A failure.

He was a failure.

The thought stung. Bitterly.

He'd lost. Hell, he hadn't even made it onto the podium.

He knew he shouldn't let it stop him. Shouldn't let it shake his resolve. But he couldn't get it out of his head.

He couldn't get Bakugou's words out of his head.

'A declaration of war? Don't make me laugh. You can't seriously expect to take first place when you're literally half-assing it.'

That's not it, Shouto thought fiercely. That's not. It.

But maybe that was it. Maybe he really was making a mistake.

'You seriously think that you're the only one with a dirty secret? Dumbass. Believe me Half'n'Half, if anyone gets having issues with their own quirk, it'd be me. But I…'

"Shouto?" a soft voice murmured.

He flinched, and the hand that he'd sensed near his arm drew back. Blinking away his thoughts, Shouto lifted his head to meet Fuyumi-nee's dark gray eyes. "Are you okay?" she murmured worriedly.

Shouto shrugged absently, taking a bite of his soba to conceal the wince of pain that the movement caused-his right shoulder throbbed angrily from the burn that his father had inflicted.

Apparently, his poor performance in the Festival meant that he'd needed an extra training session, despite the fact that he was already fatigued and dehydrated. He was almost grateful that he'd passed out in the middle of it. It meant that he'd woken up with bruises that he hadn't been able to defend against, but at least he didn't have any more burns than the one. But, it also meant that he was barely getting dinner despite it being almost 22:00, seeing as he hadn't woken up until nearly 21:30.

"Shouto," Fuyumi-nee began cautiously, "you know you can tell me anything, right? I may not know what happened at the Festival, but if… If anything is bothering you, you know I'm here for you?"

Shouto knew the unspoken sentiment in those words. I'm here for you not for father. Still, he only nodded, taking another bite of food so that he wouldn't have to speak. Fuyumi-nee was the best sister that Shouto could possibly ask for, but she couldn't help him with this. She couldn't possibly understand this strange feeling of conflict.

I have to prove that I'm stronger than him.

I'm not strong enough.

Half your effort.

Abruptly, Shouto set his chopsticks aside and rose to his feet.

"I'm going to take a walk," he announced quietly, turning away.

"O-Okay. I'll… put your food in the fridge, in case you want it later."

Shouto raised a hand in acknowledgement, continuing on his way outside.

It's a good thing father already left, Shouto thought absently. If he saw me wandering the grounds, he'd try to drag me back into the dojo.

But father wasn't home, so he was free to wander into the spacious garden behind the house, hands shoved deeply into his pockets, shoving all thoughts of Bakugou Katsuki and his dismal performance at the Sports Festival into the back of his mind.

Before too much longer, Shouto had reached his destination: a small bench beside the koi pond, where he could sit and brood as he stared down at the water, undisturbed by anyone or anything.

At least, that had been the plan.

"Well well. It says here that Endeavor's off fighting a crime on the other side of Tokyo. I suppose that means daddy's out for the night?"

Shouto leapt to his feet, whirling around in shock at the sound of the quiet voice, ice already bristling along the length of his right arm.

A boy stood behind him, casually leaning against the maple tree, dressed in skintight black body armor, black boots, and a black leather jacket with no hood. He held a smart phone in one hand, likely open to some kind of news article or hero forum, the whitish light close enough to his face to spotlight a small, careless smile, utterly unbothered by Shouto's threatening posture.

But more importantly, it illuminated his curly, dark green hair, freckled cheeks, and vibrant green eyes that almost seemed to glow in the darkness.

Deku.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Shouto growled, his thoughts racing.

This was bad. Really bad. He was still exhausted from the Sports Festival-not to mention his father's extra training session-and still fighting the aftereffects of dehydration, mild hypothermia, and frostbite. He hadn't been able to witness Deku's combat style at the USJ, but he knew that he'd managed to hold his own against Aizawa-sensei in a one-on-one fight, so that had to mean something. Not to mention, the guy had been quirkless when Bakugou knew him, so if the rumors were true and he did have a quirk now, then Shouto had no idea what it was. One thing was for sure, though: this guy was powerful enough to be a leader among the League of Villains, despite his youth.

In his current state, Shouto wasn't certain if he could beat him.

Could he call for help? But his phone was inside. He could yell for Fuyumi-nee, but that would put her in danger.

Oh Gods, was she already in danger?!

"Calm down, Shouto," Deku laughed gently, somehow reading the flash of panic in his deadpan expression, and it did indeed sound gentle, like this boy didn't have a care in the world. Like he was just a regular kid meeting a friend and not a wanted criminal strolling through the backyard of the number two hero! "I just want to talk."

"What the hell would someone like you have to say to someone like me?"

