Chapter Text
The temperature has fallen drastically since their arrival. Now, there is frost on the trees and the people on the street exhale plums of smoke as they breathe. A little kid with a wool cap passes by, chased by his sister. Kurogiri carefully sidesteps the children, grocery bags clinking. He has swapped his old metallic collar for a thick scarf, and as he makes his way toward the apartment he is glad he did so. There is no need for him to fall sick too.
When he opens the door, he is met with a wave of heat. From where he is bundled in a blanket, Shigaraki perks up. There are more colors on his face than this morning, though the tower of used handkerchief next to him has grown significantly.
“Did you get enough for curry?”
Kurogiri nods, before making his way toward his charge. The young man is bent over the kotatsu, working on yet another plan of his. From the look of it, this one is about a bank heist - which, if anything, is certain to delight Mr Compress. Shigaraki is eager to expose his ideas, and Kurogiri makes sure to listen to every one of them. He gently rebukes the one about gutting the first hero to appear, on the basis that it would attract more heroes and make the escape more complicated. They discuss it further while he starts on dinner, Shigaraki having to pause regularly to blow his nose.
At some point, they turn on the TV. The news drones on in the background, mixes with the sizzles of the pan: something about the upcoming heroes gala for the news ranking. A quick glance at his phone tells him that there are no new messages on the League’s chatroom. Kurogiri lets his mind wander as he busies himself in the kitchen.
“Hey. It’s that sound hero.”
On the TV screen, Present Mic is smiling at the show host. For once, his hair is gathered in a bun on his head, and he has swapped his usual sunglasses for clear ones. Like this, he cut an oddly familiar figure: it’s one more clue among the many that Kurogiri has been collecting lately. Maybe he will share them with Shigaraki once the time is right. The kid has a sharp eye for details, he could help him uncover what happened.
“After so many trials, Next Generation’s finale is going to air live tonight. It must be quite an emotion for you!”
“More so for the singers, that's for sure! They were all very impatient. And some were quite secretive with their songs, so I’m excited to discover them with you tonight!“
“You mean you haven’t heard them all?”
“Let’s just say we have some strong headed individuals in the mix.”
“Oooh, now you’ve got to give us some names. You can’t leave us hanging like that.”
There is a light sound from the crowd as the host leans forward, fingers chastising the hero. Present Mic laughs it off with a wave and a sort of ‘what can you do’ grin, and just like that the subject is shifted to something else. The hero clearly knows how to charm the crowd, with an easy grace that quite a lot of heroes lack.
“There are rumors that one of the singers, Dabi, has been hospitalized. It has spread rather widely as he has become a bit of a fan favorite, to the point that some even say he wouldn’t be in the finale. Would you like to say a word about that?”
“Absolutely! To make things clear, Dabi will be performing on stage tonight. He had to undergo a medical checkup, but it was nothing life threatening. That's all I can say. You will have to invite him to know more!”
“Damn! We will, but only if he manages to win!”
Shigaraki is scratching his neck again, plans forgotten. He is bent toward the screen, eyes fixated, as if his whole world suddenly revolved around the screen. It would be endearing, if Kurogiri hadn't seen him destroy a couch the last time he started fixating that much on something. So he purposefully passes in front of the young man before setting down two plates of steaming curry.
“There is an old western film I’d like to watch on the fourth channel.”
He doesn’t say anything more. Shigaraki’s eyes have fallen to his plate. Wordlessly, he passes the remote to Kurogiri, before digging into his food.
“ Now Present Mic, in every brotherhood there is a favorite. If you could bet, who do you think would win? ”
“What an unfair question! It… ”
Kurogiri changes the channel.
---
“Todoroki, a moment.”
Shouto blinks. Around him, his classmates are filing out of the classroom, talking excitedly about what might be served at the cafeteria- it’s pork ribs; The menu is displayed in advance every Monday, so Shouto doesn’t understand why he is the only one to check it . Mirodiya lingers, but Shouto gives him a sign to go on without him. Knowing him, he will probably still wait for him.
Once everyone is out, Aizawa closes the door. Shouto doesn’t remember having done anything that could anger his teacher, but he still tenses at being alone with him.
“Let me start this with two things. One, if you need it after hearing what I have to say, you can skip the afternoon classes. And two, none of this conversation must leak. Are we clear?”
