A/N: This chapter was super depressing to write. I hope you like it! It's kinda shippy, sort of. but focuses more on trauma and how our heroes respond to it. I hope you like it! First chapter of 2022! Whooo!
Opening Song
"The Beginning" by One OK Rock
What is the meaning of a scar?
A very wise man once wrotethat every scar tells a story; they are reminders of a time when life tried to break us and failed. That they are the markings of where the structure of our character is welded together.
But in life, there are wounds we receive that go far deeper than flesh… and that's when you learn that the scars you can't see are the hardest to heal.
When I was five years old, I learned that everyone has a scar – even the ones born with everything…
TEN YEARS AGO…
IMECKA CITY, TOTTORI PREFECTURE
Night had fallen upon the desert compound of the Imecka Liberation Front. Out here among the dunes, the group could train its soldiers as well as coordinate attacks against the system that kept the people and their Quirks oppressed. Pavlov was only fifteen years old when he ran away from his home in Ukraine to join the Front. Like many of his comrades, he had also grown tired of being told that he couldn't use his powers without permission.
Hero society was nothing more than elected tyranny, and he had finally found a group of like-minded individuals that were willing to do something about it. Over the past decade, Pavlov had risen in the ranks and now he commanded his own squadron.
But the new year had brought in some challenges. The movement had been hemorrhaging money ever since they had caught the eye of All Might. But as Pavlov's father used to say before he died: when you expect nothing and get everything – that's destiny. So when Pavlov's group had ventured into Tokyo to set off several bombs and were thwarted by All Might, his team had managed to take a pair of civilians hostage. They soon found out that they weren't just any pair of civilians – it was the richest woman in Japan and her darling daughter.
It was the perfect opportunity and it had landed right on his lap. Pavlov lifted the bottle, downing the bitter liquor in celebration as his comrades cheered him on. If he played his cards right he might even manage to come out of this whole ordeal with a shiny new promotion!
Unfortunately for him, he didn't have to worry about such a thing for long. As he finished the drink, he opened his eyes to see a man… floating in midair? What the hell did they put in my drink, he wondered drunkenly.
He rubbed his eyes and blinked again and surely enough, the floating man was still there, coming down from the sky, arms crossed. Because the moon was shining directly on the man's back, his face was completely covered in shadow.
"Hello, boys," his voice snaked out in mocking laughter. His distinctive flame-like hair swayed with the wind. "Having some fun, are we? This is going to be easier than I thought."
"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" one of the soldiers asked, pointing a rifle at the floating man.
"Hmph. Let me give you all a hint," the shadow said, lifting its fingers and pointing them in the direction of the soldier aiming at him. "Bang!"
The next instant, the soldier's body burst into flames.
"Ahh! Ahh! AAAAAAAAH!" The soldier's body danced in a macabre manner, firing off his weapon wildly before falling over the side of the guard tower they were patrolling on, falling to his death.
"Y-you killed him!" Pavlov gasped. The floating man gave off an evil laugh. More blasts of fiery ki shot out from his fingertips and vaporized the remaining soldiers standing behind Pavlov.
"You're quite the perceptive one, aren't you? And now I killed them, too," the shadow mocked. In a panic, Pavlov picked up his rifle and began to shoot blindly.
"Go to hell, you bastard!" Pavlov shouted. The shadow simply swatted the bullets away with ease and laughed again.
"Oh, I'm sorry, was that it? And you call yourself a soldier – pitiful. Any true warrior would have been able to at least wound the man that kills him." He lifted his hand and a fiery ki orb appeared in his palm, illuminating his face, revealing a pair of cold eyes and a cruel smile.
"Who are you?" were Pavlov's last words.
"Oh. Just another hero," Vegeta said, unleashing a blast so enormous and destructive that it took the entire guard tower down with it. The building exploded, sending fire and debris spewing all over the compound. Many of the partying soldiers on the ground below were caught in the blast and were completely annihilated.
Vegeta crossed his arms again and admired his handiwork. But this was far from over. He was just getting warmed up. Around him, sirens began to blare, breaking the quiet of the night. Soldiers began to pour out into the street like ants, training their weapons on the intruder. Now the entire compound was aware that he was here.
Good. More sheep for the slaughter.
He was going to complete his mission and retrieve the missing hostages, but he would take his sweet time expanding on the annals of his blood-stained reputation.
(…)
Inside the main office building, five-year-old Momo Yaoyorozu couldn't stop quivering in fear and exhaustion, even if doing so meant that the already raw skin on her wrists would keep rubbing against the coarse rope that bound her hands and feet against the arms and legs of the chair she sat on. Tears streamed down her face, and her sobs made it difficult to breath, especially with the white cloth wrapped around her mouth.
Her stomach felt like it had dropped to the floor, and her vision blurred and doubled, and she could no longer keep producing bars of gold that her abductors were stacking onto piles on the work desks that lined the room. Dozens of workers hurriedly packed the gold bars.
Just a few days ago, Momo and her mother had been kidnapped by the Imecka Liberation Front, a terrorist organization that fought for the so called Free Expression of Quirks. Their leader, the young activist madman known as Don Keea needed money to continue funding his operation and had seized upon an opportunity to kidnap one of the wealthiest women in Japan and her daughter.
They had brought them back to their base of operations, where they had been kept in captivity for close to two weeks now, forcing Momo to use her creation quirk to create the money they needed. But after days of giving them what they wanted, Momo just couldn't do it anymore.
Feeling dizzy, she paused and opened her eyes, scanning the palatial room she was being kept in. The walls were made of blue stone that were supported by pillars that lined the walls all the way down to the entrance. A long, thin red carpet covered the bronze tiled floors from the enormous entrance door and lead up to the wide desk at the opposite end, where Momo's captor was sitting.
