He remembers standing by the dense, watching with longing eyes as his siblings played.

'Don't look at that, Shouto! They're from a different world from you.'

Akemi watched with wide eyes as Todoroki fell backwards, the psychological energy he is emitting is so familiar. So so familiar.

Three chained, muted children.

She remembers standing on the side on the roof, wondering her point of existence, as she watched the many shallow cuts on her two wrists.

'Akemi!'

Hibiki's jaw is hanging open. What... Izu-chan...

She remembers standing at the school gates, starting with blank, scared eyes at the man across the road.

'You know what'll happen if you rebel.'

Shouto couldn't think.

As his body fell backwards from the punch his mind is no longer on the match, but deep in his memories.

Three chained, caged children.

'Mum... I'm going crazy... I can't take it anymore. Every day, the children seem to become more and more like him..'

He watched with wide eyes as his mother's words turned into a crazed mutter.

'Shouto's... That child's lift side sometimes looks very unsightly to me... I can't raise him anymore... I feel like I shouldn't...'

'M-mum...?"

The whistle of the kettle filled his ear, and he mother started.

And as she turned around, his mother was gone.

What's left, was a crazed, deranged, person, pushed to the edge by Endeavor.

Akemi stood up.

It's dark.

It's dark and cold and it's hard to breathe. As Akemi trembled she can hear the sound of her blood dripping, seeping away.

'Geikyō how could you do this! She is our daughter, your daughter! Where is she! Where is she!'

'Why don't you find her yourself, then?'

Stomps from her mother's footsteps, a sob wracked her body, her ribs cracked at the force and her world went dark.

Hibiki's eyes were closed.

'But dad please!'

'Shut UP!'

She was hit and flung to the wall. Hibiki hit the cement with a cry and her arm cracked.

'You want to survive on yer own out there? You can try!'

With a scream she was kicked back into the attic— her room, and the four was shut.

She didn't come out until a week later.

He hit the ground.

'Good grief, this is an important time, too...'

He stood silent — bandages over his left eye.

'Where's mum?'

'Huh? She injured you. So I put her in a hospital.'

He hunched over. His little body filled to the brim with impossible rage.

'It's your fault.' He growled.

'You're the one who made mum...'

His father loomed over him, this monster loomed over him and glared down at his small frame with indifference.

"I'll reject... That man's power..."

"IT'S YOUR POWER,"

"ISN'T IT?!"

His eyes widened.

Three chained, caged, muted children.

'Yeah. It's true. Children inherit quirks from their parents.'

Kimura Akemi

'But the really important thing is not the connection.'

Ueno Hibiki,

'But recognising your own flesh and blood.'

And Todoroki Shouto.

'Recognizing yourself.'

And today.

"That's what I mean when I say: I am Here!'

Before a broken and beat-up Midoriya Izuku.

'But, you want to be a hero, don't you?'

One

It's okay, for you to be one.

Is set free.

'You don't have to be a prisoner of your blood.'

He watched with wide eyes, as heat gathered as his left side, after so many years...

'It's okay for you to...'

They're not alone.

'Be who you want to be.'

They aren't helpless.

The flames exploded outwards, and filled his side of the being with fire.

They can break free.

Akemi watched with wide eyes as they burned, hands clasped over her mouth.

And be free.

Hibiki trembled at the meaning of of this. This is... She almost sobbed, from next to her Hito-chan watched with confusion, but he wouldn't understand.

From those chains and locks and binds.

"Even though you wanted to win..." Shouto chuckled, "Dammit... Helping your enemy..." He looked up and across the ring, where Midoriya Izuku— his saviour, stood. "Which one of us is screwing around now?"

"I... Also want to be a hero... Too...!"

Midoriya smiled.

He didn't hear his father's calls. He didn't see, how from the emotions he was feeling, Kimura Akemi slid down from her seat and cried. He didn't see Ueno Hibiki burning her face into her classmate's shoulder and sobbed.

"Woah..." He looked across the ring, towards Midoriya, who is still smiling.

"Why're you smiling?" The teen startled, "with those injuries... In this situation... You're crazy..."

Midoriya's eyes turned determined.

"Don't blame me for what happens next."

He stomped the ground and together with fire, ice burst forth. Across him, Midoriya's leg glowed with his quirk. He barely notices Cementoss and Midnight's cries, as his ice soared forwards and his fire exploded backwards.

He raised a hand as Midoriya drew close, and closed his eyes.

"Midoriya..."

The teen flew even closer, his arm once again bursting with energy.

"Thank you."

The arena exploded.