This is far more serious than what he was expecting. Does this have to do with his father…? His left palm suddenly feels clammy. He squeezes it with his right, to try and crystallize the little beads of sweat as he nods. Aizawa nods back, before taking a breath.
“There has been a new… development, in a case tied to your family. The one about your older brother, Touya Todoroki. Do you remember him?”
His first answer is no. He doesn’t remember anything. But he’s been making an effort recently, to learn more about that elder brother if only to bridge the gap between him and his siblings. Natsuo and Fuyumi have told him stories about Touya, of their mother teaching him piano, of how they used to play soccer near the koi pond. And on how terrible his quirk was for his body. It’s unearthed some snapshots, things that Shouto hasn’t ever remembered before and he is afraid that maybe his brain is just inventing things now, mixing the stories and making them like actual memories. Midoriya told him that the only way to know for sure would be to ask his siblings, but he hasn’t broached the subject with them yet. Too tense.
Too tied up with the major dissension between all three of them.
Still, Touya’s death wasn’t an open case. It was, in fact, as close a case as you could find, summed up in two short sentences: his quirk malfunctioned, they found his jawbone in the aftermath. What could possibly happen for it to be reopened? The only answer he can think of is, once again, tied to the same subject. His father.
“I… don’t really. I was very little when he disappeared. My siblings told me about him, but that’s it.”
Aizawa nods. He doesn’t seem particularly surprised, and Shouto doesn’t know what to make of it.
“Do you think you could identify him? From a picture for example?”
Shouto can hear his heart beating. There is no way. They found his bones .
They found only one bone.
“Yes. There is a picture of him on the family shrine. Did you…”
He stops. He doesn’t dare to ask if they found more remains- how they found remains, after the whole mountains had been combed multiple times yielding nothing. And then, Aizawa does something that stops Shouto’s spiralling fear simply by how unexpected it is. He smiles.
“Someone testified for the case. Someone who is very persuasive, and bearing extremely convincing proofs. Here.”
Aizawa hands him a picture. It’s of a man around his twenty, with a mop of Himura’s white hair and Todoroki’s blue eyes. It’s not a corpse. There are scars along the man’s jaws and under his eyes, gruesome though they looked healed over. It’s a living, breathing person, eyes laughing at the person behind the camera.
“A DNA test is underway, to give weight to his words. Any family members that can validate his identity will help. And I think it’s best if you’re aware, but this is highly confidential so again, this does not leave this place. But.”
This is the guy from Present Mic’s show, except with white hair and less prominents scars. This is the guy for which Jirou voted, because -to quote Bakugou- she has a celebrity crush on him. This is a grown up, scarred over copy of Touya’s photo, down to the tilt of the head and the slight rise of an eyebrow - how the hell did Shouto not notice it sooner. And where was he? What even happened to him? Maybe Aizawa really can read minds, like Midoriya once theorized, because he is already one step ahead:
“Until a few months ago, he was under a mind controlling quirk. We’ve just gotten the paperwork done to assert he is fully himself again. So you can visit him if you want.”
Slowly, Shouto nods. It’s only when Aizawa holds out a handkerchief that he realises he is crying.
---
“You absolute drama queen.”
From where he is combing one last time through his now snow-white hair, Touya clicks his tongue. He could get defensive, but really, Magne isn’t wrong. Besides…
“You and I both know the public will eat it up.”
She huffs a laugh, but she doesn't refute it and Touya grins in victory. There is a slight tightness in the corner of his mouth, but it doesn't tear at his skin like it used to. The lack of pain makes him smile even wider.
“Someone already told you that your smile is creepy goth boy?”
Her fond look betrays her words. It doesn't deter him from targeting her kneecaps, and by the time Keigo finds them she has his head squished under her arms while he is mercilessly digging his fingers in her sides for that sweet tickling spot she has. Under his usual smile, Keigo looks exhausted. His wings have yet to grow back to their full length, and they’re less vibrant than they used to be. If Touya hadn’t thoroughly groomed them the week before, he would have believed Keigo was neglecting himself. As it is, he knows the man simply doesn't have the time.
In the aftermath of All Might falls, the hero of the fierce wings Hawks has been incredibly busy. Endeavor and him were crowned as the news number one, tied for first place on the billboard after Hawks’s rise in popularity for his help in rescuing Bakugou. The public saw this as a sign: no single man could have taken All Might’s mantle.
