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Enji had known prison was going to difficult as hell for him. He didn’t get a long sentence, but one at all was bad enough. He was the former Number One Hero and now he was in prison. He could be angry, spiteful, filled with disgust at the system for stripping him of his title, his life’s purpose, and his freedom, but it had admittedly been his own choices that brought him here.
A group of people was petitioning to have his name erased from any hero records, but they couldn’t take away his years at the top no matter how much they complained. Besides, they would never get anywhere with it, seeing as how they didn’t have support from any of his children. Not even Natsuo had agreed to be the face of the movement, citing a simple and harsh, “You can erase his name, but you can’t erase what he did.”
No, they couldn’t – and he couldn’t. Enji knew the comment hadn’t been for them but for him. A little bit of jail time would not undo the years of suffering he’d caused his family. As much as he hated being in here and thought he was better serving the public, he couldn’t blame anyone but himself either. Greed was often the core of a villain’s motives. In the end, he’d proven to be no better, allowing it to cloud his mind and better judgment.
So yes, he knew the two years of prison before he was up for parole would be difficult, but he didn’t realize why it was going to be so bad until he stepped into the mess hall for the first time.
Everyone stayed clear of him. Despite wearing quirk inhibitor braces, he was easily twice the size of most of the other inmates. More than a few of them would love to pick a bone with him, but they’d also been beaten by him once before. If anyone thought they could stick him between the ribs with a shiv or give him the jump in the hallway, they had another thing coming. Everyone shot him dirty looks and made jeering comments behind him, warning him to watch his back, but the first time someone tried something, he would make it very clear to everyone that it was a bad idea.
Most of the inmates didn’t even need that reminder. And then a familiar, taunting voice rang out in the room, positively cheerful despite the imprisonment.
“Would you look who it is? The great Endeavor! Or is it just Todoroki now?”
Enji closed his eyes and sighed through his nose. Out of all the prisons to be sent to, they would have placed him in the same one as his oldest son. He could’ve asked for a prison transfer upon being told, but then his son would know and think he was trying to hide from him. He wasn’t afraid of Touya – and he wasn’t afraid for him either, as he would do nothing to hurt him again – but this was going to be a taxing few years. They hadn’t lived under the same roof in quite a while.
“You see that? We’re here with a legend!” Touya was standing and put a foot on the bench of his table, leaning over to rest his forearm on his knee and grinned manically. “This man not only got away with child and spousal abuse for over two decades, but he also became the Number One Hero while he was at it! If that isn’t impressive, I don’t know what is!”
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Enji took a deep breath. This was fine. It was only natural. Touya was acting out, but this was only going to embarrass him. “Touya, is this really necessary?”
The grin somehow broadened, stretching those ugly scars and staples. “Was training me relentlessly until I passed out or injured myself to the point of hospitalization really necessary?” When Enji didn’t rise to defend himself, Touya straightened and dropped his foot down on the ground. “That’s what I thought.” He held out his hands. “Welcome to your own personal hell, Dad. I made it just for you.”
This was going to be more than taxing, wasn’t it?
*
One of the conditions for a somewhat earlier release meant regularly attending therapy. Not every inmate was allowed this opportunity, so Enji knew to appreciate it for what it was. It didn’t mean he had to like it. His parents had instilled in him that it was better to keep his emotions and thoughts to himself, except that didn’t always work because of his hotheaded nature.
He knew he had a temper. The public had known he had one and didn’t care - until they suddenly did. His lawyer said in no uncertain terms that he had to attend therapy sessions or he would not be up for parole in two years. The outrage for his actions was too high, and he needed to show complete effort in turning his behavior around and apologizing for it, even if he had already done it. The problem was that he had done those things in private, behind closed doors, both the good and the bad. He needed to publicly atone for his sins.
According to his lawyer, that meant attending these stupid therapy sessions, group and individual.
Of course, considering his own actions and a slew of psychological and emotional issues that had been splayed out for everyone to see in court, Touya had to attend them as well. Like father, like son.
