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The call was unexpected, of course. His siblings never talked to him and there was no reason for him to call. As the semester went on he found that not even Fuyumi would send him a text to ask how his week had been. But there was a call for him nonetheless and he made his way to the principal's office.
Before he could say anything his sister was crying. "Shouto," she hiccuped, "the psychiatric hospital called. Mom wasn't doing well all of a sudden a-and things weren't getting better."
No.
"She's in a really bad state right now. She's... She's not going to make it."
This can't be happening–! I'd just started talking to her again! I had so much to ask her!
"He doesn't know. I don't want him to know,"she continued, and no other explanation was needed.
He swallowed thickly and wiped away tears threatening to spill over. "Is she still...?"
"They have her on life support at the general hospital near you. She's in ICU and I told them you'd probably want to see her one last time."
"...I was called out of class and–"
There was a hand on his shoulder and Mr. Nedzu shook his head. "Oh no, that won't do. This is a family emergency, Mr. Todoroki. You're free to leave."
"...Call the staff and tell them I'll be there as soon as I can."
He gave the phone back and ran a hand through his hair. "I... I have to go..."
"Go on, Mr. Todoroki. I'll have someone bring your belongings up to your room."
He gave a quick bow and hurried out. Mr. Nedzu frowned and looked up at Midnight, who was still holding the phone. "Have Miss Yaoyorozu collect his things, will you?"
"Of course."
Shouto Todoroki, he thought. Tragedy is an opportunity to show strength. What will you show us?
He burst through the door and was immediately shushed by a series of receptionists and nurses. "My mom," he gasped, fear and overexertion having taken his breath away. "I mean, Mrs. Todoroki."
Collectively their expressions softened and a nurse took him by the arm. "She's been slipping in and out of consciousness," she explained gently. "We're not sure how much she can hear or is processing, but keep in mind that she's probably still listening."
They arrived at her door all too soon and he hesitated. "...I can't– I mean, I don't–"
The nurse opened the door and his throat seemed to constrict as he saw her. The steady beeping and humming of the various machines was the only noise and he became aware of just how loud his attempts to stifle his cries were. "Mom," he whimpered, "you have to get better, you hear? There's so much I need to tell you still and I have so many questions... Don't you want to hear more about the sports festival? I never even got to show you my medal!"
He grabbed her hand. "Mom, wake up! Please, I need you... I need you here with me..."
Her eyes fluttered open and he felt a tightness in his chest at the faraway look in them. "Shouto... Shouto, is that you?"
"It's me, mom. I'm here."
"I saw you on TV a few weeks ago," she said weakly. "I'm so proud of you. You did so well..."
"I fought really hard."
"No... You used your fire. You made it your own."
He wiped at his tears. "I had a lot of help with that. My opponent was more focused on helping me than winning the match."
"Such a selfless boy," she murmured. "Giving up the chance of a lifetime like that."
"Yeah, he's really something."
His voice broke and she cupped his cheek. "You've always been so strong, putting on a brave face and making sure he didn't know how you felt... It's okay to show some emotion."
"I had to prove I was stronger than him."
"Oh Shouto, you're already so much stronger than he ever was. I'm so sorry all this happened to you... None of this would have happened if you weren't born with that damnable quirk."
"Then it would be forced upon another child you'd have to carry, and I'd be cast aside like the others."
She nodded and smiled, tears in her eyes. "I wish we'd had more time together. Real time, not that spent talking in a place like this."
"I'm just happy I got to spend what little time we had together."
"That's my boy."
He felt like he was five years old again, watching heroes on TV and saying he'd grow up to be like them because he wanted to, not because his father wanted it. He didn't try to fight the tears that time and she wiped them away, her fingers lingering on his scar.
"This whole family has hurt you so much... and yet you still turned out so perfect. Thank you for not giving in to him."
She sighed and closed her eyes again, and he shook her shoulder. "Mom...? Mom, wake up! Please, look at me again! Wake up!"