On the stage of the Hero billboard ranking, while Endeavor had delivered a lukewarm attempt at proving he could be number one, Hawks had stood proud and declared he would gladly cooperate with any hero that wanted their share of the pedestal. In a move that shocked everyone, Miruko had joined him, then Best Jeanist. After seeing the massive popular support for the alliance, Endeavor had had no choice but to follow. As a result, the billboard system was on metaphorical fire. It didn’t account for partnership between agencies, especially of that size: which was a blatant sign of how cooperation was seen in the hero world. Under public pressure, the commission had to promise to rework it.
And as a show of goodwill, the commission had immediately assigned their best agent to the case: Hawks.
Between this, the discovery of the Nomu’s mansion and laboratory, and the Todoroki’s case that is being built against Endeavor, Hawks barely has time to lay down. Yet, despite the extremely small amount of time he has for himself, he always comes back to Touya.
Both of them are navigating blindly in their new relationship. Lack of good experiences and a shitty upbringing doesn’t exactly help, nor does their respectives careers. But they’ve been adjusting to each other: together, they manage to shed Dabi and Hawks to be only Touya and Keigo.
So of course, Keigo had been there when he had rinsed the last of the dye from his hair. And he had heard the song well in advance of everyone. But Touya still hadn’t shared everything, and so he got the pleasure of seeing Keigo’s tired brain reboot at seeing him. He makes a show of spinning around, grin still firmly in place as the long black coat he is wearing swooshes.
“So! What do you think?”
The seamstress went all out on his request. Then again, he supposes not many people ask for a villain-style getup, especially one with rindou flowers woven on the sleeves. The lady who worked on it, a green haired woman that barely reached his collarbone, had been near ecstatic at the challenge. Something about everyone asking for All Might inspired getup for the last ten years.
The stems of the flowers start from his back, blooming more and more along the way until the whole bouquet explodes on his shoulders, with petals spilling over his arms. The fabric is light enough to swoosh at his every move, which he is finding to be massively satisfying, and Touya is half tempted to just… steal the coat once the show is over. From the look Keigo is giving him, he wouldn’t be too opposed. The delicate crown of blue flowers on Touya’s head probably doesn’t help.
“Damn, you weren’t kidding. You look really good. Shouldn’t you be at the makeup station though? The show starts in two hours.”
Touya waves it off, ignoring the rising tension at the mention of the incoming show. The truth is, he already got his makeup done. It’s just that the newly healed skin doesn’t agree with a lot of the products they have, so his own is rather discreet.
His healing quirk has worked wonders, once it had been able to work without constraint. He had had to get the staples removed and be very mindful of the wound for a while: eating nothing but soup while the seams around his mouth scarred over had been annoying. Recovery Girl had monitored him closely for two weeks, which had been quite useful when he started craving anything remotely meat shaped due to iron deficiency. Apparently fast-scaring takes a toll on someone's diet. Still, it has been worth it: his scars are a less aggressive pink now, still noticeable but definitely more healthy looking. And more importantly, they aren’t at risk of reopening at the seams anymore.
He still can’t cry. That one will take a lot more time, but Touya doesn't mind as much. As long as he can smile without restraint, it’s a win.
“Nah, I still got a good hour. Mic isn’t even on stage yet. And I’m the second to pass. Unless someone falls, or something.”
He must do a poor job at hiding his nerves, because Magne pats him on the shoulder. Keigo gently taps his foot with his own with a raised eyebrow and- fuck, he was tapping on the floor wasn’t he? His foot goes still as he scowls.
They go back and forth for about an hour. Magne learns that Keigo has actually already heard the song, and almost goes ballistic. He is pretty sure they’re both supposed to go back to whatever red carpet event is ongoing before the show starts, but they still stay at his side. It makes the knot of anxiety in his stomach lessen.
Finally, an assistant comes to retrieve him. He gets one last fist bump from Magne, and one last kiss from Keigo- to the surprise of a very frazzled assistant- and then Touya Todoroki is back on stage.
---
Class 1-Asshole (you know who you are)
Pinned message KitKat said “Shitty Deku, if I catch you cooking with my pot one more time, I will find your sealed 32 years AM limited edition and open the fucking case before burying it in sand. Don’t test me.”