"So harsh," Deku sighed, his smile twisting into a pout, as though genuinely hurt by the other boy's words. "If you gave me a chance, you might see that you and I are more alike than you might think."

"I am nothing like you!"

The ice streamed forward. Shouto hadn't meant to attack, but it seemed to happen almost without his conscious direction, rushing towards the villain, prepared to encase him in an instant.

Only it never reached him.

Shouto flinched, eyes wide in shock as his miniature glacier shattered, sending tiny shards of ice flying in all directions, glittering like snow in the moonlight. ('The more overpowered the quirk, the more imprecise it is, dumbass! Especially when you only use half of it!') Deku stood unharmed where the ice had been, one arm extended as though he'd just thrown a punch-There isn't even blood where he should have made contact; was the wind pressure from his punch enough to stop my attack? But then shouldn't I have felt something? Does he have some sort of hardening quirk to prevent any injury? But could such a simple quirk honestly generate enough power to shatter my ice?-his green eyes burning, shaking his head sadly.

"Too predictable, Shouto," the villain sighed. "And anyway, you really shouldn't push yourself so much. I'm sure that you must be exhausted from the Sports Festival."

"Shut up!" Shouto hissed, even though Deku wasn't wrong. He was already starting to shiver; normally that wouldn't happen for several minutes at least. "You don't know anything about what I'm capable of!" Shouto snarled, sending another blast towards him, this one a little bit more regulated, a little less fueled by anger. A little less draining on his depleted stamina and a little bit slower in the hopes of seeing exactly how Deku had managed to shatter the ice before. If he could understand the other teen's quirk, then he could beat him.

But this time, the green-haired boy simply dodged the attack, moving with absurd speed and dexterity as he performed an artful back handspring to launch himself out of the way at the last moment. A quirk that grants the user both increased strength and speed? Some kind of enhancer quirk then? It's definitely an emitter either way, but is it just limited to his person or can it be externally manifested somehow?

"So we're going to be cliche and do the whole 'monologue during an intense battle' thing?" Deku sighed. "Very well, I suppose I can roll with that. You're right, Shouto. I don't know you. But I do know quirks."

"What's that supposed to mean?" His breath came as a wave of mist. He was still shivering. Badly. He couldn't keep attacking wildly. Keep him talking. Figure out whatever you can. If he's proud of his analysis skills then he might get careless, maybe use his own quirk as an example.

"It means I can't understand why a future hero would cripple himself to such an extent."

Shouto blinked. That was not what he was expecting. "What do you mean? Heroes should always push themselves to their limits." Why shouldn't he push his ice to its limit, whether or not it was destroying him?

Deku quirked an eyebrow at him, his expression skeptical. "Hypocritical much? Every potentially self-harming quirk has either a limiter or a compensator. In your case, you're supposed to have a compensator-fire to counter your ice-but instead you're forcing your quirk to accept a limiter. You're not reaching your full potential."

Shouto felt a familiar defensiveness bristling inside him for the second time that day. That was different.

'Don't make me laugh.'

He grit his teeth, raising his frost-covered right hand. He could fight without his father's damn-

"Tell me, Shouto: do you enjoy giving your father this much control over you?"

Shouto stiffened. "He doesn't control me!" he snapped automatically, but his thoughts were spinning wildly. How did he know?

"Doesn't he?" the villain chuckled, a cold smile suddenly curling his lips as he stepped forward, "So, would you use your fire, right here, right now, if it was the only thing that could save your sister?"

"You stay the hell away from her!"

The glacier that burst out of him was even bigger than the first one he'd thrown, fueled by rage and panic and-

And Shouto was on his knees, gasping for breath, his entire body shivering violently. Much longer, and the tremors would cease as hypothermia really set in, making his body too exhausted even to try and warm itself up. He forced himself to raise his head, hoping against hope that it had been enough.

"See, now this is interesting."

His hope vanished in an instant. Deku was standing atop the wall. How he'd gotten up there and how he remained balanced was anyone's guess, but he hardly even seemed flustered by the elemental user's attack.

"You're clearly not your father. You seem determined to protect people, even at the risk of your own health and safety. So why do you insist on playing into his hands? Why are you acting just like him?"

"Shut up; just shut up! I'm not like him; you can't possibly understand!"

'You're literally half-assing it.'

"Can't I? You were probably isolated as a child. Those that might have-should have-been close to you were discouraged by a much more powerful, dangerous presence that kept them at bay. You were judged harshly because of your power. People either expected too much of you, or too little. You were terrified of what you may grow to become, and so you chose to reject an important part of yourself-a part of yourself that you believed would destroy lives."

'You seriously think you're the only one with a dirty secret?'

"Am I wrong?"

