Work Text:
As soon as the door shut again Iida and Todoroki sat down on their respective beds, the latter still frowning.
“Todoroki,” Midoriya ventured, “you were pretty upset there. Do you not want your father to get the credit for taking down the Hero Killer or something?”
“That bastard doesn’t deserve half the credit he gets, and especially not this.”
He practically spat the words and Iida and Midoriya exchanged a look. “I know what you told me at the sports festival, but is there something else...?”
“The law,” he muttered, “isn’t nearly as perfect as everyone thinks.”
“We might not get the credit for this, but it’s just like the police chief said. At least we won’t face any major repercussions from this either. If news of all this got out, we might be expelled from Yuuei or lose the chance to ever get our licenses!”
“It’s more than just this. It’s the fact that everyone praises the law for keeping everyone safe, except it doesn’t. The law never helped me or anyone else I cared about!”
Silence.
“...I’m clearly missing information here,” Iida said, “but it’s my job as class representative to help my classmates however I can. What can I do to help you, Todoroki?”
“Nothing, unless you can suddenly make my father pay for all he’s done.”
Midoriya glanced at him. Bad family history, he mouthed.
Iida kept his head down. “This is my fault.”
“Of course it’s not--”
“If I hadn’t gone looking for the Hero Killer, none of us would be in this position right now. I alone fell off the path and the two of you shouldn’t have to suffer for that.”
“It’s not,” Todoroki repeated more sharply. “If it weren’t this, it would be something else. One of us would’ve wound up in a similar situation at some point.”
An uncomfortable silence hung in the air again. “Todoroki, what did you mean the law never helped you?” Midoriya asked hesitantly.
“...I shouldn’t have said anything. It was the anger of the moment.”
“Please, talk to us. This is obviously important to you! We want to help if we can.”
“You can’t--”
“Even if it’s just by listening to what you have to say. Please.”
He kept his mouth shut.
“It’s best not to push him, Midoriya. He’ll tell us when he feels like it.”
He looked between his two friends before sighing. I hope you’re right, Iida. For his sake as well as ours.
He stared at the ceiling above, trying to make out any details in the dim lighting. Anything to distract himself. He grit his teeth and closed his eyes but it only made things worse. He could still clearly see his siblings playing in the courtyard. As he tried to will away the memories they just warped until Fuyumi had bandages wrapped around her head and his brothers were in a similar state. The men in suits said they saw nothing wrong and their father lead them to the door. As soon as they were gone, the yelling began again.
He jolted upright, breathing far too fast.
“...Todoroki?”
Iida. He forced himself to stop shaking.
“Nightmare?”
“No,” he said lowly, “just memories. I can’t sleep.”
“Me too. I’m beginning to envy Midoriya.”
He made an unconvinced noise and curled his knees to his chest. “What’s keeping you awake?”
“...Memories.”
“The Hero Killer?”
“My brother as well. It still doesn’t feel real that he’ll have to retire once he recovers.”
Todoroki was quiet. “I’m sorry,” he said at last. “He seemed like a great hero.”
“He was. Always believed it was important to save someone quickly because he knew that’s what people in danger wanted.”
The only sound was of their breathing and Todoroki thought he’d fallen asleep before he finally spoke up again.
“What did you mean earlier, with your comments about the law?”
He sighed. “You just don’t give up, do you?”
“Meddling where one doesn’t need to is the essence of being a hero. That’s what All Might says, anyway.”
“...My father values status and power above all else, including family. No, especially above that. He… He’s gotten away with abusing my mother and my siblings for as long as I can remember. Every time child protective services would come and investigate, they’d find all kids of evidence of the abuse but he’d just… pay them off and they’d leave without doing anything. The law is corrupt and able to be manipulated by those in power so they can stay in power. It’s never done anything for me. And now that man is going to be praised once more and I’ll have to watch, when this time he didn’t even do anything.”
“I’m--”
“Don’t say you’re sorry. Everyone says they’re sorry and nothing ever comes out of it. I’d prefer it if you didn’t bother saying it at all.”
“...Of course.”
He just pulled his knees closer to his chest and stared at his feet. “You should try to get some sleep.”
“So should you--”
“I won’t be sleeping tonight.”