Hello Fellow Readers!

Wow... If you're up to date with the MHA manga, then you'll know about the emotional trip Horikoshi has given us regarding the Todoroki family and Touya.

Because so much is being revealed to us, I've had to make some changes in the story. Here are the important ones:

Touya is one year older than Akira - not four.

Changes to some flashbacks in the story regarding Touya and his family.

I made some other minor changes but it's up to you to reread the chapters. Not even sure if you'll notice the changes but if you do, kudos to you!

Another fair spoiler warning as usual. Hope you're enjoying the story as things are going down...soon...

Thanks!

-D

I'm hitting at the hanging punching bag in the dark training room late at night. Punch after punch, kick after kick. Beads of sweat roll down my forehead, my sweatshirt soaked. The echoes of people's screams play through my head, along with the explosions I had made that killed numerous villains. I strike the punching bag harder the louder the screams echo in my head. I recall the man I had melted under my feet some while ago.

'He deserved it…' I think to myself. 'He made countless people suffer...That's one less scum on this Earth…'

I keep kicking and punching the bag.

'But even if I do get rid of all the murderers…' I continue to think. 'Then that leaves...me.'

'You've gone cold,' Keigo's words echo in my mind.

I grow frustrated at all the emotions I'm feeling. Guilt starts to eat away at me. I clench my jaw, angered at the person I've become. I know what pain and suffering is like - why would I want to push it on others?

'This isn't me…' I think as my punches and kicks grow stronger. 'That's not who I am…'

An image of Touya flashes in my head. Angered, I charge my fist with glowing energy and hit the punching bag, sending it crashing into the wall across the training room. The wall is now dented and cracked, the bag torn open as beads scatter all over. I collapse on my knees and begin to cry.

"Akira!" Keigo runs in and kneels next to me. "What are you doing up this late?"

"I'm sorry…" I cry. "Keigo, I'm so sorry."

"For what?"

"For becoming this cold person...a murderer. Like them."

Keigo soothes me by rubbing my back.

"That's not who I am, Keigo…" I cry. "I'm sorry, Touya…"

Keigo watches as I lower my face to the floor, continuing to weep.

"It's okay…" Keigo embraces me. "It's not your fault."

I continue to cry with Keigo comforting me, his wings enveloping us as he holds my head close to his. He caresses my head as he continues to hug me.

"It's not your fault…" Keigo mutters as he kisses the side of my head. "It's not your fault."

I sit up on my bed after waking up. The memory of that night - the night I had finally snapped out of it and realized my wrongs. I had decided to atone for my actions by following my dream of becoming a pro hero. So that I could save lives to make up for the ones I'd taken. My alarm blares and I shut it off, getting up for work.

I'm entering the psychiatric ward this afternoon, taking a break from the agency. After checking in at the front desk, I make my way to Rei's room.

"Hello, Rei," I greet as I enter.

"Hello, Akira," she welcomes me with a smile.

After hanging my jacket and scarf at the door, I have a seat in front of Rei while she sits on her bed. Once again, there's a flower in a vase sitting on the windowsill. I give a small smile at it.

"I hope you're staying warm," Rei says.

"I am," I nod. "How are you liking the weather?"

"You know I don't mind the cold."

"That's the perk of having an ice quirk, I suppose," I lightly laugh with her.

"So tell me. What have you been up to?"

"Aside from working at the agency, nothing much, really. You know I can be a loner."

"There's nothing wrong with that," she tries to comfort me. "It's understandable considering how you grew up."

"True...The first friends I ever made were Touya because of Enji and Hawks because of the Commission program...Then of course there's you and the rest of your family."

I remember my conversation with Enji about him having saved me.

"I'm grateful to you and your family," I say. "If it wasn't for Enji, I wouldn't have developed the familial bonds I lacked as an orphan."

"Enji grew very fond of you since he met you."

"Do you know when he met me?"

"I don't know the exact details, but he did insist on keeping an eye on you since you were an infant… Though he never shared with me why."

"I guess the Commission really wanted to keep my origin under wraps, huh?"

"It seems so."

"Still, you welcomed me into your family...Enji is a father to me and you a mother...I'm so grateful for that."

"I know you are. I'm thankful that we were able to provide you a familial bond when you had no one to turn to. I've always admired Enji for keeping you close, even to this day, despite all that's happened… He hasn't been the most ideal husband and father to his family, but I know he wasn't always like that. You're proof of the kind person he truly is inside… He just needs time to become his ideal self...for his family. And I hope he reaches that goal."

I nod with a small smile at her.

"Akira…" Rei studies me for a moment. "You seem...different."

"Different?" I raise my brows a bit. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not quite sure, honestly...Perhaps it's my motherly instinct noticing something about you."

"I hope it's a good thing?" I lightly laugh.

"Oh it definitely is," she nods. "I have no doubt."

I tilt my head in thought wondering about what she means.

"This is so boring!" Katsuki shouts. "Still no sign of any villains!"

"Relax," I walk beside him. "We've only been on patrol for an hour."

