Musutafu, Japan

Todoroki Abode (10pm)

A long night of patrolling and arresting low-leveled villains had tired me out. My head throbbed from hard labor. Tonight had four robberies and a hostage case. I stepped inside, the smell of dinner filled the hallways as I strode down. Rei and the children finished before I returned. Just as I opened my bedroom door, I'd heard Shoto's voice from the bathroom.

"Dad didn't come home again, missing dinner. His work shadows our family time, which is to be expected. He never cares about us."

Of course, I cared for you, Rei, Fuyumi, Natsuo, and Miya. Touya, meanwhile, had a criminal record. I wasn't sure what deeds he did during junior high, but it got him expelled. He refused to enter UA, because he doesn't want to follow my footsteps anymore. When he was four-years-old and his quirk manifested, he wished to become me someday. Now, he was lounging in his bedroom, doing god knows what.

'Don't feel too bummed out, Shoto. Your dad cares for you.'

Was that the green-haired boy's voice? Was Shoto using his phone in the bathroom!? Enraged, I stomped to the bathroom, about to knock, when Miya saw me. The hair rollers in her red hair looked uncanny, as if she turned into a granny. "How was the night shift?" Her smirk shimmered under the ceiling lamps, as she marched forward, hands on hips.

"Tiresome. Now, if you can excuse me, I need to lecture Shoto about using the phone in the bathroom." I turned around to knock, but Miya dragged my arm and pulled me away. "What are you—"

"We need a quick conversation in the living room."

It was over ten pm and Miya wore a fuzzy pink robe. Her flip-flops clacked the wooden floors until we reached the living room. She pushed me to the sofa and sat on my personal couch. "I'd planned, or Gloria planned, a girls' day-off tomorrow. She thought it would relieve the stress we've been carrying."

"Your point?"

"Gloria reserved two hotel resorts. One's in Jaku City and where we're going is here."

I wasn't understanding Miya's announcements, but my boredom seeped into my skin. The AC wasn't helping me concentrate. "Why are you addressing this to me?"

Miya spoke excellent details. Natsuo began searching for college applications; Shoto's schedule at Musutafu Private Middle School was descent; and don't get me started with Touya. He'd been sneaking in and out of the house lately. I crossed my arms while Miya stood up and walked to the entrance. "Think about it. Also, leftover dinner is in the fridge, if you're hungry."

With Miya gone, I'd concentrated on her offer. Should I consider going to a hotel resort? As a pro hero, my duties must present honorable performances. I mustn't slouch, or else All-Might will gain the lead. Then again, Shoto had been showing his rebellious side, which worried me. When Touya reached his rebellious state, he grew aggressive, jealous towards Shoto. I understood his concerns, the utter pain of being neglected, but I did it for him. Air blew out of my lips, as I headed to the kitchen and warmed up leftovers.

After eating dinner, changing clothes, and brushing my teeth, I noticed Rei sleeping under thick comforters. 'Maybe my sister and Shoto are right. My work eclipses my family time. This trip to Jaku City Resort will strengthen the bond I nearly destroyed.'

The Next Day

Me, Natsuo, and Touya stepped outside to see Dad, smiling and standing in front of a truck. "What is this?"

"Shoto? Natsuo?... Touya?"

Touya rolled his eyes and faced the opposite direction. Dad said he reserved a spot at Jaku City Resort. I've never been there. At first, I didn't believe Dad's words, but when he showed us four tickets to Jaku City Resort, our jaws dropped. "You're not shitting us? We're going there? Did you bump your head?"

"First rule of our guys' day-off, no profanity. Clean your act up, Touya. We'll be staying at the resort."

While Touya grunted, Natsuo and I couldn't muster words. We were stunned to see Dad's interest to relax. That got me thinking about his hero work. "What about your work?"

Dad wouldn't abandon his pro hero work, especially since he was the number two hero. What came out of his mouth rattled my nerves. "No need! I'd checked the schedule and I'm free today."

Right, today was Sunday. Dad only worked on the weekdays and Saturdays. I sulked in defeat, unable to escape Dad's attempt to bond with us. Natsuo felt my stress, but he had some positive affirmations. "At least it's just us. Mom, Fuyumi, and Miya already left to a different hotel resort. The Musutafu Resort has the best services around. Man, I wish I was there."

