Chapter Text
Such was the never ending cycle to Shouto Todoroki’s life for the past 9 years, ever since his mother was sent away when he was 5.
There was never a reason to smile, or laugh, so the House was often silent. Not a Home, he could never find one here in this place. The closest he got to relief was his elder sister Fuyumi, but she was often busy, or working. She was training to become a teacher, and he did so hate to disturb her. After all, peace and quiet wasn’t exactly an option in this house, not with their father after all.
Training was the worst, as expected. His father was a hero, and he trained Shouto like he was also a hero. This meant long days full of hard work, minimal breaks to eat and replenish fluids.
In short, it fucking sucked.
However, today seemed to be the worst it had ever been, his father hitting harder and forcing him to work harder than ever before. Odd, because according to the news, he’d saved some boy from suffocation. If reports were correct, it was the same one that All Might himself had previously apprehended and lost. Something about some boy clinging to his leg?
Either way, Shouto slipped, hitting the ground hard. Enji stepped forward, kicking Shouto in the gut almost full force.
Shouto managed to scramble backwards fast enough that he was ready for the next hit, which never came.
Slowly opening his eyes, Shouto saw Enji’s fist, poised to strike, and Enji himself struggling to send it down. After about 20 seconds of that, his fist was released. Enji looked at it, growled and walked off.
Shouto wasn't quite sure what all changed that day, but something certainly had. His father, once he had returned, had actually hesitated before continuing his assault, and he seemed to be uncomfortable the whole time. He wasn't sure what had caused the change that only seemed to be getting stronger as time went on, but lately he had seen the shadow of *something* in the corner of his vision.
He chose not to question it, but rather thank it for what it had begun, a chain reaction that began to make each day the start of bearable. Rather than training till he threw up on a daily basis and going again, they eased up. It wasn’t noticeable at first. Rather, it was a gradual change that only got stranger as time went by, before finally he saw the thing causing the change fully after 2 months, upon getting ready for bed. Training was done for the day, and he felt like hell on earth but at least it was done.
When he finally looked up and met bright green eyes, he did his best not to move or flinch. That was part of his training, after all. Slowly, he began looking it over, slowly moving when he deemed it wasn’t dangerous.
The mysterious “It” was in the shape of a boy not that much younger than him, sitting cross-legged on his futon. He had to be something of Shouto’s imagination, since he hadn't ever seen anyone this...? he wasn't really sure of the word, but there was definitely something ethereal and unnatural about this person. And it wasn't the soft looking brown wings that adorned his back.
"Pardon me, but who are you?", He tried politeness at first, to which the boy? Creature? panicked.
"Uwahhhh! You can see me?", The boy yelped, his wings fluttering as he fell backwards.
"Yes" Shouto replied, blinking slowly in budding annoyance. Briefly, he wondered if the black middle school uniform the boy wore could get rumpled and ruined. After an instant of that, he shoved the thought away. Absolutely ridiculous. It should be of far more importance that the boy was ever so slightly see-through.
"Oh! I'm Izuku, Midoriya Izuku. I’m dead!", The answer was far too cheerful and casual, like he was talking about the weather and not his unfortunate lack of mortality. It was reassuring yet unnerving, the byproduct of far too few smiles and warm voices in his life.
"What.", Shouto deadpanned, though his eyes widened slightly. While it seemed to make some amounts of sense, the thought that this boy was dead was rather… ridiculous, to say the least. There was no way he could see a singular spirit. It was impossible, or at the very least, incredibly improbable.
"Also umm… your dad is coming in 3 seconds, keep quiet!" The boy hissed, not making any motion to move away or hide.
“Shit”, Shouto hissed, pulling up the blanket the winged figure -Izuku, he reminded himself- sat upon. Izuku fell backwards, weightless, as Shouto ducked under the covers, crawling into the futon.
Thankfully, Endeavor passed by right when Izuku said he would, not entering the room. Under the covers, Shouto looked at Izuku, whos form almost seemed to flicker as the winged being stared at the door. He wanted to talk, but Izuku put a finger over his lips. He was right, but Shouto didn’t have to like it.
This just so happened to kickstart a deathly close friendship. What it would do to their lives remained uncertain.
ENDEAVORS OF A BROKEN MAN: BONUS
Enji Todoroki walked by the bedroom Shouto lie in, only to hear a sudden shuffling of a blanket being lied down.
He paused, going to speak with his prized creation, and found himself forced to stop. Again with the strange feeling that seemed to drain him, even causing his quirk to buffer like a shitty movie of the old days.
Lately, this house had seemed strange, his body more exhausted and training sessions shorter. Along with this, his creation seemed to be growing at a faster rate, getting stronger. Unfortunately, that meant a light was returning to his eyes, a hope that would have to be crushed and broken like he had done so many times over.
That was fine. He could intensify the training, make Shouto work harder for longer, shrink his rations on food, do whatever it takes to crush any sign of defiance. Shouto would have to be absolutely perfect. He would accept no more, no less from his creation.
After all, Shouto was made for the sole purpose of defeating all might and anything else in his way. He was going to be a perfect weapon, and soon enough everyone else would know it too.
Whatever this latest issue was, it would be easily beat past. He would make absolute sure of it.