Don Keea was a purple skinned man with bright pink hair and red lips, draped in an illustrious red robe that matched the tapestry that hung behind his desk. The man looked up from his desk and noticed that the girl had stopped producing gold.
"Hey, what the hell, kiddo!" he cried. "Did I say you could stop?"
Momo craned her neck weakly to look up at her mother, who was strapped to a chair next to her in similar fashion.
"Please," her mother sobbed. "We have resources. We can give you and your organization anything that you want, just stop hurting my daughter!"
"Hurting her?!" The man laughed. "She's doing just fine, aren't you, sweetheart? Besides, why would we take gold, when we can have the golden goose? Hmm? Don't worry, she'll be hailed as a Hero to our cause. Doesn't that sound exciting, kiddo? You're my hero!"
Momo's breathing was slow and labored, and with the cloth gag in her mouth, she couldn't respond to him even if she wanted to.
"You don't understand what you're doing to her!" Momo's mother tried again. "She can't just create things out of thin air. Her Quirk relies on her lipids and she's completely exhausted. If you keep pushing her like this, she's going to die!"
"And if she doesn't get back to work right now, you will!" the man barked. He turned to the cobra-looking green skinned bodyguard standing beside him.
"Ledgic," he barked. "Bring me her head. Show our little goose what happens to those who don't follow orders."
"As you wish, Don Keea." Ledgic said, licking his lips with a wicked smile.
Momo's eyes flew wide open when she heard that.
"No!" She cried, her voice muffled by the cloth. "NOOO!"
"Oh, yes!" Don Keea taunted her with a whiny voice. "You have to the count of three to get back to work, or you get to watch your precious Mommy die!"
Ledgic continued his advance towards Momo's mother, reaching up to his left shoulder and pulling on the bone-white spike protruding from it. It pulled out with a sickening slick sound and transformed into a dagger in his hand. He reached Momo's mother's side and held the blade against her throat.
"Stop!" Momo cried, sobbing and shaking violently against her restraints. "Mommy!"
"Momo. Momo, It's okay, honey," her mother shushed her. Her eyes filled with tears and she did her best to smile, to comfort her panicking child. "It's going to be okay…"
"Well?" Don Keea asked, standing from his desk. "Are you going to keep going, Momo? Or are you going to be the reason your Mommy dies here tonight?"
Momo's panicked gaze shot from her mother back towards her captor. She was completely exhausted now and couldn't continue producing any more gold. But if she didn't, her mother would be killed in front of her. She had to try!
"One…" Don Keea began counting down. "Two…"
Momo closed her eyes again and concentrated really hard, but her mother was right. She couldn't make anything else. She was completely spent. She sobbed and grunted, pushing her body to create more gold, as if by sheer will. But nothing would come out anymore.
She opened her eyes and looked back up at her mother desperately.
Her mother gave her a tearful smile.
"I love you, Momo," she whispered.
"Mommy! MOMMY!" Momo reached up at her mother, their fingers just centimeters out of reach.
"Three-"
Momo closed her eyes.
The floor underneath their feet began to vibrate. Slowly, the vibrations drew closer and became more violent, until the very walls started to shake, catching everyone's attention, even Ledgic's, who looked up in surprise. Three loud sirens blared into the night, adding to the chaos.
Don Keea's teeth bared and he lifted up the communication device on his desk's console.
"Guards, what the hell is going on out there? Come in!"
"We're under attack!" the guard on the other side of the call cried out in panic. "He's come for the girl. We're mobilizing the soldiers, but he's tearing us apart with his bare hands!"
"Who? Who, dammit!" Don Keea roared, his eyes widening.
"He's here! Oh God! Ahhhhhhh-" the guard yelled out and the communication was suddenly silenced. At the same time, the last of the four guard towers erupted in flames, followed closely by the barracks and then the mess hall. Don Keea dropped the comm device in horror as he watched one man destroy the entire compound.
"K-k-kill them!" he shouted, turning back to his bodyguard. "Kill them now!"
Before Ledgic could react, though, the rest of the guards in the room, along with the workers who were assembling the gold bars all ran for the exit to escape. They were a human wave that swept over Ledgic and sent him stumbling to the ground.
"Come back here, you cowards!" Don Keea vociferated at his guards, his purple skin turning red.
The entrance door hissed open, stopping the mob of people in its tracks.
"O-oh no!" A woman in a lab coat cried out. "It's him!"
The man wasn't built like a mountain, nor did he possess a mutation Quirk that gave him a menacing appearance – but everyone recognized who he was, anyway.
He was the infamous bloodthirsty mercenary, Vegeta.
"Oops, sorry, I got lost destroying your entire village of drunkards," Vegeta taunted the terrified crowd. "Can you point me to the place where you keep innocent women and children hostage? Oh, nevermind. I found it."
Suddenly, the wind howled, picking up around Vegeta, mixing with his laughter and the panicked screams of those around him. Sparks of purple, super-heated fire emerged from his body, dancing like a whirlwind around him violently until his power exploded in a purple aura.
"SAY GOOD-BYE! RAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Vegeta yelled, unleashing his power. The flames of his might consumed the crowd, and after a brief moment, the violet flames ended their distorted screams.
Momo looked away, wishing she could untie her hands if only to cover her ears and drown out the horrifying dying screeches of those enveloped by Vegeta's Hell Fire.
It was over almost as soon as it began. Vegeta crossed his arms and stepped over the burnt and twisted corpses, his dark eyes scanning through the remaining bodies through his red scouter lens – Don Keea, Ledgic, Momo and her mother were the last souls left in the entire building. The remaining soldiers outside, less than a hundred now, were scrambling to lick their wounds, and would not be able to help Don Keea until it was far too late.
"Ledgic! Protect me!" Don Keea whined. "Kill him now!"
