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"Todoroki! Hold on!" Tenya pleaded as he tried to carry his friend away through the inferno. "I'll get us out of here!"
He was running, or at least trying to, using Engine Boost to bolster his speed and movement. Unfortunately, the sheer heat from the flames was taking a toll on his body as they were on everyone else. Shoto was only faring better because of his fire resistance but using Phosphor had exhausted him to the point where he was barely standing.
He wanted to go faster, but his special moves that would allow that took time to build up and use. Time, they did not have.
If Shoto heard him he didn't show it. The boy was too horrified by what was happening to respond.
How could this have happened?
How did he fail?
He spent an entire month working on that technique, perfecting it to the point where he was certain it would stop his brother. And it had…if only briefly.
Then two minutes after witnessing it, his brother copied it and managed to stand up again; the fires from his quirk burning stronger than before. It made no sense. Phosphor worked by channelling his fire and ice around his circulatory system. So why was it working for Touya? He had a stronger version of their father's quirk and ice resistance from their mother, but that didn't mean he had fire and ice. If anything, it should have killed him.
He's going to die now though!
Touya was going to die, this time for real! Along with so many other people! And there wasn't a thing he could do to stop it!
Why was Touya doing this? Even if he didn't want to be captured, why go this far?
I understand you want to mingle Shoto, but I don't want that. I won't be captured. I don't want to return to a family that doesn't want me.
They did want him! It was why they all came together, for once as a family. To try and save him.
When he came back they thought he was dead. They never forgot him, and they never moved on! Or at least, most of them.
Natsuo certainly held onto him every day! it was why he reminded their father of his existence. Of what happened! Why else would he feel so strongly about it if he didn't care?!
Fuyumi was quieter about it but she held onto his memory. Shoto could recall times when he had seen her praying to her (at the time) deceased brother's butsudan. The faint sound of her crying while muttering Touya's name softly.
He didn't know about his mother. He knew Touya's death affected her heavily, so he avoided bringing it up. She did feel guilty about not doing more. He found that out last month. He doubted she'd moved on though.
The only times his father ever brought Touya up were during training. And they had not been pleasant. Touya was mostly used as an example by Endeavour. To emphasise that he was a success, and the others weren't. He said that Touya was close to being perfect, but because of his constitution, he wasn't.
Maybe it had all been his way of grieving his son's death, to try and motivate him not to end up the same way. Not that it made it right, but he understood.
Shoto hadn't grieved Touya like the others. He wanted to. He knew he should have. But it was very hard when he didn't know the person. The sibling he had been closest to growing up was Fuyumi, and Natsuo he hadn't spoken to until after he entered UA.
Another sad detail to add to their sad lives.
I've had enough of this life. I was wrong to hate you for things that were far beyond your control. You didn't deserve any of that. I was wrong for how I treated the rest of the family.
There was something deeply upsetting about that sentence.
Touya was finished with this life. How many times had Shoto wished for that? After his mother was taken away, or after every training session where he was left sore, bruised, and even more broken than before. He had moments, more than he would care to admit, where he wished his life would end. In part, because he wanted an out to his miserable life, and another to spite his father so his dream wouldn't come through. Ironically, hating his father is what kept him alive with his promise to become a hero using only his ice. It wasn't until he met Izuku and the rest of his friends that he had begun to change.
Did Touya have friends before becoming Dabi? From the conversations with his family, he assumed the answer was no. Why not?
Shoto was somewhat comforted by Touya's own admittance of why he was wrong. He didn't hate them. It was small but it was something. It showed he was on some level aware of his faults.
I acknowledge that Endeavour has changed, and it's nice that he did. However, I wish he did when it actually mattered, not after getting what he wanted.
Shoto couldn't help but empathise with that statement. Of all the things that Touya had said and done, that part was very true.
When Touya broke down and attacked him as a child, he didn't change.
When his mother broke and threw boiling water over his left side scarring him, he didn't change.
When Touya supposedly burned to death on Sekoto Peak, he didn't change. He somehow became even worse.
He trained him even harder for ten brutal years until he reached UA.
His son dying all alone should have been the moment he realized how wrong he was about everything and stopped. It should have been the moment he changed for the better, but it wasn't.
Enji Todoroki didn't decide to change until after becoming the No.1 hero like he always wanted. Okay, maybe not the way he wanted since it was because All Might retired but still.
Ironically, his father not giving his dream is exactly what gave birth to Dabi. The abuse may have shaped his brother, but when he came home and saw nothing had changed, that their father didn't change, that he continued his selfish dream despite what it cost him, that was when he created a monster.
It was funny… in a way. Touya stood behind the door of the dojo and watched them, but they never saw him. He'd been that close, and they never noticed. A repeat of what happened his entire life.
If they had, would they have been able to change anything?
While he did not condone his brother's actions, he did sympathise with him. If not for Izuku, he would have continued on the same path as Touya. Touya didn't have an Izuku. He didn't have anyone to help him change or get through his issues. If he'd had someone, anyone, his life may have turned out differently.
In another life, we could have been brothers. We could have been a family. I suggest you run, because once its released, there's no stopping it. Goodbye, little brother!
Shoto wished they could be a normal family. He wished he had his childhood like he deserved. He wished his siblings and mother had happier lives. He wished his father had been a better, kinder man. He wished for so many things he could never have.
He wished he and Touya were friends, not enemies fighting to the death. He wished he was eating soba and playing ball like he did as a child. Why couldn't he have those things? Just why?
Despite Touya's warning, he knew they weren't going to make it. It just wasn't possible.
As Tenya slowed even more, Shoto hugged him from behind.
"I'm Iida. I really am."
Tenya tried to respond but couldn't.
"Blue Prominence!"
Tears managed to well up in Shoto's eyes despite the extreme heat.
"Stupid idiot! I'm already your brother!"
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They were dead before the flames even hit them.
Rei Todoroki
Rei glanced at the edge of the shelter.
Tears began to flow from her eyes like a river.
"What?" she whispered oh so softly. "Why?"
She didn't know what or how, but she knew terrible had just happened.
"Shoto, Touya, Enji. Please, stay safe!"
Elsewhere
He had been awakened.
After such a long slumber, he had been awakened and freed.
He could help Shigaraki.
He could help the League of Villains.
Himiko Toga asked for his help in killing the heroes including Hawks.
She asked that he spread her doubles around the battlefields, and he would do that… in time.
However, Dabi's explosion would allow the League and Shigaraki a chance to fight back.
Keeping his body at a distance he opened up several portals.
Where the heroes separated them, he would bring them back.
And when Dabi reached his peak…
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Hell was let loose on Earth!
Hi there! What did you think of that?
You got Shoto's thoughts in this chapter, and I think you can figure out what's happening next.
Things have been heating up quite a bit in MHA, especially for the Todoroki Family. I did not expect Dabi to get the upgrade he did, but I'm not complaining. It does make things more tragic though since he turned out to be what his father wanted the whole time.
Speaking of which, I'm sad he and Enji didn't share any meaningful dialogue in the recent chapters since his mind has degraded to that of a child. And with the way he is going, I seriously doubt he'll survive.
I hope you enjoyed reading it! Please review!