The machines began to go off and a series of people in scrubs rushed in, crowding around her and pushing him back. The nurse from before grabbed him and forced him out of the room, and he felt his left side heat up as he struggled. "Shouto, calm down!" she yelled. "She's just passed out again! She's fine right now!"
"She's not!" he cried. "She's dying and you're not doing anything to help her! She's going to die because of you!"
His quirk activated and he was engulfed in flames, frost creeping up his other arm as he grew hysterical.
She pulled a radio off her belt. "This is Hina in the ICU, requesting immediate assistance in dealing with an unruly visitor. He has a fire and ice quirk and questionable control over it."
He dropped to his knees and buried his face in his hands. "I just want you to save her," he whispered. "She's all I've got left... Don't take her from me too..."
The next thing he knew there was a man in uniform on either side of him, dragging him towards the entrance again. The last thing he saw was a doctor close the door and bow his head.
Of all the things Shouto Todoroki was expecting when he got back to his dorm, seeing class vice president Momo Yaoyorozu at his desk was not one of them. She immediately got to her feet and bowed to him. "Todoroki-san! Mr. Nedzu instructed me to bring your belongings up to your room but I didn't have a key so I just used my quirk to let myself in, and I was in the middle of writing you a note explaining why–"
"It's fine," he muttered, tossing his wallet on the desk and barely flinching as it slid into the wastepaper basket.
"Is everything alright? All I was told is you took a phone call and had to leave for the rest of the day. Is all well in your family?"
He froze where he was and refused to meet her questioning gaze. "Very rarely is everything alright when it comes to my family," he said lowly.
"Todoroki-san, I only ask because Mr. Aizawa wanted me to report back–"
"It's Todoroki, okay?" he snapped. "I don't need these formalities, Yaoyorozu."
"...Okay, Todoroki. Did something happen to excite or anger you? Your left sleeve is burnt as though your quirk got out of control."
"Why don't you mind your own damn business! Just because the two of us got in on recommendation doesn't mean we're suddenly friends. I don't have to tell you anything."
"I just–
"Just get out!" he yelled, his quirk flaring up again. Maybe if he scared her away she wouldn't mention anything to the others.
Instead she held her ground, stamping her foot. "You and I are going to sit down and you're going to tell me what's wrong, or I'm going to send Iida-san up here. It's your choice."
That was it. Anything but facing that boy. He sat on the bed and extinguished the lingering flames, already feeling the tears well up. How do you tell someone you just watched your formerly deranged mother die right as you were rebuilding your relationship with her?
She sat down with him, a short distance apart, and waited for him to speak.
"My family has always been... unconventional," he started.
And so he explained his history with his mother, leaving out his father's brutal and often illicit training methods, as well as glossing over the origins of his scar. When he started to talk about the present circumstances she began to cry and he hesitated. What was he supposed to do with a crying girl? He was the one who had just gone through everything!
She used her quirk to create a box of tissues and wiped at her eyes. "Keep going," she urged.
"...That's it," he said quietly. "Today was the last time I'll see her and my bastard of a father doesn't even know. My sister set it up like this so he wouldn't find out... It's like I don't have anyone left," he mumbled, quiet sobs wracking his body. He couldn't believe he was allowing someone to see him in such a vulnerable state.
When he turned down a tissue she wrapped an arm around him. "Todoroki... I can't even begin to imagine what that's like. I'm so sorry..."
"Sorry isn't going to fix anything. I just have to put on a brave face for tomorrow."
"Surely Mr. Nedzu will give you time to recover–!"
"This isn't about using my allotted time, Yaoyorozu. I can't let anyone know something happened. Someone will take advantage of my weakness and try to take my rank in class."
"You're thinking like your father does," she murmured, pulling him closer. "People don't do that. When a family member passes away we support each other. You might face some remarks from Bakugo-san but we'll keep him in line. Won't you let us show you what a real family is like?"
He returned the embrace and sighed. "Why are you so kind to me when all I've done is try to push you away?"
"I could see you were hurting and I wanted to help. Even if it meant standing up to a powerful hero like yourself."
"...Thank you, Momo. For everything."