"No way," Ledgic shook his head, sheathing his bone knife back into his shoulder. He turned to the Flame Hero standing before them. "Listen, Endeavor. I have nothing to do with this damn organization. I'm just a paid bodyguard. In fact, I'll prove it! I can kill the Don for you, if you wish."
"Y-you bastard!" Don Keea cried.
Vegeta stared at Ledgic like a hungry predator.
"So, you're nothing but a lousy lapdog, is that what you're saying?" Vegeta barked. "Go on, then. Get the hell out of my sight and don't come back."
Ledgic's shoulders dropped as he let out a breath he had been holding.
"Thank you, Vegeta. You'll never see me again," he bowed respectfully. Without another word, he blasted a hole on the ceiling and took off for the cloudless night sky.
"Oh, you have no idea," Vegeta muttered, his eyes tracking the green bodyguard as he desperately flew away. "Here's some advice for your next life – choose better clients!"
Vegeta's jaw clenched and he brought up his fists to his sides. Bolts of fiery electricity began to spark all around him, intensifying and blinding everyone in the room. The electricity ran up Vegeta's body in rings, materializing into a car sized purple fireball over his head.
"Now say good bye, lapdog!" Vegeta roared, thrusting his hands up over his head. The charged attack shot out like a volcano, blowing the roof of the building shooting off towards the fleeing Ledgic, who turned just in time to see the wall of fire rushing towards him.
"NOOOO!" he cried. And then the wall of fire consumed him, burning the flesh off his bones instantly. What was left of him fell back down to earth in clumps of ash as Vegeta's raging blast continued its trajectory, disappearing in the heavens above.
Vegeta laughed and licked his lips, drawing his attention back down at Don Keea, who was desperately hiding under his desk.
"Stand up and face your death with some dignity," Vegeta barked, his voice booming.
"No! P-Please!" Don Keea sniveled. "I don't want to die."
"You should have thought of that before kidnapping the richest family in the country. Unfortunately for you, my friend, the girl's father came to me personally to return his family to him unharmed. And even you know what that means. No survivors!"
"This… isn't supposed to be… how this ends!" Don Keea cried from a crouched position under his desk. "We are fighting for a brighter future… for all Quirk users!"
"Oh, but your future truly is bright," Vegeta taunted, lifting up his open palm towards the quivering leader. "In fact, I'd say it's as bright as the sun! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The blazing ki blast shot out of Vegeta's hands and consumed Don Keea, twisting his body in an unnatural way until it vanished in the light, along with northern wall of the office building. With that, the walls of the building collapsed one by one, and once the smoke settled, Momo's eyes widened in fear, taking in the absolute carnage that surrounded her and her mother.
But they were safe; that's all that mattered right now.
"Oh, thank you, Vegeta," Momo's mother was saying over and over as he untied her, her voice quivering in relief and fear at the same time.
"Shut up, useless woman," Vegeta spat out venomously. "You better hope your husband holds up his side of the bargain – or else!"
"Yes," her mother bowed, reassuring the flame-haired Saiyan. "Don't you worry about that, sir. I don't know what kind of deal you made with my husband, but I can assure you that we keep our word. And believe me when I say that we are incredibly generous to our friends."
"Hmph, we'll see."
Vegeta pressed a button on the side of his belt. The device lit up with three green lights, broadcasting a signal for their extraction. A circular jet pod emerged from the pillars of smoke that were blocking the moonlight.
"Get her inside," he commanded. "It's time to go home now."
Momo's mother helped untie Momo's wrists and feet, and the girl jumped into her mother's arms, crying.
"Shhh," her mother cooed, comforting the crying girl. "It's okay, sweetheart. We're safe now. Mister Vegeta is going to take good care of us."
They entered the pod and the hatch closed behind them securely, rising into the air.
Vegeta watched the pod blast off before turning back to the encampment with a sinister smile.
Time to finish the job.
He lifted his hands together and focused all of his energy into a ball at the palm of his hands. The fireball spun and brightened, increasing in size, emitting blinding rays of violet light that illuminated what was left of the encampment.
The few survivors tried to shoot up at Vegeta. Others tried running for their lives. It was all so pointless.
"GALICK GUN – FIRE!" Vegeta roared, unleashing a furious blast of fiery purple energy that turned night into day for several seconds. The blast washed over the survivors, killing every last soul that was still down there instantly, like ants under a magnifying glass. They were lucky – their final act in this life was witnessing the might of a Saiyan Prince in all its glory.
The Galick Gun blast continued its trajectory and disappeared over the horizon, leaving a crater filled with ashes and the only sound that echoed in the newly created canyon was the evil laughter of Prince Vegeta.
CHAPTER NINETEEN - THE ONES BORN WITH EVERYTHING
The pod rose into the night sky, carrying my mother and I to safety. And even though we made it back home with little more than scrapes and bruises, the true extent of my wounds lay far deeper than flesh. The carnage that I had witnessed that night left me marked with severe clinical depression, anxiety and PTSD that would haunt me for many, many years.
It also made my parents realize how vulnerable I was; how much of an easy target I could be. After that night, I was forbidden from going out of the house alone. I was pulled from my school, to be tutored privately at home. I wasn't even allowed to make friends with the few children who lived near me.
Everything changed.
I soon discovered the nature of the arrangement that my parents had made with Vegeta. It was an evolving era at the time, you see. The criminal underworld was crumbling under All Might's fist, and mercenary work was becoming a thing of the past. But with the establishment of Hero Licenses, a person could use their Quirk in combat with little to no repercussions.
