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Touya curled around himself, resting back against the outer walls of the dojo, eyeing the clock as he listened to the muted sounds of the two training inside. Flames cracked like a broken symphony, inviting Touya to join with his own fire, and how he wished his father would let him. In the months since Rei left, Endeavour made it a point to increase Shouto’s training, now that there wasn’t anyone there to stop him.
Not that she did much towards the end, Touya thought bitterly, especially for him. Cold fear clung to his mother whenever Touya was in the room, but she stopped attempting to stop him from leaving. Too afraid of what his quirk was turning into to stick around for long, Rei too abandoned him for Shouto.
Jokes on them, he thought bitterly. Touya had only gotten stronger when neither of his parents was looking.
The door burst open, Endeavour striding past him without so much as a glance in his direction. Touya quickly scrambled to his feet to chase after his father, taking three steps to Endeavour’s one. “Hey, Dad, wait up! I have something I need to show you.”
“Not now, Touya.” Endeavour continued without so much as slowing his steps. “I’m too busy to deal with you this morning.”
Touya sped up, reaching forward to grab the tail of his father’s shirt. “It will only take a minute.” He wouldn’t be ignored this time. Not this time, not when Touya had worked so hard to raise the temperature his quirk was capable of. Months of training, of burning, to get to the point where Touya knew his father couldn’t brush him away anymore. White fire licked up the heat-resistant material, making the contort as flickering blue threatened to colour the pure flames. “I said stop.”
Time froze as Endeavour ripped the fabric from his hands, pausing to examine the smoking shirt and the growing red spot that crept up Touya’s wrist. The hope that now would be the moment Endeavour spoke the words Touya would have done anything to hear came crashing down as anger, concern, and above all, disappointment flashed across his father’s face. Endeavour’s shoulders never looked so imposing as when he was walking away.
“There is nothing you have that could interest me.” Touya desperately moved to intercept him. How could someone with a fire quirk have eyes so cold?
“But Dad, I promise. You have to see what I do with my quirk now.”
Touya’s smile grew brittle. “Please.”
“As I said, nothing of interest.”
Endeavour’s slamming of the door shattered what little was left of his fragile mask as Touya felt something inside him recoil and snap. A silent scream cursed his lips. It wasn’t fair! Touya could be just as good as Shouto if only Endeavour just gave him a chance.
The heat coiled beneath his skin cried to be let loose. Touya could feel it begging just to let the control of his quirk slip. And for a brief minute, he almost listened. However, the soft sounds of footsteps behind him had his blood run cold. Touya looked over his shoulder, the strain of his grin making his cheeks sting.
Standing in the hallway, Shouto peered up at him, face blank of emotion. A bruise lined the edge of one cheek from the training session. No doubt Fuyumi would fret about it later, quick to use her quirk to soothe Shouto’s aches like how Rei used to do for Touya. It wasn’t fair. Buzzing jealousy barred out any other thought.
All his fault.
“Enjoy what you have, Shouto.” Touya craned his neck back. “While it lasts.”
Touya moved forward, not bothering to hear his youngest brother’s response. Because maybe, if he just stopped caring, the piercing, empty hole in his chest would finally stop hurting.
He didn’t ask for this. To be born everything Shouto wasn’t. All he needed was a chance. The writhing heat inside him prodded gently, tugging with an ethereal charm, to go to Sekoto Peak. With a single-minded focus, Touya answered the call.
So consumed by the need to get to the mountain, he didn’t notice Natsuo trailing behind him.
“But it’s Saturday.” Natsuo held the ball out, but Touya made no attempt to grab out for it, earning him a heartbroken look that only kids with severed expectations could give. “We always hang out Saturday.”
“Not today, Natsuo. I’m busy.” Touya sighed, reaching a hand up to ruffle Natsou’s hair. Making his younger brother give a small smile. “But hey, how about we play a game after dinner?”
“Sure, don’t be late.”
Tucking one of his hands in his jacket pocket, Touya waved a hand lazily before heading down the hallway. “Ya ya, wouldn’t dream of it.”
He could make it up to Natsuo later. Besides, if he could prove himself to Endeavour, this small sacrifice wouldn’t matter in the long run. Natsuo had to understand, they all had to understand, Touya was doing this for them. If he could be better than Shouto, Touya would have the strength to change everything.
“I know where you’re going,” Fuyumi spoke up from behind him. “Dad said you weren’t allowed to go to Sekoto anymore.”
Touya didn’t pause from tying his shoes “since when did you care?”
Fuyumi’s breath hitched, “you always come back hurt. Please don’t go.”
“You can’t stop me.” Touya finished the knot with more force than needed.
“I can call dad.” Fuyumi moved closer, stretching out a hand as if she wanted to grab onto him. To physically stop Touya from going.
“Don’t you dare, Fuyumi.” Touya’s voice didn’t sound like his own, empty and flat, but filled with lurking anger. The boiling heat of quirk rolled out in furious waves, just waiting for him to call on the flames that hid beneath the tips of his fingers. His sister took a step back, holding a hand against her chest and looking at him with wide eyes.
“Touya—”
“I’ll be back. Don’t worry so much, everything will be okay.” Touya interrupted her with an easy smile, trying to ignore the stabbing guilt. He would make it up for scaring her later. “Have some faith in your big brother.”
Fuyumi’s suspicion followed him outside. No one ever trusted him, but that could change if he only proved to everyone that he would do what needed to be done.
The cold mountain air did little to soothe the constant burning these days, but as Touya climbed higher and higher to his usual training spot, his resolve never felt stronger. Today was the day. He just knew it!
Blue burst from his palms, lacing his arms in an eerie light. Trees crumpled, and rocks popped, unable to handle the strength of his fire. Flames raging to the harmony of everything Touya had kept bottled over the years.
Are you watching Endeavour?
The air blistered as the temperature continued to increase. This was his power. More vicious and wrathful than Endeavour’s Hellfire could ever dream of being.
Touya’s flames raced with scorching, wild heat. A caged beast enjoying its newfound freedom, the blue fire turned the world around him to ash. Searing pain came and vanished just as quickly as it raced across his body. It was all Touya could do to laugh with the cataclysmic melody as he willed the flames to grow hotter.
With this, Touya knew, he could take down the number one hero.