"So much for villain activity rising," he's sarcastic.

"It's alright," Izuku tries to comfort him. "If anything, it's good that there's nothing bad happening."

"Shut up!" Katsuki barks at him.

I let out a deep sigh. Enji is walking in front of the group with Shoto close behind him. It's late afternoon as we patrol the streets. I notice how pensive Shoto is as he gazes at his father's back.

"You okay?" I walk up to his right.

"Uh. Yeah…" Shoto replies. "How are you doing?"

"Just needed to get away from the barking brat."

"I heard that!" Katsuki shouts.

"I'm surprised he doesn't lose his voice with all that damn shouting," I tell Shoto.

"I wonder about that too," Shoto smiles a bit.

"Shut up, Icy-hot!" Katsuki shouts, earning laughter from me and Shoto.

Just then, from the corner of my eye, I see someone charging at Katsuki from across the street at high speed. I lurch back and tackle Katsuki out of the way, the person missing his tackle at him. I stand guard in front of Katsuki as we see it's a villain. He stands a good six feet tall, his body rather muscular as he wears a torn up prisoner jumpsuit.

"An escaped convict," Izuku says.

"I'm sick and tired of you heroes always ruining the fun!" the villain shouts.

He suddenly holds his hands up toward us. Before any of us can reach him, he blasts a shockwave of electricity, reaching the surrounding perimeter. Glass windows shatter in buildings and cars, even stunning some people around. A car loses control, about to collide into a group of civilians. Izuku uses his black whip to bring the car to a halt.

"Direct the civilians away from here!" I tell the boys.

I'm about to engage the villain when I'm hit with a powerful stream of water. It pushes me against a light pole, making it bend and knock over. I stand on my feet and see another villain has shown up, another escaped convict.

"Where the hell are these guys coming from?" I wonder.

The water villain then shoots water at me, engulfing me in a sphere of ice cold water. I glance around through the water and see that the boys are helping evacuate civilians. Enji is handling the shockwave villain, leaving me to handle this one. I suddenly feel a churn in my stomach as a strong cramp also hits me.

'What the hell?' I think in surprise.

The temperature of the water is freezing now, which causes me to tense up. I begin to recall my times inside the nuclear chamber when I was a child. The foam cannons bombarding me from all directions, seeing myself as a child. I feel my little body floating in the freezing water, struggling for air. I keep flashing between my present self and my younger self, trying to bring myself back to reality. The foam balls continue to shoot at me, causing me to rise in stress. My body begins to heat up, the water now beginning to boil.

'Can't...lose...control…' I struggle to think. 'Civilians...in the area…'

The water continues to boil and glow gold around me as I continue to relive my memory in the nuclear chamber. My little self can't breathe, beginning to swallow some water. Just as I feel myself not able to breathe, the sphere of now boiling water explodes. I fall to the concrete ground on my stomach, coughing up water. I take in a breath of air as I continue to cough.

"Hey, are you alright…" Izuku approaches.

"Don't touch me," I slap his hand away. "Stay away!"

I glance around as Izuku appears as a Commission officer to me. I scoot back and glance around, spotting another Commission officer coming toward me.

"Stay away!" I shout.

"What the hell?" the Commission officer questions.

Enji then appears in front of me, kneeling down as he holds me by the shoulders.

"Akira," he says. "Breathe. You're alright."

"They're after me…" I glance around in panic. "Don't let them take me, Enji."

"They're not here. Relax. You're safe."

I finally snap back into reality, staring into Enji's turquoise eyes.

"What?" I'm confused.

"You were having a flashback," Enji tells me.

I glance around and realize that Izuku and Katsuki appeared as Commission officers in my mind.

"What happened?" I ask.

"The villain held you in a sphere of freezing water," Enji explains. "It must've triggered your PTSD…"

"Did I...hurt anyone?"

"No, the sphere of boiling water exploded. The water villain was burned by it, causing him to release you."

"But no one else was hurt, right?" I want reassurance.

Enji sees my frantic face and gives me a nod. I gaze down at the ground for a moment. Enji then stands and helps me get to my feet. Izuku, Katsuki and Shoto approach us.

"Are you alright?" Izuku worries.

"Yeah…I'm okay…" I nod.

I turn my gaze over to Katsuki who's staring at me in deep thought. He and the other boys must've overheard what Enji was saying to me.

"Sorry about that…" I shake my head.

"It's fine...I get it…." Katsuki reassures me.

I'm surprised at how understanding he is.

"Thanks...for saving me back there…" Katsuki admits.

This also surprises me, seeing how understanding Katsuki is being, and the fact that he's thanking me takes us all by surprise. He notices everyone's surprised stare at him and quickly shifts to his grumpy expression.

"Don't think it'll happen again!" he shouts.

"It's okay to be saved sometimes, Kachan," Izuku says.

"Shut up, nerd!"

Katsuki shoots us glares as we can't help but find his attitude funny. The officers are apprehending the criminals and are taking them away. While Katsuki and Izuku continue to comically bicker, I stand in thought with everything else going on in the background.

