Warning! This chapter is mostly Tododeku. It doesn't contain any romance like kissing and stuff, but I just thought I'd warn those of you who don't like the ship. You can skip it if you want.
Looking at Izuku's expectant face nearly causes Todoroki's resolve to come undone. He's a bundle of nerves right now and he can't help but fear what Izuku will think of him once he tells him.
It's not like it's some horrible secret, like for example being an undercover spy for a group of villains, but having an abusive father who's also the number 2 hero is close enough.
Maybe he should just back out. Izuku's a nice person, he would understand.
Right?
Closing his eyes, Todoroki forces those thoughts out of his head. He doesn't need them. Emotions just get in the way. Besides, why is he getting so fluttered? Just because he's never told anyone about his situation doesn't mean that he can go losing his cool.(Especially in front of someone he may like. That's just a maybe though, so he won't go and jump to conclusions)
But maybe it wouldn't hurt to retain some information.
Opening his eyes again, he glances to the side. "Have you ever heard about quirks marriages?"
Izuku stays silent and Todoroki takes that as a no. "They became a problem once superpowers became were those who sought out potential mates solely with the purpose of creating powerful children."
His hand curled into a fist. "Many people were forced into relationships. They were simply viewed as old fashioned arranged marriages. But clearly it was unethical."
Todoroki finally finds his nerve and looks Izuku straight in the eye. "My father has a long line of achievements and plenty of money to throw at his problems. He has a fire quirk, and he bought my mother's family to get his hands on her quirk, an ice quirk. You see, he's a hero who wants to be number one, but he's not powerful enough to do it himself, so he's raising me to take All Might's place.
Izuku gasps in front of him, eyes blown wide in shock. "B-but that's just-just-just so wrong!" He stutters out. "Why would anyone do that to their own child?!"
Todoroki just shakes his head, really not wanting to say this next part, but forcing himself to nonetheless. "I refuse to be his tool. In every memory of my mother, I only see her crying. I remember she called my left side unbearable, before she poured boiling water on my face." Anger and fear shroud that memory, seeping out and infecting his mind. He lifts his hand up to his eye to cover the scar around his eye. For some reason it grounds him from the old emotions.
"For this reason, among others, I have chosen not to use my left side. I will show him that I can be number one with his power." Feeling satisfied with his little speech, Todoroki goes to finish it up.
"That's what I wanted to tal-"
"It's not his power," Izuku cuts him off, "it's yours."
He says it like it's the most obvious thing in the world, like what he's saying is the absolute truth. But it can't be.
He doesn't understand.
"You do know what you're talking about. You couldn't possibly know-"
"I know." Izuku interrupts again. His face is knitted together in barely hidden anger. "Don't assume things you don't know."
Todoroki is taken aback. "W-Wha-?"
"Of course it's not his power. He's not the once who controls it. You are. So that means you're responsible for it. What happens when you need to use it? When you're forced to?" Izuku just starts ranting. "You'll have no control of it! What if you hurt innocent people?!"
His face suddenly softens. "You can be the number one hero if you set your mind to it, no matter what your powers are. But is it what you really want? Are going to be happy as the number one hero? Or are you doing this just to spite your father?"
Todoroki's brain suddenly short circuits.
Is he really doing all of this just because of his father? Does he really have that much control over him?
Is my power really my own? A voice whispers in the back of his head.
"I-I-I-" He doesn't know what to think. Every time he tries to gain control over his own mind again, memories of his mother assault him. Memories of how she spoke to him in the most loving manner. Memories that have been long since lost until now.
He doesn't know how long he's trapped inside his own head, but once his mind settles down he finds himself sitting at a desk. Izuku is sitting across from him in the next isle looking incredibly awkward.
Todoroki doesn't quite know what to say, so he just lets out a pathetic, "Um..."
Izuku's head snaps up to look at him and he slumps forward nervously. "I-I'm sorry if I overstepped your boundaries or was insensitive. I'm not really used to these things and I can get a little emotional. Heh heh."
Shaking his head, he says, "Not at all. I'm not really used to these things either." They share a moment of silence.
"Anyway, that's kind of the reason of why I wanted to share all this with you in the first place."
"Huh?" Is all Izuku responds with.