SoundSystem: NEXT GENERATION FINAL everybody shut up this is not a drill get yo ass on the common room Im waiting for no one
GreenBean: wait wwait jirou im not ready im still at the gym all might wanted to talk and i havent had time to shower yet
KitKat: Too bad, it’s live. No popcorn for you.
GreenBean: noooo im coming as fast as i can
Halfy: It’s ok. I have saved you a seat.
GreenBean : thx shouto youre a lifesaver
Halfy: You should stop typing though. You would go faster.
HarderBetterFasterStronger : @ Halfy Oof that’s cold Todorobro
Halfy: @ HarderBetterFasterStronger Oh. Do you want me to heat the room?
SoundSystem: STARTING
HarderBetterFasterStronger : @ Halfy Nah I’m good.
SoundSystem: GET TF OF YOUR PHONE OR MUTE IT
Halfy: Midoriya hasn’t arrived yet.
SoundSystem: Fuck Midoriya
HonHonBaguette : So very quickly, who are you rooting for ?
HarderBetterFasterStronger : Wakumi!
KitKat: Dabi
SpeedBoy : Inuyasha
SoundSystem: Fuck conformity makes Dabi win
Halfy: Shouldn’t we have heard the song before choosing? Dabi.
GreenBean : wakumi and you aoyama?
HonHonBaguette : No preference. Shit to all of them !
KitKat : What!
SoundSystem: wtf
GreenBean: uuuuh
HarderBetterFasterStronger: french idioms bro?
HonHonBaguette : …Yes. Good luck to all.
---
The tv has been set up in the middle of the main room. The nurses are talking excitedly while finishing installing enough chairs for all the patients. Rei stops one of them to ask about the event, and gets an excited reply about the final of a singing competition. It’s the same one that was attacked half a year back, Rei is surprised to learn that the show continues on, despite the villains targeting them. Even bolder, it seems that they chose to perform the final live. She supposes she can make an exception. Usually she spends her evenings reading in her room, but she decides Mister Poirot and his murder mystery can wait for a bit.
She set herself on the side, so as to not inconvenience the more vocal fan of the show. She is delighted to see Present Mic as the host of the show; she has always liked his radio show. He looks older than what she remembers, but that’s to be expected. It’s been quite a while since she heard about him.
The first contestant is a shy girl who sings a poetic song about searching for love in the clouds. It’s nice, though romance has never been Rei’s favorite genre. The nurses pass along snacks during the commercial break, having clearly prepared well in advance. As she watches from her corner Rei wonders if maybe they aren’t more excited than the residents for this show. One of the nurses has rolled over a whiteboard with what must be the contestants’s names, and a big “VOTE HERE” arrow. It seems, Rei notes with some amusement, that the patients will have their own champion at the end of the night.
There is a shushing sound as the next challenger arrives, and little gasps of surprise. Rei misses the arrival, busy unwrapping an ice cone for an elderly woman. But then, she hears the song.
It’s a bass voice, smooth and rich. It’s about hopes and dreams, and losing them. It's music that can carry emotion like the wind carries a kite. It’s about still finding your footing, despite everything. It’s a singer cladded in black, crowned in white, blue flowers bursting at the seams. It’s about finding the strength to keep on dreaming.
She is transfixed. The man on the TV reaches the end of his song, and bows as the public explodes in cheers. There is a proud, almost defiant glint in his eyes when he rises, right before he launches his flower crown in the audience. It’s a gaze that brings her back years in the past and- Ah . She must be hallucinating again.
It’s been a while since Rei had that sort of vision. She used to see her dear boy near her bed each time she tried to sleep. But it was ten years ago, and now Rei has made enough progress to recognise the hallucination as such, and try and center herself to counter it. So she lets the talking of the other patients wash over her, breathing deeply like her therapist showed her. On the screen, Mic is presenting the next contendant. Behind him, she catches the back of a mop of white hair and -alright. Maybe she hasn’t fully hallucinated. That man -Dabi- does share a few characteristics with her Touya. It must have been enough for her mind to overlap him. The old woman from before taps her on her arm with a toothy smile.
“That was quite a good song, eh? Very raw. Would you mind getting my vote? I think I have seen enough.”