So Vegeta used my parent's wealth to establish his own Hero Agency – he even used Dad's influence to move certain law makers into issuing him a special license that allowed him to use lethal force, and in the guise of justice, he continued in his bloody path, unhindered. But he never cared about justice. All he cared about was proving he was the strongest, and using his powers to decimate his enemies. He became known as the man who could never be beaten, the man who never lost a fight. The Flame Hero: Endeavor.
Word spread out that Endeavor was being funded by my parents, and my parents began to fear retaliation from his enemies, so they made a deal with the Endeavor Agency to provide us protection, and that's how I met him – Shoto Todoroki, the youngest son of Endeavor.
"His name is Shoto Todoroki." Vegeta said, crossing his arms proudly in front of the boy.
"But he's just a kid," Momo's father sighed, rubbing his chin, tiredly. "Are you sure he's up for the job?"
"Do not be fooled by his age. He has the mighty blood of the Saiyan race in his veins. Shoto, show them what you can do."
The reddish brown and white haired child blinked, almost innocently and for a moment, Momo's father began to shake his head. Then Shoto stepped forward and immediately a massive streak of ice shot out from his right foot, rushing up to puncture the wall beside them. Momo's parents were stunned at the sheer display of power.
"W-wow," Mr. Yaoyorozu stammered. "He truly is your son, Vegeta. Fine. Go on ahead, son. You'll find my daughter in the piano room. I leave her life in your hands."
"Yes sir," Shoto bowed respectfully, turning to his father.
Vegeta smirked.
"Are you happy now, boy? You get to be a hero. Now run along and don't fail me… or else."
Shoto nodded and took Mrs. Yaoyorozu's hand as she lead him off to meet Momo.
"He will suffice. He's covered under my license," Vegeta promised, breaking the silence between him and Mr. Yaoyorozu. "But don't worry, I'm not leaving him alone. I'm giving you one of my most trusted sidekicks, as well. She will watch over them both."
(…)
6 MONTHS LATER
Eight year old Momo sat on the bench in front of her grand piano. As part of her therapy for her PTSD, she was encouraged to play the piano and after a few months, Momo had discovered that she was a natural at it. Her bodyguard, the nineteen year old hero from the Endeavor Agency, Burnin, walked across from the room on patrol, watching the windows carefully.
"Hey, Shoto," Momo called, getting the boy's attention. "Lend me your ears for a moment, will you? I wrote this song for you."
"Sure," Shoto said, taking a seat next to her on the bench. "But why do you need my ears to play the piano?"
Momo giggled.
"Oh, Shoto, you're so silly," she laughed. "Okay, I'm going to play it now. Please, tell me what think of it, okay?"
Momo began to play a beautiful melody on the piano, full of sweet high notes played in a circular rhythm that made Shoto think of the puddles that raindrops made as they fell on ponds. He closed his eyes, allowing the beautiful music to seep into his soul.
In that moment, Shoto felt a peace he had only experienced in the arms of his mother. In his mind's eye, his mother's arms wrapped around him, healing all the wounds he had received from his abusive father, all of the mental scars he had from watching countless lives snuffed out by the hands of Vegeta, and erasing all of the doubt and insecurity brought on by his father's cruel words.
The pain he had held onto for so long vanished from his heart, liquefied and expelled down his eyes. The song ended and Momo looked up at Shoto, who for the first time in a very long time was smiling.
"Thank you," Shoto whispered. "Thank you so much, Yaoyorozu. You heal me."
Those words made me happy, because his friendship over those long months had begun to heal me, too. He was the only friend I had, and knowing that I could do something to bring a little joy into his life made me really happy.
But Shoto's happiness was cut short. That same year, it was revealed that his father was having an affair with the Invention Hero, Bulma Briefs, and that affair resulted in a pregnancy that destroyed both herreputation and his marriage. Shoto's life was falling apart and it broke my heart.
Of course, I tried to get him help, but everyone was just too scared to confront Endeavor to do anything about it. So instead, I focused on healing Shoto's wounds the way he had helped heal mine. But that of course, led to unexpected consequences…
Ten-Year-Old Shoto kneeled down over a pond, dipping his right hand into it and freezing the water. He stood up and looked back at Yaoyorozu, who was tying on her ice skates.
"It's ready," he said.
"Okay," Momo said, pushing herself up. "Come on, let's go."
"Now wait a minute, Yaoyorozu," Shoto protested, shaking his head. "I told you I don't know how to skate. This was supposed to be for you, remember?"
"Oh, come on, Todoroki," Momo said, grabbing his hands. "I'll guide you. It'll be fun!"
She forced him onto the ice and Todoroki immediately slipped, but stopped himself from falling with his Quirk.
"Hey, no cheating!" Momo laughed, pulling on his hand. Shoto leaned forward in a skating posture and created a very thin, slick sheet of ice that allowed him to slip forward.
"How about this?" he asked, sliding forward on the thin sheet of ice. "Is this acceptable?"
"That is very acceptable," Momo teased him. Together, the two kids skated atop the ice that Shoto created for hours, finally meeting together at the center of the ice pond.
Shoto had no idea what feelings he had stirred inside me that night. He was my best friend, my protector, my hero. And I wanted to be there for him, too. But I couldn't…
The full moon beamed down brightly in the cloudless sky, illuminating the entire field in majestic hues of blue and white. The bioluminescent insect life added strokes of color to the midnight scene.
Twelve year old Momo was sitting on the grassy hill where they always met, wearing a red dress, hugging her legs against her chest. Her black hair cascaded over her shoulders, shining in the moonlight. She looked up when she heard the familiar hiss of Shoto's Ice Quirk.
Shoto rode the ice wave and jumped, landing on the hill behind Momo. He waved with his left hand, emitting a wave of heat that melted the ice.
"Yaoyorozu," he said, approaching the girl. "I got your message. You wanted to talk?"
Momo turned and the moonlight revealed a trail of tears running down her cheeks.