The hypothermia was really setting in now. Shouto hoped that he wasn't hyperventilating too obviously, automatically fighting to compensate for the slowed breathing. "How the hell could you possibly know that?" he hissed, desperately clinging to consciousness, hating how the words slurred together as he increasingly lost brain and body function.

Deku smiled as he walked towards him again, but this time, the expression seemed almost sad. "Like I said," he began quietly, "You and I are two of a kind."

"No we're not!" Shouto yelled, shaking his head, clenching his eyes shut "You don't know anything! I refuse to use that bastard's quirk! I refuse to rely on his power!"

"It's not his quirk, Shouto," Deku countered sharply. "It's yours. And in case you haven't noticed, you can't really afford to keep fighting with only half your strength. You haven't laid so much as a scratch on me yet. What happens when you face an enemy that actually intends to kill you? What will happen to your sister now that you're helpless?"

A hand suddenly gripped his shoulder, sending Shouto's head snapping up, his eyes flying open, wide in shock and (although he would never admit it) a bit of fear as he stared into burning, emerald pools.

"A hero more concerned with a petty vendetta than saving lives sounds just like Endeavor to me. Is that the kind of hero that can change anything? Is that the kind of hero your mother would have wanted you to become?"

He couldn't breathe.

'Decide who you want to become, and be all you can be.'

His heartbeat pounded in his ears.

"You don't have to be him, Shouto. It's your power. Your choice."

Emerald eyes bored into his soul.

'You are not bound by his blood.'

The world stopped.

And flames exploded from his left side.

It felt strange, the amount of heat washing through his entire body, biting through the chill and numbness, melting the frost in an instant. His entire body seemed to thrum with the foreign and yet familiar sensation, and it seemed that for the first time in his life, he could see things clearly.

Deku's eyes were wide with shock and something very like wonder as he stumbled back, the brilliant lights almost dancing in his eyes as a slow smile extended across his face. "Amazing," he whispered, barely audible over the roar of the flames.

"Why are you smiling," Shouto questioned as he slowly rose to his feet, adrenaline pulsing through his entire body. A part of him was disgusted with himself, but he couldn't deny a small feeling of satisfaction at that flash of shock. "You've just helped your enemy. How is that smart?"

Deku seemed startled for a moment as he turned to meet the other teen's eyes, then his grin stretched even wider as he replied, "I told you already. You and I are more alike than you might think."

"Say whatever helps you sleep at night. Just don't blame me for what happens next."

Shouto channeled all of his remaining strength into his quirk. He could already feel the exhaustion threatening to drop him-a combination of hypothermia and dehydration and who knew what else-as ice coalesced at his right foot and he raised his blazing left hand.

Just for a moment, Deku's grin seemed to falter, his eyes flicking past Shouto and growing wide for a brief instant before determination overtook his expression and his eyes blazed a radioactive shade of green.

The flames roared forward at the same time as the ice. The reflective nature of the glacier, the searing light of the flames and the comparative darkness surrounding them were a blinding combination, causing stars to leap across Shouto's field of vision the instant before a massive explosion rocked the entire estate, sending him skidding backwards several meters before he managed to make a small blockade of ice to keep him from falling.

Lights were still flashing in his eyes when suddenly everything seemed to blur and Shouto felt himself sway.

Oh no.

The world spun and darkness rushed to meet him before he could beat it back.

.oOo.

"Shouto!"

Gray eyes.

Mother's eyes.

"Shouto, can you hear me?!"

What… happened…? There was… fire…?

All at once, Shouto lurched upright, groaning at the rush of blood to his head that threatened to instantly drop him all over again.

"Shouto! You shouldn't be moving yet; lie back down!" Fuyumi-nee cried, grabbing his shoulders.

"Where is he?" the heterochromatic boy gasped.

"Wh-Where is who?"

"Deku! He's here!" Shouto snapped back, trying to push past her, desperately searching for the danger that had threatened his sister.

"D-Deku?" Fuyumi-nee squeaked in surprise, glancing around them with a flash of terror crossing her face before she relaxed. "Shouto, nobody's here. At least, not anymore. You beat him. He's gone. Honestly, given the force of that explosion, I'm surprised that the house isn't gone."

Shouto stared at her, uncomprehending for a long moment before he twisted to survey the aftermath of his battle, a little stunned by the sight before him.

All the ice save the chunk he'd used as an anchor and a small section of the massive glacier that he had created when Fuyumi-nee was first threatened had apparently been vaporized, along with the pond. The lawn was streaked with swaths of blackened stubble that had once been grass-there was even a small strip of sand in the rock garden that had been fused into glass. Part of the wall surrounding the property had been blown away, the debris scattered across their neighbor's lawn.

Deku had vanished.