“It can be difficult for us to describe our emotions, which is why music is universally popular,” the therapist explained as she set up the laptop on a fold out table. “People are able to find music that encapsulates how they feel – be it with the music itself or the lyrics – when words from their own mind fail them. A single song can empower you and validate your emotions.”
Enji tried very hard not to appear dismissive or condescending, but he didn’t quite manage it. Sitting in a chair near the back with his arms folded across his broad chest, he rolled his eyes, only to catch Touya’s when he did the same. He was also sitting with his arms folded, except he was sunk in his chair with his legs spread out so that he took up as much space possible. As soon as he realized, he unfolded his arms and pocketed his hands.
After a handful of inmates played mostly sad, mournful songs that made Enji wish he was deaf (and one inmate who played a disturbingly, ah, romantic song that was very descriptive), he was caught off guard when the therapist said, “Mr. Todoroki?” When he sat upright, she gave him an apologetic look and shook his head. “Ah, I meant, Touya.”
“That’ll do,” Touya said in a tense tone.
“Would you like to pick a song next?”
Touya stared at her. “To describe how I feel.”
“You might not be able to find a song that fits everything, but maybe something that has been on your mind? You’ve been very reticent in most of our sessions.”
Quiet, huh? He certainly hadn’t been quiet in the mess hall. Every time they crossed paths, Touya was nothing but loud, mocking, and abrasive. He might’ve tried to start a food fight at one point, but the guards swooped in before he could instigate things too much. Touya was decidedly not liked by many of the inmates, but then he’d had a habit of roasting villains. From what Enji heard from the guards, his son had been a model prisoner before his arrival.
“Yeah, I guess I can do that.” Touya stood up and lazily made his way to the computer. “I’m assuming I can pick stuff with cussing since you allowed Horny on Main to play his weird shit.”
The therapist smiled. “Anything. There are no limits here.”
Touya nodded his head and then typed in the search bar on youtube. “I’d like to dedicate this to a person who truly shaped my life. I wouldn’t be here without him.”
He hit the play button and turned around to stare directly at Enji without blinking as a very aggressive song began to play. Instead of the songs that most people had played that were supposed to give away a certain feeling, this one was incredibly direct, including classic lines like “I fucking hate you” and “Fuck you” on repeat.
Only when the song was over did Touya look away, bowing as he said, “Thanks for the opportunity. I really feel like I got something off my chest.” He strolled back to his seat, silence following his every step, and dropped back into his seat where he resumed his lackadaisical position.
“Well, uh, that was certainly...energetic and emotional.” The therapist cleared her throat. “End– Enji, would you like to pick a song?”
Enji lifted a hand from his forearm. “I’ll pass today.”
“That’s quite alright. You don’t have to share until you’re comfortable.”
So never, right? Yeah, if his lawyer found out about that, she’d be furious. If there was one thing he hated dealing with more than therapists, it was definitely lawyers. This was a nightmare and only one week had passed since he arrived.
*
The next week passed by with only a few minor incidents. Three inmates did try to jump him and were promptly dealt with by Enji before the guards arrived. They were only slightly apologetic for being slow on the uptake, but he didn’t particularly care. He knew that the authorities have a love/hate relationship with heroes, and his case is even more prone to conflicting and volatile thoughts. He wouldn’t be the most loved inmate in here, but he didn’t mind that. He never wanted to be loved as a hero (and apparently not as a father either), so any hatred directed towards him here was nothing.
Touya’s hatred was not nothing. It was a burning bonfire with the smoke signals to boot.
After the attack, no one even looked at him twice for the next few days. It was curious, but he didn’t think much of it. Maybe they got the hint to leave him alone. Some people needed an example, and he didn’t mind providing one.
What he did not expect was to find out that a rumor had been passed around that he wasn’t to be touched. It was a strange rumor, but it didn’t exactly feel comforting or meant for his safety when Touya continued to wear that manic smirk on his face whenever they met eyes in the mess hall. It took another few days and some hard questioning before the inmate in the cell next to him admitted that Touya had been the one to start the rumor.