Natsuo mumbled about missing Musutafu's best mud baths, as Dad finished preparing the truck. Why did Dad rent a truck? My guess was he wanted to act casual around us, as if he wasn't a hero. Nice attempt, but still.

We got on and Dad struggled to turn on the engines. "Dammit, the car dealer said there wouldn't be errors."

"Try kicking the steering wheel? That always helps." Touya snickered, but failed to hide it from Dad.

"Don't play with me, Touya. I'll check the hood. Don't move!"

He stepped out, lifted the hood, and examined the engine. Smoke fumed, covering the windshield in dark gray clouds. Dad forgot to close his window, which meant the smoke seeped through. We rushed out, coughing like crazy. "Ugh, my throat's going dry!"

"Don't tell me twice! Gah, I need water!"

"Why that lying moron! He said the truck was operational!"

Despite the smoke obscuring our sights, we knew the engine was fried. A few minutes later, we rode a bus and made it to Jaku City Resort. Dad couldn't forgive how the car dealer tricked him, the 'Great Endeavor.' He hated people hurting his pride and dignity. It didn't stop him from trying to lighten the mood. When we entered Jaku City Resort, its AC relieved our sweaty skin. "Okay, boys. I'll show the tickets to the bellhop and he'll give us our room keys."

He jogged up to the counter, as Touya sat on a curved sofa, earbuds on and music blasting. Natsuo sighed and stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets. "I'd changed my mind about this place. It's not bad. Dad picked the right place for our day off."

Miya actually made the reservations. Gloria, her friend, suggested it and Miya called the hotel. Last night, after I exited the bathroom, I heard Miya talking to Dad about the resort. She passed the Jaku City resort tickets onto Dad and he took credit. He didn't want to admit Miya took responsibility, because he was the household leader. The 'breadwinner' of our dysfunctional family.

He returned with two keys. One belonged to him and I. The other belonged to Natsuo and Touya. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Shoto? Have something to say?"

"Why should I stay with you?" My cold eyes glared at Dad. Our stares locked themselves into a deadly competition.

"Because I want to understand you, Shoto."

Liar, he had reasons. He doesn't want Natsuo, because they'll argue. Touya, well, it was the same reason. Them arguing will lead to chaos. "Can I go with Natsuo?"

"No! Touya's a delinquent that has tarnished our family name!"

His yells echoed across the lobby, most people heard them. This was embarrassing. Touya still distracted himself with his music, unaware of what Dad said. Natsuo blew air through his lips and walked to Dad. "How about this? Touya goes with Shoto and I go with you."

Dad rubbed his chin, those piercing blue eyes landing on Natsuo. Being a fifteen-year-old and already searching for colleges, Natsuo knew how to save my sanity. I smiled to let him know how much I'd appreciated his help. He smiled back with a thumbs up. "Alright, Natsuo, you're with me. Shoto? Make sure Touya doesn't ruin our guys' day-off."

I nodded, as if Touya had plans today. A few minutes later, we climbed to the fifth floor and found our assigned rooms. Dad's and Natsuo's room was '206.' Touya's and my room was '212.' During our stay at Jaku City Resort, we visited their attractions. The mud baths, indoor water park, bowling alley, and arcade center were the highlights. I'd enjoyed the arcade center, though Touya was busy calling his friend. I'd wondered what they were talking about. Dad and Natsuo tried enjoying each other's company, but with Dad's stubbornness and tendency to control everything, Natsuo felt miserable. I'd felt his pain, but glad not to experience that.

Jaku City Resort (6pm)

Today wasn't what I predicted, but the boys had fun. Even though I argued with the staff, Jaku City Resort wasn't a terrible place to unwind. As I laid in bed, I pondered to why Shoto refused to share a room with me. Was it because of his rebellious state? That's probably it. He still believed my attitude was getting the way of his fun. When we return home, I'll address him about the cell phone incident last night. Cell phones weren't allowed in the bathroom.

What if he accidentally dropped the phone in a toilet? It'll be my responsibility to buy a replacement. Natsuo walked out the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist, and looked at me.

"Dad?"

"Yes, Natsuo?"

"About Shoto."

"If you must know, he's fine with your brother."

"It's not about Touya, though I'm worried how he's doing."

"They're fine, then again you make a point."