The silence left in his wake was palpable, and in that silence, Todoroki Shouto found himself trembling. His breathing was quickening, something lack panic building in his chest, along with anger, disgust, even horror. He'd sworn that he would never use that power, never desecrate his mother's memory in that way.

"Shouto. Shouto! Shouto, breathe with me!" Fuyumi-nee's voice called, soft and urgent. Slowly, Shouto managed to calm down, setting his panic aside to be addressed at a later moment because, as much as he hated to admit it, Deku had had a point. It was obvious that if the villain had wanted to, he could have destroyed both Shouto and his sister. It was possible that he would have if he hadn't activated his fire when he did. He didn't want this power even now, but…

But the power that drove Mother away… may have saved Fuyumi-nee's life.

It was an emotional paradox that he wasn't yet willing to face, and Shouto wasn't really sure what it would mean going forward. All that he knew for certain was that this was some sort of start line. Whether it was the start of something better or worse was a question for tomorrow.

"Shouto… What happened?" Fuyumi-nee whispered, her gray eyes dark with worry.

"I used my fire."

Fuyumi-nee's eyes blew wide. "You… what?"

"I used my fire," Shouto repeated, slowly curling his left hand into a fist.

"…Why?"

Her voice didn't seem accusatory, just perplexed. Shouto sighed, dropping his hand once again as he stared into the night. "I couldn't beat him without it," he whispered. "I couldn't protect you without it. I couldn't… do anything-"

Fuyumi-nee gently gripped his hand, silencing the beginnings of his panic. There was a small smile curling her mouth as she pulled him into a gentle hug. Shouto felt himself stiffen, like he usually did when she showed him this kind of physical affection, but slowly he relaxed into it. "I'm proud of you," she whispered, and the young hero-in-training felt something clench in his chest, pulling at the back of his throat. "Now let's get you inside; you must be exhausted. Not to mention, we should probably call the police."

"Right." Honestly, he was a little surprised that nobody had called the police already, but considering the intensity of some of his and Endeavor's training sessions, he maybe shouldn't be.

Shouto's head was pounding, and he was definitely a bit unsteady on his feet as Fuyumi-nee helped him straighten up and start heading towards the mansion, but with her support he managed it.

"Oh, you dropped this, by the way," his sister added, pressing something into his hand.

"What's this?" Shouto frowned at it, bewildered beyond belief. It appeared to be a nondescript black thumb drive, tucked in a small plastic bag with a yellow post-it note.

"I found it next to you when I ran out of the house," Fuyumi-nee replied, adopting a frown of her own. "I'd assumed it was yours."

Curious, Shouto flipped the bag over, revealing a short note written on the post-it.

His breath hitched sharply.

"Shouto?" Fuyumi-nee frowned, leaning over his shoulder to read the message as well. He heard her gasp too and knew that he hadn't simply imagined it.

To Shou-chan, love Tou-niichan.

"That… Is that possible?" his sister whispered, wide-eyed.

Shouto didn't answer. He couldn't, not past that something clenching in his chest again, reminding him of warm arms and empathetic words. Something that sent him stumbling inside to his laptop. He knew it was a terrible idea, knew that this was probably some kind of trick, but in the moment it didn't seem to matter. Shouto plugged in the drive, and pulled up dozens of files.

Files neatly organized and labeled according to every crime that Endeavor had ever committed.

"Oh my God," Fuyumi-nee whispered next to him. He almost startled at the sound of her voice; he hadn't realized that she'd been peering over his shoulder. It was about then that he noticed a glass of water on the desk next to him as well, one that she'd obviously brought to him. At the moment though, her eyes were wide and one hand covered her mouth while the other clutched her cell phone in a white-knuckled grip.

Right, the police.

Shouto considered telling Fuyumi-nee to step out and make the call as he picked up the glass and took a long sip from it. He knew that she'd leave without complaint-father had long conditioned her to obey orders, whether either of them consciously realized it or not. But honestly, he didn't think that he wanted any law enforcement interrupting him while he went through these files. And anyway, his sister had a right to see this as well.

Shouto scrolled through literal gigabytes of legal documents and security footage, pausing whenever he or Fuyumi-nee found one that caught their eye. Every single file was labeled by date and crime, from dozens of incidents of excessive violence, use of quirk without probable cause, civilian injury coverups, and-Shouto's breath hitched again-all of the documents related to their mother's veritable incarceration in the hospital. That file in particular was accompanied by dozens of malpractice notes, from all of the under-the-table dealings surrounding her admission to the psychiatric ward to the number of times she was deemed sane enough to return home and was still forcibly kept in the hospital at Endeavor's insistence.

And there, at the very end, was a small video file, not labeled like the other ones, but instead bearing the simple words to Shouto.

