"Fuck! Damn it, All Might, where'd she go?" Endeavor somehow expected I'd have the answer. Then again, I did have a theory.
"She recently faced against a villain called Shadowsnail. This is quite like the ability he was reported to have." I wanted to look around the doorway, but a flaming projectile flew over my shoulder. The heat of Endeavor's blast was enough for me to shy away. Fire toppled into the empty building and vanished into nothingness. I stepped into the small room and began my search for clues. Surely there had to be something. Inside lacked any sort of light fixtures, furniture, or plumbing. I fought against the panic that longed to cloud my senses. She was gone, just like that. I understood why Navy said looking was pointless. After ten minutes, we could find no trace of her or Shadowsnail.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" I was reminded that Endeavor was a fresh graduate from UA. He hadn't yet learned how to fully control his emotions. He punched a wall and released a furious blaze. "Get back here, coward!" I didn't know if he was calling to Sandspark or her kidnapper. We withdrew from the clueless scene and spiraled outwards on our quest to find something, anything. Though he wanted to go on his own, I stuck near the hero.
"If Shadowsnail returns for one of us, the other will have a better chance of tagging along," I reasoned. Endeavor turned away before I was done. He seemed to barely scan the abandoned alleys and piles of unk. In his haste, he might have missed any clue that wasn't a flashing neon light. I tried to stay beside him while continuing my far more earnest search, but knew I was missing things as well. "Slow down, Todoroki." I hoped that hearing his name would bring him some sort of center.
Just as I felt my resolve waver, a blur entered my peripheral vision. I pivoted just enough to identify the assailant. "Grab on!" I shouted at once. My hand reached out. Endeavor grabbed hold and we both were sucked into a vortex of blackness.
It felt like hell. I wanted to hurl, but I didn't know which way was up, so I didn't dare. I couldn't feel my body properly. Just as I considered that this might be my new reality, my feet landed on something solid. The jarring sensation of being disembodied then made whole again severely depleted my energy, but I was able to keep my legs beneath me. Endeavor wasn't so lucky. He dropped to the ground, his eyes half closed.
I focused on boosting One For All and looked around.
My eyes naturally slid to the monitors, their lights the brightest in the room. Broadcasts, chatrooms, and videos all played a silent parade of information. I recognized myself on several screens. Perhaps I'd look at it more later, but I had more pressing matters to attend to. A figure as big as me stepped out from the shadow of the seat. I saw the outline of his messy hair and knew that I stood behind One For All. Why wasn't he looking at me? I knew that killing me was on his bucket list.
It was then that I saw Teiko by the window.
"Burn some fire," I ordered Endeavor quietly. Surely his metabolism would be faster to absorb the effects if he put it to work. "Now, Todoroki!" I snapped when he didn't immediately comply. The room was not nearly large enough for my words to go unnoticed. One For All stopped moving and turned to look at me.
"There you are. You kept us waiting, so we decided to have a chat."
Us? I felt dread harden in my gut. Had they been working together all along? I made sure to smile. It was better than letting One For All know he got to me. I shifted my stance and prepared to charge. At last, I could avenge Nana. "Not so fast, All Might," One For All warned. I was curious enough to listen. I'd had dreams of facing off against him, but none of them included a collapsed Endeavor at my side or Teiko standing at One For All's window. I took my eyes off my opponent to try to read her. She gently shook her head. What did that mean? Was I not supposed to fight? Was she trying to tell me that they weren't allies?
Endeavor acted first. Still on his knees, what had once been no larger than a torch had evolved into a raging inferno around his body. "You twat," he panted. He directed the blaze to All For One, who summoned a protective shield. I crossed my arms together and braced myself for the onslaught of heat. Teiko took it upon herself to protect the equipment in the corner. Was she trying to preserve evidence? Even with sweat dripping from my forehead, I felt cold inside. Everything had happened too fast. It had all been too good to be true. What were the chances that her first mission as a pro hero would bring us all here?
I knew it had been a trap all along, but let my guard down for a pretty face. I was glad that devices didn't work with One For All. I would have seen them unreliable after having her in my home. In the end, it all came back to All For One. It was him who'd been behind everything. "I don't need him," All For One declared to a shadow in the corner. "Why would I go for second best?" I'm not sure if it was an insult to Endeavor as a pro hero or a sibling, but it didn't matter. The moment Endeavor's fire burned out, Shadowsnail materialized and swept over Todoroki. The two vanished. Now it was just the three of us.
"Now, Sandspark. Show me you can be a good listener." Even as a traitor, she was still going to use the name I'd given her? I felt unreasonably angry at the small detail. "See if you can defeat All Might."
One of the rocks from her collection came shooting at me like a bullet. I raised my hand and caught it easily. Another, then another peppered ineffectively against my body. The pebbles were shaped like chips and had mildly sharp edges, but it would barely bruise a normal man, let alone me. One For All released a disappointed sigh. "Take this seriously or I'll get bored of you," he warned.
She took the warning to heart. A concentrated flare shot straight at my chest. I nimbly dodged out of the way, just in time for her to set off another. I could tell she wasn't really trying, but I couldn't imagine why. I found myself backed into the spot where we'd begun. A fresh wave of fire flew at my feet. The limestone ignited and I was blasted against the wall.
Teiko pivoted and attacked the man behind her. Maybe she thought All For One's defenses were down from watching the fight. She made sure to get in close, possibly in the hopes that he couldn't erect such a small shield. As good as she was, she didn't get to land a punch. He grabbed her by the hair and held her still. She began to rally for another attack, but one of his bandaged fingers pointed at her navel. A crimson soaked blade protruded from her back. "What a shame. You would have made an excellent servant." Blood pooled from her wound. I was frozen, even as he tossed her to the side like a discarded tissue. I found my feet and rushed him.
One For All's fist met mine.