Rei nods politely. The next contestant is singing, but given the amount of people around the whiteboard, quite a few people have already made their choices. Discreetly, Rei adds her own vote- she won’t pass up the chance to support her dear Touya, even if it’s only in her head.
---
Present Mic @Present_Mic_Official
After careful examination from both the jury and the public, we have a winner! Congratulations to @Dabi_Official for winning the first ever edition of #Next_Generation!
Hawks official @Hawks_real_life
@Present_Mic_Official Hell yeah. Great job everybody, and thank you for setting up this amazing show Present Mic!
Bird simp @Birbgobrrrr
@Hawks_real_life @Present_Mic_Official Look at that man all politely trying to pretend he isn’t over the moon for his bf
Jack O’lantern @Kyoka_Jiro
@Birbgobrrrr wait what
Bird simp @Birbgobrrrr
@Kyoka_Jiro Yeah apparently Hawks has a thing for deep bass voices and villain aesthetic lol. nothing official yet but The Signs Are There
Trending in Japan:
#Next_Generation
#Dabi
#FuckConformityGoDabi
#BillboardsFire
#PresentMic
---
There is a knock on his door. When he raises his head, Touya is leaning on the doorframe, coat already on.
“I’m going. Need me to pick some karaage for you?”
Keigo smiles as he shakes his head, waving him away.
“No, no need. You’re going to be late if you keep that up.”
“Keep what up?”
He huffs, raising an eyebrow at his boyfriend. Touya scowls, eyes flickering across his office. The fact that Touya had accepted to stay multiple consecutives nights at Keigo’s place was already a big indicator of his stress, but delaying his departure was an even bigger one. He hated being late. Still, Keigo gets it. It’s not every day you get to reconnect with your little brother, after faking your death and being mind controlled. He knows there is still a lingering doubt in Touya’s mind, about his own actions, and whether he will want to attack the kid on sight or not. But Keigo has faith in him. Hell, the case currently open on his desk is proof that Touya wants to protect his little brother as much as he can.
So he rises up, and ushers his boyfriend out. Touya grumbles all the way to the door, as expected, but he stops as he crosses the threshold. There is a hidden emotion flickering in his eyes, behind the grumpy demeanor.
“You really think it’s a good idea?”
His eyes are darting around again. Chasing butterflies, as they tend to do whenever he loses himself in his head. Keigo takes one of his hands in his.
“It’s not my call. You know that.”
It’s something that must come from Touya and Touya alone, but his boyfriend already knows that. So they stay like that, until Touya squeezes his hand once, and finally steps out.
Back at his office, the case against one Todoroki Enji for abuse of minors is still open. The first brother -Natsuo- has been all too willing to testify, but the sister has refused. None of the siblings have come to see Touya yet, one stating that he needed time to digest the news, and the others too distrustful of this sudden reappearance. It is to be expected. Shouto, on his part, has made clear that he wants to see Touya first before answering any questions. Eraserhead has made arrangements, in what Keigo suspects is his way of apologizing for barging in on their date before the attack against the league.
On his desk, the tower of cases to handle keeps on growing every day. The league has disappeared, and with them the necessity for his spying mission. Between the Nomu case and the reworking of the ranking system, he wouldn’t have been able to fulfill it anyway. All for One is contained, though the president of the commission seems doubtful of that fact. Bullets with quirk erasing properties are getting lifted off the streets, and Keigo wouldn’t be surprised if one of them is used against the supervillains. With how fragile society is, even the simple possibility of All for One escaping is too much of a danger. As he stores the case against Endeavor for later reviewing, he can’t help but think that there is even more change waiting.
From his windows, with his apartment being as high as it is, he can see Touya walking down the street. One of the walls he is passing by is covered in graffiti and posters: Keigo is almost sure there is one for Magne’s last concerts. He watches the man disappear around the corner, steps confident and not at all indicative of his earlier nervousness, toward the rendezvous point with his brother. It’s only once he isn’t visible anymore that Keigo turns around, and goes back to work.
---
It’s the first question his brother asks him.
“How does it feel to win a competition like that?”
It got him free shelter and food for the last year. It also netted him a contract with one of the major music companies, a decent cash price that should be enough to last him for a while, and a boyfriend.
“I could get used to it.”
It’s his first answer, of a long series of them.