"Yaoyorozu, what's wrong?" Shoto asked, instantly worried.
"I'm so sorry. Todoroki… I tried to talk my parents out of it, but they just won't listen. They're sending me to live in Europe tomorrow."
Shoto's smile instantly melted and his eyes fell to the grass below.
"You're leaving?" he repeated, as if Momo would correct him. She didn't.
"Yes," she confirmed, biting her lip. She sniffled and wiped her reddened eyes. "After you and Burnin stopped the man who tried to kidnap me at the train station the other day, my parents just don't think it's safe in Japan anymore."
"But what about the contract?" Shoto looked back up with dying hope in his eyes. "I've still got six months left to protect you."
"Actually, my father rescinded the contract with your father's agency," Momo said, holding her elbows and looking away in shame. "He thinks that Endeavor… well it doesn't matter."
"Tell me," Shoto insisted.
"No, it's nothing. Forget I said anything, Todoroki," Momo said, shaking her head.
"He thinks Endeavor is too violent and that I'll turn out to be just like him, right?" Shoto's voice began to rise and his hands clenched into fists.
Momo heaved a tired sigh.
"He… He fears your father, Todoroki. Your father is…" Her voice dropped to a concerned whisper. "Your father has been killing people, whether they deserve it or not, and that's dangerous. The moment you take someone's life, it changes you. And not for the better-"
"You said it yourself," Shoto said, shaking his head in irritation. "He's the one doing the killing. Not me. I am not Endeavor, and I never will be."
"I know you aren't," Momo said, taking Shoto's hand. "But his training is molding you into a weapon in his own image-"
"What are you saying?" Anger began to tint Shoto's voice. "I despise that wicked man for what he did to our family – to my mother. I would never become him."
"I know," Momo nodded, stepping closer to Shoto. "I know, but my Father doesn't want to take any chances. Even though I told him that we're really close friends, he fears the power within you."
"I'm never using his powers," Todoroki said through gritted teeth. "His Saiyan genes can go to hell."
"Todoroki-"
"Is that what you called me here for?" Shoto shouted, uncharacteristically. "To tell me that you're leaving and to call me a monster!"
"No, of course not! There's more…"
"Oh, is there? That's just great, Yaoyorozu. What else do you want to say to me? That I'll become a womanizing scumbag like Endeavor?"
"No!"
"Then what is it, Yaoyorozu?!"
Momo wrapped her fingers around his shirt and pulled him close, pressing her lips against his. His warm breath was cut short and his eyes widened. Momo's fingers tightened around his shirt. She slowly reached up and ran a hand across his warm left cheek, wishing she could hold onto to this one moment forever… and then the kiss was over. She pulled away slowly and Shoto stared at her with widened eyes.
"I like you, Todoroki," she said, her voice breaking. "I like you so, so much. And knowing that I might never see you again is breaking my heart."
Momo's eyes shined in the moonlight, spilling over with fresh tears.
Shoto couldn't respond. He was still shocked by the revelation and the unexpected kiss.
"But before I left, I needed you to know." she whispered. "I'm so sorry for not telling you sooner."
More silence.
Momo sighed sadly.
"Goodbye, Shoto Todoroki."
That was the last thing I said to him. He didn't have a response. He just stood there, staring at me. Looking back, I can't imagine all of the emotions he must have been feeling. It couldn't have been fair for him to know how I felt about him the day before I left. I… I imagine it destroyed him.
I left the next day for Monaco. My parents had already set everything up for me there. New city, new house, new school. At least here, I had much more freedom than I did back in Japan. Slowly, I began to have a normal life again. I finished middle school and eventually graduated from Junior High there. I did try to reach out to Todoroki on multiple occasions, but he never responded.
So… I moved on. Made new friends, dedicated myself to my schoolwork, joined my school'ssoccer team. Heh. I even started dating a transfer student from Germany, and for a little while, I actually forgot about Japan and almost everything that had happened up until then.
But I never forgot about Todoroki. He was the scar that had healed my wounds.
And then, right before graduating from Junior High, I received a recommendation into UA High. It took a lot of convincing to get my parents to let me return to Japan, but things had changed so much in those few years. Crime was not as rampant as it was before – and we had the Symbol of Peace to thank for that. Even Endeavor had changed, somewhat.
Something had definitely happened to him, but I never got around to knowing exactly what it was.
So off I flew, back to Japan for the Recommendation Exam and that's when I saw him again.
Shoto. It was the most embarrassing thing, because I no matter how much I tried, I just couldn't stop smiling.
But… he was different. Distant…
FOUR MONTHS AGO
UA HIGH RECOMMENDATION ENTRANCE EXAM
As soon as Fifteen-Year-Old Momo reached the starting line for the Practical Exam, she recognized him. Puberty had worked wonders for Shoto. He had grown into a tall, well built, handsome young man. Momo herself had grown into a leggy, fully figured young woman. She jogged over to where Shoto was standing at the end of the line. His blue and black eyes were fixed on the finish line at the end of the track and he didn't even notice Momo running up to him.
"Todoroki! Todoroki!" Momo bounced excitedly. "I'm so happy to see you again!"
"And you are?" Shoto responded coldly without turning to her.
"Gah! Are you serious? You forgot about me?" Momo gasped. "Todoroki, I was… I was your friend back when we were-"
"Never had any." He cut her off. His cold gaze was still focused on the finish line, three kilometers away.
That statement cut straight through Momo's heart. What did he mean by that? She was his best friend. He had told her so himself.
She gulped and looked away, feeling a lump grow in her throat. Had he really forgotten about her in the five years that they hadn't seen each other? No way. He must have gotten amnesia. Or maybe he hit his head really hard doing Endeavor's crazy exercises or something. There had to be something that Momo could do to jog his memory.