Touya had been acting strange throughout our trip. On his phone, talking with his delinquent friends. Whatever he was planning, my tightened chest told me to worry. Same with Shoto, when we return home, I'll lecture Touya about his behavior. "I want to talk about your dynamic with us."

"With just you boys, or…" I raised an eyebrow and twisted my sights to Natsuo.

"Just us, Dad. Ever since Touya's birth, you've been a decent dad. You cared for him and Fuyumi, but after you'd learned about Touya's weakness, you'd changed."

"Hm…" I knew Natsuo would resurface those memories.

"You had me and Shoto, because Touya wouldn't give up on succeeding your expectations. He almost went insane until Miya introduced herself and our family life got better."

"What are you attempting to say?"

My heart fluttered, urging Natsuo to answer. His eyes showed worrisome, an expression he rarely let out. Our conversation went from casual to serious. I closed my eyes, not feeling operational to hear Natsuo's answer. Because I knew what came next.

"I'm saying Miya saved our family, yet you can't accept that. All you think about is overthrowing All-Might, and what? Show the world how Endeavor outclassed the symbol of peace?"

He made a point, more than Miya's and Rei's explanations. I shouldn't be doing this, but Natsuo asked me first. As a father, I must listen to my children's needs, even if those needs were asinine.

"No, my goal is to… to…"

I'd felt defeated. I paused, unable to finish my response. Natsuo sat on his bedside, hands on knees and furrowed eyebrows faced me. "To be the best? No, you're doing it to rub it in All-Might's face. He doesn't deserve your prideful attitude. What you're doing isn't right, Dad. You may not agree, but your actions almost ruined our family. Remember when Mom almost burned Shoto's face with boiling water?"

Oh, don't remind me that. Rei flipped out after seeing Shoto's right eye. She was growing insane from my expectations, as wells as keeping Shoto away from the children. Gladly, Miya was there to save Shoto, but both had burn marks on their limbs. Shoto's right forearm had a diagonal stripe, while Miya's left calf had a huge red blob. I should've been upset at Rei, for attacking my masterpiece. But Miya shot the coldest daggers at me and said those chilling words.

'Look at what you did, Enji. I don't see a father. I see a monster.'

I lowered my head, eyes threatening to tear up, but I refused. Natsuo, who felt my emotional distress, sighed and walked close to me. "You don't have to act tough, Dad. I'm saying you should accept our changes. Shoto's making friends at school, I'm searching for college applications, Fuyumi's working at a daycare center, and Mom's feeling better. Touya, I don't know what he's been doing, but he's not acting insane. He doesn't appreciate you anymore, which is good."

Although Natsuo was right about Touya's transition being a 'good' change, I saw it as an nuisance. Then again, Miya saved my family. All I've been doing was ignoring those changes and minding my business. I looked at Natsuo, who smiled. That smile wasn't fake, it was comforting. Is that what authentic love looked? Ah, my goals were utterly stupid. "Thanks for the conversation, Natsuo. Now, go to bed. Tomorrow, we're leaving the resort and returning home."

"Right, Dad. Good night."

When we return home, I'm going to apologize. To Rei, Miya, Fuyumi, Natsuo, and Shoto. And probably Touya, if he'll listen.

Five Hours Later

Ring-Ring-Ring!

"Ugh, who's calling me around midnight?" I grabbed the phone, irritated in who was calling me. When I pressed the call button, a recognizable voice chimed in.

"Hey, Endeavor!"

Hawks, number three hero in Japan and one annoying pain in the ass. My ass, that was. "Why are you calling me?"

"Well, you know, I've been patrolling Jaku City for three hours."

"Okay." I stood off the bed and headed outside our room. Natsuo doesn't need to listen to our pointless conversation. "How am I involved?"

"Right, why I'm calling you? That's pretty easy. I saw two burglars entering the resort you and your sons are staying. You better get going before they reach the fifth floor."

My eyes widened from Hawks' response. Burglary!? And they were approaching our floor!? I went back inside and hurried to the wide windows, separating the blinds to peek. Tonight was dark, which made it hard to see what was outside. On the rooftop, across the street, I saw Hawks. "You've been watching us the entire time?"

"No, just recently."

'Why did I give Hawks my number?'

"Listen, I called the police, so just get your sons to safety."

'Natsuo and Shoto are still in school, but Touya isn't. Maybe me and him will distract the burglars until the police arrive.'

"Are you listening, man?"