Shouto didn't even hesitate before he opened it and hit 'play'.

The screen opened to reveal a small room, a blank wall, and a familiar figure stepping into the view of the camera, smiling faintly as he sat down on a chair too low for him to see.

"Hey, bro," he said softly.

Fuyumi-nee gasped.

Shouto might have as well.

He looked different from before. Older. More tired. Not to mention that he'd dyed his hair black and one side of his face and neck was covered in tight, shiny red skin that extended below the collar of his shirt. But his eyes were still just as blue as he remembered, his voice just as gentle.

That something from earlier gripped Shouto's heart again.

"I… Well… This is awkward," the camera-filtered voice sighed. "I had this whole speech planned out, but now that I'm here, I can't remember any of it. I guess… Well, I bet you're pretty confused right now. I did just… disappear that night. At the time, I didn't really feel like I had a choice. Even so… I'm sorry that I left you behind. I may have been hurt, but I shouldn't have abandoned you.

"That being said, it looks like you've been doing well. UA. Pretty awesome. I bet you still aren't using your fire, though. I understand that, believe me, but… just remember that you aren't him, yeah? Remember what Mom told you back then. You can use those flames any way you want. You can use them to protect instead of destroy. You… Oh God, that sounded so cheesy," he huffed, running a hand through his hair as he looked away from the camera and Shouto caught the briefest glimpse of his red roots.

Shouto felt something pulling at his mouth. Something happy, but also sad. He startled when something landed on his hand. He glanced down. There was a drop of water there. Where had that come from? He glanced to the side. Fuyumi-nee's eyes were wet, but he couldn't see any lines on her cheeks as she pressed her hand over her mouth, and anyway, she was too far away from him.

"Well anyway, I don't have a lot more time. Whatever you do with the files on this drive is your decision. I don't know if it's enough to get that bastard in jail, but at the very least, there's enough here to get you and Mom as far away from Endeavor as is legally possible. You don't have to decide right way, though. Maybe talk it over with Yumi-chan and Natsu-chan. One way or another, don't let him find the drive, okay? I have a backup, but I don't wanna risk him taking this out on you. Just… Just be safe, yeah? And… And if you see Mom anytime soon…" he paused, looking away, rubbing the back of his neck and swallowing hard. "Tell her I love her," he murmured finally, still not looking at the camera. "I… I have to go now, but I'll see you again, Shou-chan." He looked up, blue eyes piercing, certain. "That's a promise."

The video ended there. More water had fallen on Shouto's arms. He'd finally realized that it was coming from his eyes. It was strange. He hadn't cried since… Actually, he couldn't remember how long it had been. Was it when mom was admitted to the hospital? He didn't know. It was a strange thing to realize.

"I can't believe it," Fuyumi-nee whispered, jolting him back to the present. "Touya…"

"He's alive," Shouto murmured. "He's alive and… And Deku…" And Deku just… knew somehow?

The thought struck him unbidden, and it was immediately obvious that it had only just occurred to Fuyumi-nee as well. Surprise flickered across her face, followed by a thoughtful gleam tinged with worry. "How… How did he get his hands on this drive? For that matter, how would he have known to give it to you?" she murmured. "Does he know Touya somehow? Are they… conspiring in some way?"

Fear suddenly curled in Shouto's heart.

"Is this… some kind of trick?" he frowned, his thoughts spinning. Was Touya even real? Maybe he was just the result of a quirk. A way to get into Shouto's head. Touya had been missing for almost ten years; they'd all assumed that he was dead.

"But, if this is a trick, then what's in it for Deku? For the League?"

Okay, he had to think.

"If… If the world were to realize the scumbag that Endeavor truly is, what impact would that have upon society?"

"Shouto, you shouldn't…" Fuyumi-nee began automatically, but paused and sighed deeply when her younger brother gave her a pointed look. "Well, the number two hero in Japan would suddenly go from a dislikable person but an effective hero to an abuser pretending to be a hero," she admitted.

"And how would that shake the foundations of hero society? How would that affect the influence of the League of Villains, who have openly declared war on heroes and hero society as a whole?" Shouto prompted, even as he realized the answer himself.

"Their war against society would suddenly seem to have a lot more merit," Fuyumi-nee whispered, something like horror entering her eyes as she put the pieces together.

And Gods, Shouto was horrified, too. He had almost been taken in, blinded by his excitement that he finally had proof against that bastard, excited by the prospect of escaping him.

Excited to see Touya again.

That thought made him hesitate before he could click 'delete'.

Touya had said that it was up to him. That he could decide how to use the information in the drive. That it could get Mom away from Endeavor's influence.