She reached into the collar of her shirt and pulled out the snowflake necklace.
"I remember when you gave this to me on the Seji Hill. Do you remember? We used to sneak out of my house to play in the frog ponds. I remember when we were learning to ice skate and you fell on the same ice you created."
Momo giggled with nostalgia, brushing a thumb across the pendant before putting it back under her shirt.
Shoto's head slowly lifted.
"If I remember correctly," he said, turning to her. "You were the one that fell, and took me down with you."
Momo let out a laugh, remembering the moment exactly.
"Yes, you're so right. That was extremely embarrassing!" She kept laughing. "But you just couldn't let me fall alone. You were always trying to pick me up, weren't you?"
"Yes, well… I was obligated under contract to protect you, remember?" Shoto responded. His shoulders finally eased and he turned to her with the faintest of smiles.
"Momo Yaoyorozu," he said. "Welcome home."
"See? You do remember me!" Momo said, bouncing while holding her hands together. "I'm so happy to see you. I wrote you so many letters the first few months after the move, but it doesn't seem like you received any of them."
"It doesn't seem so," Shoto agreed.
"Well, that's all in the past anyway. I'm so happy to see you here today. Somehow, I knew I would run into you here – what with this being your father's school and all. Even if he did get kicked out before graduating…"
"True."
"So… anyway, I'd love to have you over for dinner tonight. I'm sure my mother would love it, too. There's so much I want to talk to you about. Ugh, Monaco! Monaco is like a completely different planet! Don't get me wrong, I love Japan, but Europe is so beautiful and I'd love to tell you all about it. The last few years have been quite eventful for me. I became the captain of our school's soccer team, learned how to fence and I even picked up a little French and German while I was there."
"I see." Shoto said, his gaze returning to the goal mark at the end of the race track.
Momo bit her lip, feeling a twinge of frustration at his short answers. When they were kids, Shoto's dual colored eyes would light up brightly when he talked with her, even if she was reading out chemical compounds out of a textbook. But now he seemed so cold and distant.
She sighed.
"Sorry, I must be overwhelming you with information. But enough about myself. Please, tell me all about you. What have you been up to these past few years, Todoroki?"
"Training."
"Oh… yes, training. I figured. And… your father? How's the old Prince of Saiyans holding up these days?"
"Endeavor is just fine."
"Good," Momo nodded awkwardly, interlacing her fingers together and holding her hands behind her. She sighed. She couldn't deny that there was tension between them. There was so much she needed to tell him. So much she needed to get off her chest.
"Listen… Todoroki… about what happened a few years ago…"
"Todoroki's here? Seriously? Where?!" A voice said from behind them.
Momo looked up to see a muscular teenager the size of a mountain with short, buzzed hair, running up to where they were.
"Shoto Todoroki, son of the Endeavor?!" the student said, placing a friendly hand on Shoto's shoulder. "Aw, my lucky stars! I can't believe it! I'm your dad's number one fan! My name is Inasa Yoarashi. It's such a huge honor to-"
Shoto reached up and froze Inasa's gauntlet.
"Ah!" he cried, quickly discarding the frozen accessory and rubbing his hand.
"A word of advise, 'number one fan of Endeavor' – stay out of my way," Shoto looked up Inasa with cold eyes. "Or I'll move you out of my way."
"Todoroki!" Momo gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "Why are you being so aggressive all of the sudden? He's just being polite."
"I'm not here to make friends," Shoto cut her off. "This is an entrance exam. Take it seriously, or get out."
Todoroki's icy glare slid over to me and that's when I knew that he wasn't the same warm-hearted boy that had protected me all those years ago.
My father had been right about him all along.
His eyes were as cold and heartless as Endeavor's.
But in spite of all that, I've tried my best to rekindle my friendship with him, even if he doesn't open up about his life – or anything else for that matter.
I know that I can't expect us to pick up where we left off. But I'm going to keep trying to be a good friend to him. Because I know that whatever happened in the years since I saw him, it wounded him.
Not physically, of course. He's still the most handsome young man in this school, in my opinion. But deep down, there's a wound that still hasn't healed.
"And that's more or less how it happened," Momo finished telling her story. She paused, staring down at the sheet of metal in her hands for a long moment. She and Melissa were finishing their preparation for the Combat Trials.
She sighed at last and slid the sheet on top of the previous one over the door frame. "I've witnessed Todoroki's power firsthand. I'm afraid that it may have changed him."
"Ahh," Melissa cocked her head to the side. "Somehow I knew there was history between you two."
"It's a very long story."
Momo heaved a tired sigh, sliding the final piece of metal in place.
"I know that I have no right to be let back into his life, and I want to respect Todoroki's privacy," Momo said. "But even though he puts on this cold bravado act, I know that deep down, he must be battling demons within that I can't even imagine. I just want him to know that he doesn't have to face them alone. I'm afraid that he's transforming into his father, no matter how much he hates him."
Melissa gave her a lopsided smile.
"He won't. I promise." she said.
"How can you be so certain of that?" Momo asked.
"Because our most fortunate successes are mixed with sadness."
Momo shot her an incredulous look.
"Corneille?" Momo asked.
"Yep," Melissa smiled. "Gohan and I love reading his works. So inspirational."
"You and Gohan, huh?" Momo asked with a mischievous smile.
"It's not like that. We're just a couple of bookworms, that's all. But seriously, Momo. Just give the guy some time. I'm sure he'll open up to you eventually. As much as you want to get to work on a troublesome engine as soon as possible, you can only start once it cools down, right?"
Momo gave her another look.
"What?" Melissa asked, pushing a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.
"Oh, nothing. You remind me of-"
"WAIT, Momo!" Melissa raised her hands, stopping Momo in her tracks. "Why is your breath coming out in puffs? Holy crap! My breath is coming out in puffs, too!"
