolutely it could have been a normal nightmare, but when in the throws of panic and such logic doesn't always manage to show up!
Zikashigaku: I like the kind of parallel I've accidentally built between Alex and Izuku in their need to save everyone/be okay and not make anyone else worry about them. I know bits and pieces about what is coming (tho admittedly the volumes of the manga I am reading still seem to be waaaaay behind the regular releases. But hey ho. I can wait haha). So exploring that angle has been a lot of fun, and tbh I like showing Alex interacting with other classmates too. Haha yeah the nightmare was a lot of fun to write tbh, and the idea for it came aaaaages ago, so I'd really been looking forward to sharing that part with folks. And yeah! I wanted to show a healthy relationship tbh, as so often in fics I see stuff that kinda boils down to obsession or posessiveness and it's just... well concerning lol. So I was like "fuck it, these kids gonna be wholesome" and it feels right to do it that way for them anyway! And I think these convos are suuuper important, even the real life equivalent! Hehe I am have SO MUCH FUN with the visions. AND SO MUCH MORE IS TO COOOOME. Thanks once again for chiming in, you're a star for doing so seriously. Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well! Cya next time!
