XV

Todoroki Enji had refused to see a doctor. He hated that after all his years on duty he still lost to his sister. She not only beat him, but she had broken the stupid rules she insisted they enforce. He lost weeks of work thanks to his split cheek and various injuries. In that time, he hired a company and beefed up in the courtyard while the crew repaired and modified his training hall. He had the carpenters make it not only fireproof, but sound and bulletproof as well. He put a security system on his entire house to alert him of all the comings and goings of his family.

He'd been back at work for just a few days when Teiko came to visit. He remembered not only their last encounter, but every horrific thing she'd done to him. The worst had most certainly been when his quirk had first manifest. Back when he was six, Teiko had lit his room on fire. "Save whatever's important to you," she'd said, then locked the door behind her. Teiko acts all high and mighty, but it's her fault we even had to have house rules. They had been set as a way to keep the elder sister from killing her younger brother.

As he battled the trapped inferno, he'd decided to become not just a hero, but the best. He chose a name that made no promises. Endeavor. He would endeavor to become what society needed. It would be a constant effort on his part. In hindsight, the name displayed too much humility. His climb had been all for naught. For then, All Might had appeared. His quest for the top ended as frantic climb to the number two slot. He hated the man for his extraordinary quirks, his charisma, and for the ability to always seem to choose the right avenue. Enji couldn't match the hero. For the second time in his life, he was caught in someone's shadow. First it had been his sister, then the Symbol of Peace.

His phone buzzed and drew him from his thoughts. He put it to his face and answered. "Hello?"

"I'm bringing the kids home. We'll be there by five." She didn't wait for a response before she hung up.

He thought to get them all a gift of some sort. Enji knew that he had screwed up, but had little idea how he could bridge the gap – no – canyon that existed between him and the rest of his family. He placed an order for food to be delivered. Teiko had insisted upon a nightly meal. Maybe her call had been a hint for him to make something.

The food arrived with just a minute to spare. At precisely five, right after Enji had set the table, he heard their approach. Fuyumi walked in first. "Dad!" She said the word as a singular cheer. He felt warmth as he looked at his only daughter. The teenager rushed forward and embraced as much of the ox-like man that she could. "I missed you, Daddy." He hugged her in return. Though he didn't like to show such affection, he found himself respond.

"Missed you too, kid." His words were short.

Shoto and Natsuo looked at the table. "Thanks, Dad," the latter muttered.

They sat together and ate. As per usual, Fuyumi made a valiant attempt to make the dinner a happy event. "We all have the top five marks in our classes. It's not time for testing yet, but if we keep this up we're all going to get into whatever schools we want. Shoto, you could even go to UA."

So the boy really wants to be a hero? Good. For his part, Enji didn't want to appear too desperate, nor did he know how to play it cool without coming off as nonchalant. "Have you decided what you'd like to be, Fuyumi?"

The girl nodded happily. "I want to be a teacher. I love tutoring my peers and watching them learn."

She sounds so grown up. He knew he had to be a part of the reason why, and it stung. "You're very patient, Fuyumi. You'll be an excellent teacher."

He turned his head to Natsuo, who answered with minimal prompting. "I'm going to be a doctor."

Where'd that come from? He considered the night where Shoto had been burned by the kettle. The signs had been there all along, but Enji hadn't seen. After all, he'd been too focused on his golden boy. "You have quick instincts that will probably save dozens of lives," he said, this time with pride. Nobody had told him he was doing wrong. He started to feel just a sense of the security that the children had felt in their home…. Until he'd blown it up.

They had a decent time together, up until Enji defaulted to Shoto's training. "What have you and Teiko been working on?" He asked. As far as he knew, it was a safe topic.

The mood sobered at once. Shoto glanced at his aunt for an explanation. It was too smooth a transition for her to ignore the topic anymore. "I've been with Toya while the kids were at school. Whenever we got home, I didn't think it was appropriate to train." She glanced around at their faces. This was it. She had to spread the lie. "Toya passed on." The way she spoke offered some glimmer of truth, while still upholding the teen's wish.

Silence greeted the statement. None of the siblings knew the truth, that their father had been the one to push Toya past his breaking point. "But…how?" Natsuo asked. As an up and coming medic, he felt like he wanted to know the truth.

"His body wasn't suited for his fire. The quirk probably hurt him every time he didn't use it with care," she explained.

"I know that. We all saw his burns over the years," Natsuo said, some defiance in his voice. He was still in a state of denial. "What made him flame out?"

Enji felt guilt choke the words out of him. "I did it." He knew that his honesty would obliterate any progress he'd made with them in the short term, but in the long run it was better if they knew the truth straightaway. While he appreciated Teiko's attempt to omit him from the story, he would rather they could count on her. "He told me that he wasn't going to school anymore and I lost my temper. I told him that if he wanted to act like an adult he had to be able to beat me in a fight. He took the challenge to heart and fired on all cylinders."

Shoto reacted first. He sniffled quietly during his father's explanation, but was in full blown tears by the time Enji finished. "I hate you!" He screamed. "You're the worst dad ever!"

Fuyumi prepared a feeble defense. "It wasn't Dad's fault. He just—"

Natsuo wouldn't have it. He jumped to his feet and slammed his fists on the table. "Toya suffered at his," he jabbed his finger at Enji, "hands for years. Anyone that went through that would overreact. The only reason we're okay, Fuyumi, is because we were born with the wrong quirks." The boy rounded on his father. "Fuck you, Dad. Fuck. You."

Shoto rushed from the table and up into his room. Fuyumi ran after him, but the door was slammed shut and sealed with a layer of ice. "Shoto," she said softly. Tears slid down her cheeks. "Shoto, please let me in."

Grief gripped the family in their own way. Natsuo threw his dish at his father's head. As expected, Enji dodged and there was no satisfaction, save for the loud smash that echoed along the wall and crackled onto the floor. Teiko walked to the boy and pulled him into a gentle embrace. Natsuo had no resistance left. He sobbed into his aunt's stomach and clung to her hips.

Enji watched his family fall apart and knew it was his fault. He saw their sorrow and anger and was not only humbled, but horrified to know that he was the root of all of their grief. He wanted to leave, but he made himself watch. Enji took in how his two remaining sons didn't come to him. They had thrown curses and pottery, but that was all. They didn't see him as a source of comfort, stability, or even trust. Even his beloved Fuyumi didn't spare him a glance. He looked at Teiko, his eyes thick with unshed tears.

Her voice was soft enough that Natsuo wouldn't hear her. "This is all your fault, Enji. How many more sons will you kill before you change?"

Each word struck him to the core. He saw what his children had seen all along. His beatings had not made them stronger or magically taught them to be strong, but had destroyed their trust. He knew in that moment that he was the devil in their hells, as his father had been to him. In that moment, Enji wept with his family.