According to him, Touya had made it very clear: “If anyone is gonna off Endeavor, it’s gonna be me, so back the fuck off, or I’ll break your goddamn neck.” His son had always burned passionately, even in the moments where he was as muted and lazy as possible. It was at least nice to see that he still had a bit of ambition Enji was certain he’d burned out of him years ago.
Enji wanted to tell Touya that he’d done his job. He’d taken down the Number One Hero, just like Enji had had him for. Sure, it hadn’t been in the way he’d originally envisioned, but he’d done it. His splashy reappearance in the League as Dabi and the reveal of his identity could’ve ruined him, but his arrest and subsequent trial eviscerated Endeavor’s name and career. There was no room in the world for a man like him to be a hero, much less out on the street. He was done for. Touya won.
It must not have satisfied him because Touya still prowled the prison like a wolf. Then again, Enji had raised him that way.
A tray of mushed up food dropped on the table in front of him, pulling him out of his thoughts. Other inmates would’ve flinched at the sudden intrusion in a place as open as this, the action considered a threat, but not Enji. He’d fared much worse than a tray of shitty prison food. He didn’t care about it. What he was mostly interested in were the sharp pieces of metal obviously poking out of the food.
“Hey, pops,” Touya greeted.
Enji took a breath and raised his eyes. “Touya.”
“Guess what day it is?”
It wasn’t either of their birthdays or anyone in their family. It wasn’t even All Might’s. As far as he knew, there wasn’t an anniversary of any special day or some awful event. Contrary to what Touya might believe, Enji had remembered all of those days. He knew when Natsuo was born. He remembered Touya and Fuyumi’s births. He knew the exact day he and Rei signed the papers to be officially married. Just because he never acknowledged them did not mean he didn’t know them. It might’ve been better if he had forgotten so the actions of ignoring them weren’t intentional.
“What day is it?” Enji asked.
Touya grinned cheekily. “It’s Parents’ Day – you know, the holiday in which we children celebrate our dear old dads and moms.”
Enji had never understood the appeal of random days like this. There were far too many to account. Parents’ Day he’d at least heard of because he had four children. When they were younger, the kids would fawn over Rei on this day. One day, he even let Touya off training. Granted, it had been because his injuries were too great for him to train, but it was the thought that counted.
“And?” Enji asked, already knowing where this was going.
“Well, we never properly celebrated it when I was a wee lad, so I thought what better way to celebrate it than here now that we’ve been so fortuitously brought together again?” Touya gestured to the pile of shit food lying in front of him next to his actual tray of food. It was like he’d gone out of his way to find the grossest-looking food to serve, the rice little more than mush and sauce poured all over it. “Most kids bake something for their parents, but I’m a little limited on what I can do here. Still, I hope you enjoy what I made you. After all, I want to be the best son possible.”
Propping his elbow on the table, Enji rubbed his temple with two fingers. “Aren’t you laying this on a little thick?”
“Am I?” Touya asked thoughtfully. “I’m just trying to rebuild a burnt bridge here. Make amends. Be a part of the family again. That’s what my therapist keeps suggesting.”
“Then talk to your brothers and sister. Call your mother.”
Touya’s grin turned into something close to a soft smile, but the arrogance in his eyes was unfathomable. Was this how he had looked to other people? “Oh, I am. One of them visits once a week. There’s even talk of Mom leaving the hospital to come for a visit. Crazy, isn’t it? She hasn’t been out of the hospital in… Gee, how long has it been since you locked her up?”
Enji couldn’t deny the way his heart skipped a beat at his response. He should be happy for Touya – and he was. After all the years he kept Touya away from his siblings, after the way he ruined his relationship with his mother, after how distant he’d turned Touya and Shouto to the point where Shouto had barely been able to remember his oldest brother, he deserved to reconnect with them. He should. It was what he needed in his life. Enji had at least had that chance before now.