Not to mention, how could a quirk possibly know Touya's old nicknames for Fuyumi-nee and Natsuo-nii?

"Fuyumi-"

A knock at the door startled him into silence. Fuyumi-nee shot Shouto an alarmed look that instantly told him she had not been expecting any visitors either before she shot to her feet and hurried out of the room, heading towards the front door.

Shouto took a moment to close out of the files and remove the drive from his computer, hiding it in his sock drawer before following her (and taking another long drink from the cup still resting on his desk when the movement of standing up made him sway dangerously again).

"…forgive me for not calling myself," Fuyumi-nee was saying as he approached the entryway. "My brother was severely dehydrated when I found him; I thought it was more important to tend to him, first."

"That's alright, I understand," a vaguely familiar voice responded to her. "Still, I think it would be wise for me to speak to your brother if he's feeling up to it. Any word on Deku's movements could help us to track down the League."

"I understand." Fuyumi-nee's back was in Shouto's view now, and beyond her he could see someone tall illuminated by the porch light, wearing a long tan coat. "Give me a moment to- Oh! Shouto!"

Shouto blinked wordlessly at his sister as she turned, noticing him for the first time. Now that she'd stepped out of the way, he could see the man on the porch clearly, and all at once, he recognized him. "You're the officer from the USJ," he said quietly.

"That's right," the policeman nodded, bowing slightly. If he was surprised by Shouto's strange appearance-sooty face, charred t-shirt and all-then he didn't show it. "My name is Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa. One of your neighbors called to report that there had been an explosion on your property. Since the call involved a UA student, I was the officer dispatched to look into it. Could you describe what happened?"

The heterochromatic teen glanced towards his sister, who shrugged helplessly, clearly leaving the decision up to him. "Alright," Shouto said finally, "but could we sit down? I'm not sure if I can stay standing for long."

"Of course," Tsukauchi nodded with a faint smile while a flash of panic crossed Fuyumi-nee's face and she hurried towards the kitchen, calling frantic apologies for not getting him more water sooner.

Before long, Shouto was seated on the couch in the living room next to his sister, cradling a fresh glass of water in his hands, Tsukauchi facing them and placing what appeared to be a small recording device on the table while prepping a small notepad and pen to take notes.

"So, just a few basic questions to start off, would you please state your full name?"

"Todoroki Shouto."

"Age?"

"Fifteen."

"Quirk?"

"Half-Cold, Half-Hot."

"Thank you. Now, Todoroki-kun, what exactly happened leading up to the explosion on your property?"

"I went outside to get some air and Deku was there. He said that he just wanted to talk, and to be fair I guess that is all he did," Shouto frowned as he thought of it. Honestly, Deku had never attacked first, just dodged or destroyed his attacks.

But that didn't excuse the villain from threatening his family.

"What did he want to talk about?"

"I'm not quite sure. He talked about my quirk, and he kept saying things about how similar the two of us were."

"You mean your quirks?"

"No," Shouto shook his head, "us, as people. He implied that… that we had been through some similar challenges in our lives, although he never talked directly about himself."

"What sorts of challenges?"

The hero-in-training paused, thinking about the best way to phrase his answer. "Isolation," he said eventually. "Prejudice. Maybe… fear?"

"Fear in what way?"

"Fear of oneself," Shouto said, frowning at his left hand. "He said… He said something about rejecting an important part of himself. Something about being afraid that it would hurt other people."
"Interesting," Tsukauchi murmured. "How did you respond?"

"I… attacked him," Shouto admitted with a wince. "I didn't mean to at first, but then he threatened Fuyumi-nee, so…"

"It's alright," the Detective assured him immediately. "Your quirk use was technically restricted to your private property, so you didn't break any regulations. And even if you had, honestly it probably could have been waved as self-defense. May I ask how Deku responded to your attack?"

"He never attacked back, if that's what you mean," Shouto shrugged, "although he did use his quirk to stop my attacks."

"Were you able to see what his quirk was?"

"I'm not sure. It might have been some kind of enhancer quirk. He managed to completely shatter my ice with a punch at one point. Other times, he just dodged it."

"What caused the explosion?"

"I… don't know for sure."

"What was happening at the time?"

"I used my fa- my fire and my ice at the same time."

"That might have done it," Tsukauchi murmured to himself. If he noticed Shouto's odd hesitation, then he didn't react to it. "Rapid cooling and heating could cause that to happen. What happened then?"

"I passed out," he shrugged back. "When I woke up, Fuyumi-nee was with me and Deku was gone."

"Strange," Tsukauchi frowned. "May I ask, Todoroki-san, why didn't you react to what was happening sooner?"

Fuyumi-nee winced. "I thought he had gone to the dojo," she admitted reluctantly. "He'd been distracted all afternoon, so I thought that maybe he was just blowing off steam. But then I heard that explosion and I realized that something more serious must be happening."