"Of course, I'm listening, moron. I'll escape the building. Did you notify the staff?"

Hawks paused, silence lingered between the line. "Lemme check."

"Agh, you haven't. Fine, I'll notify the staff to evacuate."

Although, some were aware of the burglars and already called the police. Some might had escaped the building after hearing a window break or the alarms blaring. Speaking of the alarms, where were they?

HONK-HONK-HONK!

Oh, there they were! Wrong timing. "Alright, I'll evacuate. Thanks for the information." I rolled my eyes, frustrated in Hawks warning me about burglars. The alarms blared louder, waking up Natsuo. He sat up quickly, scanning the area with a questionable expression. "Are we under attack!?"

"Almost, Natsuo. Gather your belongings and head for the exit. I'll get Shoto and—"

The door knocked. I ran to it and opened the lock, revealing Shoto and Touya. "Is the building on fire?"

"I sure hope it is, because my boredom hasn't faded."

"One, shut up, Touya. Two, two burglars have invaded the suite. I want you, Shoto, to follow Natsuo to the exit. Me and Touya will distract the criminals until the police arrive."

Shoto nodded, which stunned me at first. Upon remembering Natsuo's conversation, I understood why. He was accepting me, even though he had second opinions. Touya, unfortunately, acted immature and said, "screw this. I'm going with my brothers."

Ah, I didn't need Touya, anyway. My Hellflame quirk will take care of those low-leveled criminals. While the boys jogged to the exit, I hurried downstairs to find the criminals. They weren't too far, as I'd found them on the third floor. In the elevator, which broke down. I pried the doors open and saw the criminals attempting to fix the elevator's system. They noticed me and their faces turned blue. 'It always happens when they witness me.'

A few minutes later, the police and Hawks stood near the building's perimeter. I carried the whimpering criminals and handed them to the police chief. With him was the vice chief, Aiko Tanaka. A quirkless woman with lawful intentions, she bowed before me, showing off her politeness. "We'll take care of the criminals, Endeavor."

Once the police left, Hawks smirked at me. The boys approached from an alleyway, carrying their luggage. "I'd told you my number was helpful." He patted my chest. The gesture looked like we were friends. I wasn't buying it and shoved Hawks away. "Don't start. Thank you for notifying me about the burglary, Hawks."

All he did was nod and flew high to the sky. "Was that Hawks?"

"Yes, Shoto. He's that hero who acts relaxed and cares little about responsibilities."

"What, he takes full responsibilities. You only see him as a slacker."

What was he saying? Hawks cared for responsibilities? Of course, he called the police and notified me about the burglars, but he looked juvenile. Afterwards, we left Jaku City Resort, took a taxi because I forgot we don't have a vehicle. Damn car dealer! I'll give him a piece of my mind when I meet him again. We returned home and saw the women inside. They had bruises over their arms and legs. Unexpectedly, I reacted with worry fluttering my heart.

"What happened?" I grasped Rei's shoulders, eyes trembling and skin heating.

"A villain attacked the hotel resort we were staying at and his sidekick kidnapped Fuyumi. Gladly, Miya and Gloria beat their butts and saved us."

Rei smiled as if the experience never happened. I'd loosened my grip from her shoulders and focused on Fuyumi. Miya's friend, Gloria Smithfield, wasn't present, because she already went home. Both her and Fuyumi also smiled, like getting kidnapped was second play. The boys were far confused in their joyful expressions and I had to ask. "Did you have a good time, ladies?"

That question cut the tensed air like butter. Rei, Miya, and Fuyumi chuckled. "We had a great ass time, Enji. Why are you so worried? Oh, that's right. You and the boys had a similar incident."

How did she know? Then, I thought back to Hawks. Maybe he was there before coming to Jaku City? Ugh, that immature man. "Something like that. Are you sure you're okay? Those bruises…"

"We'll be fine, Enji. There's a first-aid kit in the bathroom."

'Rei never called me Enji since we had Shoto. Miya's suggestion to the therapy center must be working on her mental health. Oh, what am I saying? Natsuo's description about my fatherhood to seeing Miya's improvements on my family. They're right; I need to accept change.'

Everyone got ready for sleep, but I stood outside the house, staring at the starry midnight sky. Miya opened the door, about to speak, but she didn't. She closed the door and receded down the hallway. There was no need to look. 'What should I do to accept change?'

To Be Continued…