Still, he was a little...off-put to realize they had been in this prison to visit Touya and had not once tried to or said anything about visiting him.
“Jealous?” Touya asked, sounding genuinely curious despite the smug look.
“No, I’m...grateful,” Enji settled on.
Touya snorted. “Figures.” He shook his head. “Enjoy your Parents’ Day gift, old man. I’d give you a few scars to match the ones you gave me, but hey, I guess I did that already.”
And then he walked away and out of the room. Enji wasn’t even sure he’d eaten lunch or if he’d wasted his meal on this “gift”. Touya was spiteful and petty enough to go hungry if it meant pissing him off. He’d done it a few times back at home, not eating so that he passed out unexpectedly early on in the middle of training because his body simply didn’t have it in him to go on.
He wouldn’t pass out here, but his quirk must have been eating away at him. Even with the braces on, they would need to allow him to release the energy built up by his quirk every now and then. If they didn’t, he’d need to suggest it to them. Maybe he didn’t have the same pull that he did before, but it was important to him that Touya wasn't ignored.
*
“This might sound strange, but… I wanted to thank you.”
Enji furrowed his brow as he stared down his therapist. Instead of one of her usual group therapy things that he was subjected to, they were having a one-on-one session. He wasn’t sure which one he disliked more. There was no way in hell he wanted to talk about his feelings in a group scenario, especially since Touya was there half the time, but on the other hand, only being with her made it much more difficult to avoid talking. She pried it out of him whether he liked it or not, although he knew he wasn’t giving nearly as much as she would’ve liked.
“Why?” he demanded.
The therapist smiled politely. “It might not seem like it to you, but since your arrival, Touya has been a lot more forthcoming with how he feels.” Well, that was interesting, but he didn’t know how it pertained to him and why it was a good thing. Of course he was more open. It allowed him to openly mock his father in multiple attempts to humiliate him. “He barely talked in sessions before, not even one-on-ones. It was like he didn’t care what happened to him. I honestly found it sad. He has little self-worth, which is…”
“Evident by the self-inflicted scars,” Enji finished for her.
“Yes,” the therapist confirmed. “Naturally, there were fears that they...weren’t, but he was very insistent that he did them himself.”
“You must think very lowly of me,” Enji said. “Is it not a conflict of interest to treat us both?”
“You’re both my patients,” the therapist said, “and I care about the well-being and progress of you both. Was I wary of taking you on as well? Yes, but mostly because I was concerned Touya would freeze up and refuse to talk to me if I did. He’s actually become more open in group and individual sessions.”
“Should you be talking with me about this?”
The therapist tilted her head. “You’re rather protective of him despite his antagonistic behavior towards you.” She shrugged her shoulders when he didn’t respond. “I know half of the time he’s lashing out to either get a response or humiliate you in the group sessions, but it’s more than I ever had before. He was so out of it that I feared they drugged him into submission, but he was simply unresponsive. This has given him a breath of life, even if it’s one born out of pettiness. It pushed him forward.”
Enji swallowed and nodded. Out of all the times he’d tried to push Touya forward, all it had taken was him going to jail. “That’s...good. It’s good. He needs – no, he deserves a space where he is free and feels comfortable to talk about how he feels. He never got that when he was younger. Admittedly, I didn’t give him those opportunities before.”
“And it’s good that you’re acknowledging that.”
“The only emotion I truly accepted from him was anger because I thought it strengthened his quirk,” Enji continued, thinking back on those moments. He’d always been so pleased when Touya lashed out during training sessions, even if it damaged the training room. Touya’s quirk was so wild and volatile and tied to his emotions half the time. He’d mistakenly believed rage would make him stronger. Instead, that rage had swallowed him whole. “I was wrong.”
“That’s the first step.”
“To what?”
“To forgiving yourself.”
Enji wasn’t so sure he wanted to do that. He didn’t think Touya would like it either, but if it helped Touya forgive himself, he would do anything.