"I see." The detective jotted down a note on his pad. "Todoroki-kun, do you have any idea why Deku might have been targeting you?"

Shouto frowned again, replaying his strange encounter with the green-haired boy in his mind. Why had Deku shown up? The way he'd been talking, going on about protecting other people and saying how similar they were, it was almost like he was trying to convince him they were on the same side rather than-

Oh.

"I think he might have been trying to recruit me."

Fuyumi-nee stiffened beside him. Tsukauchi just glanced up at him with a professional frown. "Did he say as much himself?"

"Not in so many words," Shouto admitted, "but I can't come up with another reason for his behavior."

"Alright then." He wrote something else on that pad of his. "In that case, it may be wise if we consider placing police guards on or near your property. If Deku was willing to try once, then he might try again. You might even consider protective custody."

Fuyumi-nee and Shouto exchanged looks. "I don't know if our father would approve of that," his sister said carefully.

"Of course I'll have to speak to him before giving any order," the detective assured without glancing up from his notepad. "It is technically his property, so we'll need his consent to place any officers on the premises. However, I believe that it would be safest until we can come up with a better alternative. Also, please understand that I legally have to inform UA of what happened."

"Why?" Todoroki frowned.

"It's part of the contract your father had to sign when he agreed to send you to school there," the officer explained, meeting his eyes. "Any assault made against you must be reported to UA so that they know if they need to make extra provisions for your health or safety while you're in class. In most cases, it's just applicable when a student gets caught up and injured in a villain attack as a bystander, so the school knows to take it easier during training to avoid further injury, but this wouldn't be the first time that a student was specifically targeted by a villain. It usually doesn't require any dramatic changes in your day to day schedule, the school just wants to be informed as a precaution against future attacks."

"Oh. Okay then."

"Is there anything else that you can tell me?" Tsukauchi asked. Shouto might have shaken his head a little bit too quickly, judging by the barest hint of a frown that passed across the man's forehead, but he didn't press the matter. "Very well then. I'll contact you again tomorrow, after I've had a chance to speak with Endeavor."

"Thank you, detective."

"Just doing my job," the man smiled, and it seemed genuine as he rose to his feet, putting his hat back on. "Stay safe. Call emergency services immediately if you think he's come back."

"Yes sir."

Shouto remained on the couch while his sister followed the officer to the door, leaning against his folded hands and staring at nothing. He wondered why he hadn't mentioned the drive that Deku had left behind. Maybe… maybe he just wasn't ready to risk losing Touya again.

Not until he knew for sure.

"Shouto?"

He glanced up towards his sister, towards her concerned expression. "You really need to rest. You've gotten even paler than you were before. We can decide what to do about that drive in the morning."

Shouto nodded absently, downing the last of the water in his cup before rising to his feet and letting his sister lead him down the hall. He was a little bit surprised when she pulled him into her room rather than taking him to his own, something that she picked up on rather quickly.

"Shouto, I'm not going to leave you alone tonight after what happened," his sister frowned, the faintest hint of steel entering her eyes. He knew better than to argue with her when she got that look, so he simply nodded and waited patiently while she pulled a spare futon and extra bedding out of her closet, setting it up next to her own. "Sleep well," she smiled at him. "I still need to finish up my lesson plan for tomorrow, but I'll be in the living room if you need anything."

"Okay. Good night."

"Good night."

Shouto's thoughts were sluggish as he lay down, dizzily cycling through everything that he had learned in the last few hours, from Deku's interest in him to the sensation of his own flames racing over his skin to the message from Touya.

That's what he fell asleep thinking about, and when he woke up in the morning, he knew what he needed to do next.

.oOo.

"Hello, how may I help you?" the receptionist smiled as he stepped up to the desk at the hospital.

"I'm here to visit Todoroki Rei," Shouto replied quietly, trying to ignore the insistent thrumming of his heart in his chest.

He was grateful that they had the rest of the week off from school. He wasn't certain that he wouldn't have lost his nerve if he'd had to wait until the weekend.

"What is your name?" the woman behind the desk asked, scrolling through something on her computer.

"Todoroki Shouto."

Surprise flashed across the woman's face, but she quickly concealed it with a smile. "Great! Just give me a moment to fill out the visitor's registration…"

It seemed both an eternity and an instant by the time he was given his visitor's pass and directions to the hospital room. His legs travelled there without much conscious thought, his mind spinning around nothing, and it seemed that he blinked and suddenly he was in front of the door, staring at the plaque inscribed with his mother's name.

Shouto forced himself to breathe.

'Heroes should always push themselves to their limits.'