Throughout this entire conversation Todoroki has carefully kept his face carefully blank, but now he lets a small smile creep into his face. "You asked, earlier, how you've effected me. Well, the answer is, you just did."
Izuku's brain seems to just shut down and he looks completely dumbfounded.
His smile inches wider. Looks like my job is done here.
Gathering his bag from the floor, Todoroki turns and starts walking towards the door. "W-Wait!" Izuku calls out to behind him. "Y-you can't just leave!"
"Yes I can."
"Todoroki!"
Not thinking about what Todoroki said is proving to be very difficult. He only gives in when he closes his bedroom door behind him. Hiding his face in his hands, his back slides down his door until he's sitting on the ground with his knees against his chest.
Groaning, he doesn't fight the blush as it burns at his face. He can't help it. Everything about that conversation was just so... unexpected.
Todoroki acted completely out of character, but then again he doesn't know him that well. Maybe something like that is normal for him. Izuku certainly wouldn't know.
Trying to turn his thoughts away from his the strangeness that is Todoroki, he thinks about his father. It doesn't take a genius to figure out who his dad is. His dad is the number two hero, Endeavor. They have the same last name after all, and everyone knows Endeavor hates All Might. Everything lined up perfectly. Though that information about his mother is new. He groans again. He'll have to add that to his journal.
Forcing himself up, he grabs his notebook and pencil from his backpack. Laying down on his bed, he opens the notebook to Todoroki's page and starts scribbling down the information. He filled in all the information he'd gathered from the USJ incident yesterday, so once he finishes he has some free time.
Closing the notebook, he sets it back into his backpack and rolls out of his bed. He takes a moment to ponder on what to do now. Having already finished all of his homework in class, he really has nothing to do.
His mind wanders to the sports festival and he makes up his mind. He'll train! He doesn't exactly have a quirk right now, so he'll have to rely on his body if he wants to do well. While his body is by no means weak, he still has a long ways to go. He's relied a lot on his quirk for a while now, so he has to make up for his lack in strength and endurance.
But he really doesn't feel like going and asking Shigaraki for some training equipment. He may feel better, but not that better. just then an idea suddenly hits him.
He pulls his blanket off of the mattress and folds it neatly next to his backpack. Then he flips the mattress onto its side so that it's standing up against the wall. There's now a decent amount of room for his training.
Grinning, Izuku walks to the middle of the room and starts stretching.
The cold air bites at his skin as he aims at the target. Raising his right arm, ice bursts from the ground and heads in a beeline straight for the target. In the blink of an eye it's completely obliterated.
Huffing, Todoroki lowers his arm to his side. His right side feels completely frozen over and his body is screaming at him to rest.
His breaths come in rapid puffs and a thin coat of sweat covers his entire body. It makes his clothes stick to his skin and it is in no way helping with the chilliness.
Giving in, he walks over to one of the benches the training room offers and sits down. Taking a few sips of the water bottle he brought with him, he leans back into the wall and closes his eyes.
As his body rests, his mind preoccupies itself with what Izuku had said to him earlier. Frowning, he opens his eyes and looks at his left hand. There's absolutely nothing abnormal about it. It's just his hand, his left hand. His hand curls into a fist underneath his glare.
It's your power.
His frown deepens. He may have been provoking Izuku earlier, but what he said has really stuck with him. Whether he wants it to or not.
Hesitantly, he slowly activates his left side. His hand gets warmer and warmer while the aches in his right side fade slightly. He opens up his hand and concentrates. A small flame appears in the center of his palm.
A flash of his mother's horrified face immediately causes him to extinguish the flame. Frustration takes hold and he quickly stands up. Spinning around he slams a fist into the wall, creating a small dent where his fist is.
The frustration fades and he removes his hand. Staring at it, he sighs. Punching walls isn't going to solve his problem, he needs to go to the source.
He immediately cringes at that thought. He hasn't seen her since that incident. Plus he should spend all of his time and focus on training.
What if you hurt innocent people?!
Grimacing, he straightens. After the sports festival then. He'll talk to her then.
Figuring he's given himself enough time to rest, he turns back to the targets. Walking back over he settles into a battle stance. Ice erupts from the ground and obliterates all of the targets.