'What was that?' I think to myself. 'I had that...churn and pain earlier…'

"Akira…" Enji breaks me away from my thoughts.

"Hm?"

"Are you sure that you're fine?"

Enji has seen me experience PTSD episodes while I was growing up. He was often the one who brought me back to my senses, along with Touya and Keigo.

"I am…" I give him a nod. "Thank you."

Enji stares at me for a moment, making sure I'm alright. I notice Shoto as he watches his father being kind to me, leaving him in thought. This must be a new sight for Shoto to see, and I'm glad that he is.

I'm jogging at the beach in the late evening, the thin red puffer jacket keeping me warm. My shoes dip slightly into the sand with every step as I make my way to the stone pier. It's quiet out as I'm alone in my thoughts.

'Why do I even bother with the Commission?' I think. 'All they did was hurt me.'

I keep on jogging, steadying my breathing.

'I could snap at any moment…' I think. 'I have every right to resent them...to turn my back on them…'

I grimace at the thought.

'But that's not me…' I continue to think.

I finally make my way to the pier, jogging to the end of it. To my surprise, I feel myself a bit light headed. I've never felt like this after my jogs. I hunch over, resting my hands on my knees as I catch my breath.

'I guess it's been a long day…' I think.

I stand up straight, taking in a deep breath of cold air, a cloud of warm breath escaping my mouth. My eyes gaze out into the calm waters, the moon shining its reflection as it glistens in the waves. The starry night sky is more visible away from the city night lights. I admire the view for a moment before deciding to test my quirk. I stand with my feet shoulder-width apart, facing toward the water at the end of the pier. Holding my hands up, my arms extended with a slight bend, I charge energy at my palms. I shoot a massive blast of energy into the water, the golden ray piercing at the surface and causing the water to split in large waves. The blast eventually dissipates as the waves splash.

'What did Rei mean earlier today?' I think to myself. 'She noticed...something different about me… But what?'

"Bored I see," a familiar voice says behind me.

I turn and see Touya approaching, wearing his black jacket and sunglasses, his whole head hidden away with the hood and high collar.

"Stalking me, I see," I retort with a smile.

"I was bored," he shrugs.

"Right."

I lower myself at the edge of the pier to sit down. Touya also does the same as he sits a few inches to my right.

"You're not cold in that thin jacket?" Touya asks.

"It's thermal," I gaze down at it. "It's meant for working out in cold weather."

"Just making sure ya don't freeze."

"I'll be fine," I laugh.

The both of us stare out into the distance, enjoying the starry night view as the sound of the waves hit the rocks down below.

"How are things going with you and your gang of buddies?" I ask.

"Those morons can be so damn annoying," he scoffs. "I'm just putting up with them."

"For your goal, right?"

"Yeah…"

There's a moment of silence.

"How's it goin' with those brats at the agency?" Touya asks.

"They make quite the dynamic group," I reply. "Especially with that barking kid Katsuki. Got a lot of spirit in him, I suppose."

"No...he's just an idiot."

"Oh yeah. I forgot the League kidnapped him before, so you got the chance to meet him," I laugh.

"So loud and annoying."

"But those boys are improving...especially since Enji has taken charge of them."

"Is that so? Hn. Who woulda thought."

I understand why Touya finds it surprising that Enji took all three boys under his wing. He wanted to focus his attention on Shoto initially. For Enji to give the other boys any attention other than Shoto is not a luxury Touya received.

"We stopped some escaped convicts earlier today," I say. "One of them used his quirk to engulf me in a sphere of freezing water…."

"Are you okay?" Touya quickly turns to me.

"Yeah…"

Touya is aware of the nuclear chamber training I experienced as a child. He knows freezing water can trigger my PTSD episodes of it. At the same time, freezing water is what tames my quirk. I remember him being so scared for me whenever he tried to bring me to my senses. He would also come to resent the Commission President and guards and wanted to save me from them.

"So what happened to him?" Touya asks.

"I boiled the water so much," I reply. "That the sphere exploded and burned him."

"Serves him right," he laughs.

"I guess I accidentally stopped him with my episode," I lightly laugh.

"He found out the hard way."

The cold wind hitting my head causes me to shiver as my white hair blows with it. Touya reaches over and pulls the hood of my jacket over my head.

"Thanks…" I smile.

"No problem," Touya zips up the high collar of my jacket.

The zipper pokes my nose and Touya laughs a bit.

"All I need are black sunglasses and I'll be like you," I tease.

"You'll need the burnt skin and black hair dye too," Touya adds.

"And some nose piercings."

"No piercings for you," Touya quickly responds with a shake of his head.

I laugh at him disapproving of me having piercings.

"Though I do wonder what I'd look like with black hair…" I say.

"I think it would fit you," Touya says.

"Ya think so?"

"We should try it out sometime."

"Oh yeah, since you're stocked up on hair dye. You got some rewards member deal or something?"

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbles at my teasing.

Touya and I continue our playful banter under the starry night sky.