'You're not bound by his blood.'

'Tell Mom I love her.'

He knocked on the door.

"Come in," a tremulous voice called. His hand seemed to move on its own in response, sliding the door open so that he could step inside and close it behind him.

Long white hair spilled down her back, standing out in stark contrast to the brown shawl she wore over her equally white hospital scrubs. Her hands were clasped in her lap, long, delicate fingers laced together as though in prayer. Her face was turned away from him, gazing out of the room's only window, her posture somehow tense and yet almost wistful.

'There's enough here to get Mom as far away from Endeavor as possible.'

Shouto took one last, steadying breath. This was his first step.

He would rescue her, whatever it took.

"Hello, Mom."

Outtake:

Naomasa groaned softly as he took the driver's seat in his squad car, rolling his shoulders and arching his back as far as he could. Things had been nothing short of hectic at the station in the last few months. Actually, it had been hectic in the entirety of Japan's police force, from the various civilians coming forward with evidence against corrupt heroes to the cleanup for all the vigilante justice and this mess with the League of Villains.

And now, glancing back at the Todoroki household as he pulled away from the curb, he couldn't help but wonder if there was something else going on that needed investigating.

Todoroki Shouto's experience had been enlightening, to say the least. Deku's quirk, whatever it was, had been powerful enough to counter what was, objectively, one of the strongest quirks on UA campus. Furthermore, it provided another hint as to Deku's intentions invading the USJ: that he intended to recruit some of UA's students to his cause. What's more, in threatening Todoroki Fuyumi, Deku demonstrated the lengths that he was willing to go to in order to accomplish his goals. His appearance tonight also provided some insight into Deku himself, and the experiences that must have led him to where he was today. How had Todoroki Shouto put it? Isolation, prejudice, and fear of himself? They were interesting traits to choose, honestly. As a quirkless child, Naomasa could certainly understand where the first two came from, but the last? Why would Deku have feared himself?

And why would he assert that Todoroki Shouto felt the same way?

Tsukauchi Naomasa wasn't an idiot. He knew the limitations of his quirk: he couldn't differentiate between believed and absolute truths, and he could only tell if someone was telling a lie if they were communicating verbally, although it didn't matter whether or not he understood the language being spoken. Furthermore, although he could tell if someone was spinning a half-truth, he couldn't recognize omitted truths. So, naturally, he had spent a great deal of time learning how to fill in those gaps, learning to recognize when someone was withholding information or when someone's body language didn't match their words.

Technically, neither of the Todoroki siblings had verbally lied even once during their little interview, but that didn't mean they told him the truth. For example, Todoroki Fuyumi's excuse about why she didn't call the police. People didn't just forget to call in an explosion on their property for nearly an hour. Treating someone for dehydration or not, there really was only so much that a person could do before calling the police or a hospital. Either she had been distracted with something else or there was a reason why she couldn't call.

The former answer might explain her brother's little lies, when he denied there being anything else to tell him. It hadn't been verbal, but the response was too quick and too jerky, not to mention his hands had started curling and uncurling in fists-a nervous tick that he didn't seem to be aware of. However, the latter explanation might tie into some of the other strange things Naomasa had noticed during his visit, like why Todoroki Shouto would have been 'isolated' when he had two older siblings, or why he was 'afraid of himself', or that hesitation in his speech when he talked about his fire and when he looked at his left hand, or the reason why Endeavor wouldn't approve of measures being put in place to protect his family.

Naomasa's grip on the steering wheel tightened.

Everyone involved in the hero community knew that Endeavor wasn't very well-liked. He was abrasive, frustrating to work with, and had a track record of disregarding safety procedures, especially when it came to protecting the rights of the villains he apprehended and sometimes even the bystanders caught in the crossfire. Unfortunately, none of those were considered reason enough by the Hero Public Safety Commission to open up an investigation against the man, but if he were abusing his family…

Well, there was nothing Naomasa could do unless someone came forward or he managed to find grounds for probable cause to search the estate, so for now, he'd just do what he could to protect the Todoroki siblings from Deku and worry about Endeavor later. Rubbing eyes gritty with exhaustion, he parked his car at the station and walked inside, waving briefly to Saito, who was on duty at the front desk, as he went. Once in his office, Naomasa slumped into the chair, stretched his arms, and instinctively extended them in a familiar motion towards his laptop. Only, what he encountered there was a decidedly un-familiar contour.

A small black thumb drive rested on his keyboard, marked with three silver letters:

M, L, and A.

Remember all those news reports from earlier chapters? So yeah. Drama. :)

Next update comes out August 9th! Hope you guys are ready for some hero names and some blunt questions from a certain level-headed frog girl. :) See you then! Go beyond! PLUS ULTRA!