She looked up, at Momo, whose eyes widened in realization.
"Todoroki's coming!"
The two girls jumped up just as a wave of ice flashed all around them, freezing the walls, the floor, the ceiling and even the weapon itself.
Melissa tried to move towards Momo, but her feet were stuck, frozen in place. A block of ice had traveled up her boots and around her shins. The same had happened to Momo.
"Yaomomo!" Melissa shouted. "We need to get free of this ice! Can you use your Quirk?"
"Yes, what do you need?"
"Can you make me a flamethrower?"
"A FLAMETHROWER?!" Yaoyorozu yelped. "Are you trying to burn your own feet off?"
"Alright, how about a battery powered space heater?"
"Okay, I can try!"
"And some Calcium Chloride – as much as you can make! Hurry!"
Momo bared her midrift to begin her creation, but the ice around her legs seemingly came life and traveled quickly up her body, enveloping her completely in a block of ice.
Momo screamed as her exposed skin burned against the ice.
"Yaoyorozu!" Melissa cried. A noise coming from the other side of the door caught her attention. It sounded like light tapping against the door.
Suddenly, the door along with the metal sheets that were supposed to keep it shut, blasted forward on the edge of a giant glacial spike. The wave of ice pinned the metal door against the other side of the room. Melissa closed her eyes against the sudden rush of cold wind. The entire hallway had been frozen.
The sound of footsteps stepping over glass echoed, drawing nearer.
Shoto Todoroki stepped in from the dark hallway. His costume was a simple blue jumpsuit, similar to the one Endeavor wore under his armor. A temperature regulator was strapped to his back by armored straps. And he wore matching white boots and gloves.
"Here's a tip for your next exam, ladies," he said, his hot breath coming out as steam in the frigid room. "Focus more on preparing than on gossiping."
"You… heard all of that… T-Todoroki?" Momo asked, her eyes wide.
He gave her a chilling smile as he reached them.
"Shoji did," he said. "He's my partner, remember? He told me all about it."
"Where is he now?"
"I told him to wait outside. I only needed him to tell me which room the weapon was in. We've already won the match."
"Yeah? Well, I'm not giving up yet!" Melissa yelled, reaching for the weapon strapped to her back. "Extend, Power Pole!"
The red pole shot forward in length, aiming straight at Todoroki's chest, but in the blink of an eye, his right hand closed around the weapon, shooting off a wave of ice as he did. With blinding speed, the ice traveled up the Power Pole and froze over Melissa's outstretched arm.
"Ah!" Melissa cried in pain as the sheet of ice continued to flow and crystallize around her body, freezing everything beneath her chin in a spiral block of ice.
"Melissa!" Momo cried from behind her. "Ugh! Dammit! I'm so sorry! I was so useless in this match!"
"It's not your fault, Yaoyorozu," Shoto said, walking past the two frozen girls and placing his left hand on the weapon to win the match. "We're just playing on different levels now."
The dark, reddish brown hair, the black iris and that chilling smile… from this angle, Shoto looked like a young version of his father.
Ending Song
"1,000,000 Times" by My First Story
After her match was over, and Todoroki had thawed the girls out from the ice, Melissa and Momo had been sent to the Nurse's office to receive treatment for the minor frost burns.
Melissa lightly caressed the square gauze that was taped to her right cheek where Recovery Girl had kissed her and smiled.What a sweet old lady. I hope I'm as happy and cheerful as she is when I reach her age…
Suddenly, another thought entered her mind. She replayed the conversation between herself and Momo earlier.
Everyone has a scar – even those born with everything.
Melissa had a scar very few knew about. Her mother was the famous inventor Tights Briefs, the older sister of Bulma Briefs. Ironically, Melissa's bloodline was tangled with Shoto's, since her youngest cousin, that little punk, Trunks, was Shoto's stepbrother – and that thought alone blew her mind…
But Melissa had never known her mother.
No, her parents had divorced while she was still a baby, leaving her to be raised with her father Dave and his loyal assistant Sam on I-Island, leaving behind a broken father and a single framed picture of the day they got married. Any time that Melissa would ask about her mother, her father would look away with saddened eyes and give her a non-answer.
After a few years, Melissa just stopped asking about her altogether.
But now, that old wound had a chance to heal. Melissa's mother was one of UA's Support Class teachers, and Melissa was intent on meeting her.
She reached the fork in the hallway that lead to the other classrooms. The hallway to the left lead outside to the training grounds. Melissa sighed and turned right, making her way down to the third door on the right.
Class 1-H. The Support Class.
The door was partially open and Melissa discreetly peered inside. That's when she saw her.
Her mother's hair was as blonde as hers, but it was cut short into a pixie cut. She was wearing a long white lab coat and leaning against a lab table on her elbows, supporting her chin on one hand.
Melissa felt her head spin and her heart began to quicken. This was it.
The moment she had been waiting for since she was a little girl.
Steeling herself with a deep breath in, she entered the room.
"Mama?" she called, feeling like she was going to faint from excitement. Her eyes filled with tears and her smile felt like it was going to rip her cheeks in half.
That's when she noticed the other student working next to Tights on the lab table on some sort of jet pack. The student looked up at Melissa with her oval golden eyes. Her pink hair swiveled with the movement.
"Oh wow!" The student said with a friendly wave. "A student from the hero course! I'm Mei Hatsume. Are you here to try out one of my babies?"
Tights turned at the sound of her voice with an eyebrow raised, pushing up from the lab table.
"Hmm?" She cocked her head to the side in confusion. "I'm sorry, if you're here for costume accessories, you'll have to come another time-"
"No… no, that's not what I'm here for," Melissa stammered, wiping her tears with the sleeve of her costume. "I'm here to see you."
"You came to see me?" Tights pointed at herself with her thumb. "Well, I'm flattered, but I'm busy at the moment-"
"Mama," Melissa repeated, stepping forward with her hands on her chest. "It's me – Melissa. Dave Shield's daughter – your daughter."
Tights' eyes widened and her mouth dropped in shock.
"WHOAAAA!" Hatsume gasped. "Ms Briefs, you never told us you had a baby."
"M-Melissa?" Tights eyes glinted with recognition. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to surprise you," Melissa said, taking her mother's hands in hers and pressed it against her heart. "Your little girl made it into the Hero Course – even without a Quirk."
Tights' eyes filled with tears and she gave off an astonished laugh.
"Wow. That's… that's…. well, that's incredible. I… I'm so happy for you."
"Mama, you have no idea how much I've wanted to meet you. And now, we get to attend the same school. It's like a dream come true! If only Papa were here-"
Tights pulled her hand from under Melissa's warm grasp.
Melissa gasped, feeling as if her mother had taken a piece of her heart with her.
"Ummm, listen, Melissa," Tights said, biting her lower lip. "I'm really happy to see you. Really, I am, but in the middle of an exam right now with one of my students. Why don't you and I catch up some other time?"
Melissa gulped back her tears with a smile.
She nodded quickly.
"Yes, of course. I wasn't planning on taking up much of your time anyway. Maybe we could take lunch together?"
"Actually, I have a teacher's conference at that time, but I'll make it up to you next week, okay?"
Melissa nodded again, her eyes falling to the floor.
"Yes, ma'am."
Her mother brushed a finger under her chin.
"My little Melissa – I just can't believe it. I'm so happy for you."
Melissa did her best to smile.
"You're so beautiful, Mama. Just the way I always imagined you'd be…"
Tights looked away and for a moment, she looked like she had something to say.
"Let's talk again later, okay?" she said at last. "There's so much you need to know- Hatsume! Do not turn on the device without supervision! Ugh! I'm sorry, Melissa. I really have to go."
"Okay." Melissa whispered, her smile fading.
Tights ran back the lab table where Hatsume was strapping on her jet pack. Melissa sighed, feeling her stomach dropping to the floor. What did she expect? That she could stop by unannounced in the middle of exams and have a happy reunion with a mother she had never known?
But still… her mother did want to spend time with her, after classes. That had to mean something, right? It was just bad timing, that's all. Surely after they were all done with the exams, they would find the time to reconnect.
Melissa turned back to close the door behind her when Mei Hatsume turned on the jet pack. The device roared to life, spitting fire and smoke, sending Hatsume flying through the air. Melissa turned around quickly to see the pink haired student zipping across the room with Tights running behind her, panicked.
"Turn it off, Hatsume! Turn it off!"
But Hatsume was flying uncontrollably. Melissa had to do something! She instinctively reached for her Power Pole – and then the device sputtered and died. Hatsume flipped in midair and landed safely on her feet.
"Ta-da!" She flung her arms out like a bird, her face and torso blackened with soot and dust from the jetpack. "I've got to calibrate the fuel distribution system and find a way to increase vertical flight capacity – but I'd say it worked out just fine! What do you say, Ms Briefs?"
"Hatsume!" Tights shouted excitedly, throwing her arms around the pink haired student. "Hatsume, how did you do that?! You made a functioning jet pack in five minutes with chicken wire and some spare parts! You're amazing, Hatsume!"
"Does this mean I pass?"
"Pass? Are you serious? You're a rockstar, Babe! You've got the potential to be the greatest inventor ever. Keep up the hard work and you'll see that there's nothing you set yourself to that you can't accomplish. I'm so damn proud of you, Hatsume!"
Melissa stared at the scene, unable to move, as her mother embraced someone else's daughter and told her she could be anything she set out to be. Those were words that she had dreamed of hearing from her mother for years. Instead, her mother had acted like Melissa was a nuisance, simply inconveniencing her, getting in the way of her precious time with her students.
In many ways, Melissa had hoped that seeing her mother and having the opportunity to reconnect with her – to actually have a relationship with her, would be the scar tissue that finally covered the wound. But rather than healing her, all it did was tear the wound even further.
Melissa's hands clenched into fists and her lower lip trembled. She could no longer stop the tears from flowing out. Her chest and shoulders began to heave into uncontrollable sobs. Unable to watch any more, she turned to leave and saw Midoriya standing a few feet from her. He had just gotten out of the nurse's office.
"D-Deku!" she gasped, quickly drying her reddened eyes with her blue sleeve.
Midoriya's eyes traveled from the scene inside the class room to Melissa's tearful eyes and he sighed, quietly understanding what had just happened. He reached out and took Melissa's hand in his bandaged hand.
"Hey, I think Uraraka's up next." he said, guiding her back down the hall. "Come on. Let's get outta here."
A/N – Man, the rich kids of Class 1A had such a traumatizing early life, huh? Since this was going to be such a one-sided combat trial, I decided to go ahead and add a little backstory. So we get to see Vegeta's frame of mind before he becomes a hero. Of course, in the modern day, he's no longer the vicious murderer that he was back in the day. He's toned down a lot and the reason for that is going to be explored in his Arc after the Sports Fest. You'll get the full pic there.
Why he worked as a merc, why he chose the name Endeavor, why he cheated on Rei, why he never took a contract on All Might, etc.
Don't get me wrong, he still carries the license to kill. He's the only Pro Hero to use it and that's the reason why he'll never be… oh, you'll see in his arc.
I normally post up Review Responses at this point, but it's 2 in the morning and if I go to sleep right now, I can get in a whopping four hours before I have to get up for work! Haha So I'll answer all reviews in the next update. Hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable time with all of your families and loved ones!