Chapter Text
White-hot pain burst throughout his entire body all at once, blackening his vision and igniting a high-pitched ringing in his ears. He was completely disoriented and left to writhe on the cold, wet ground.
“SHOTO!”
The sound of his name in the form of a blood-curdling cry was loud enough to help him regain some sense of clarity through his agony. His eyes snapped open, greeting him with bright flashes of green, smoke, and explosions from the entrance of the alleyway he was blown into.
Right- His friends were still fighting. It was nighttime, but the street lights ahead were far too bright for his aching head. It pounded in protest. Everything hurt, but his friends were in trouble. He needed to get up- to help them. They weren’t done.
He sucked in a breath through clenched teeth. He couldn’t even pinpoint where the pain was worse but trying to move felt like someone had stabbed him with a sword vertically from the top of his head, down to his stomach. He gasped and went slack against the asphalt, losing the battle. He couldn’t help the other two finish the fight like this.
Cold rain pelted down relentlessly from above. It splashed against the side of his head, rolled down his face, and dripped off the tip of his nose. He was on his back with his head turned towards the opening of the alleyway, his left cheek squished against the floor. He couldn’t see what was wrong with him, couldn’t see any blood from his position, but he knew he was severely injured based on the pain alone.
They had been fighting a couple of villains- some guy with a super-strength quirk, and the other guy who could manipulate metal. He couldn’t remember what they looked like anymore even if he tried. The last he remembered was Midoriya got knocked down, and in that same second a metal spear was hurling at the boy. Todoroki jumped in front of him quickly, how he ended up getting thrown into the alleyway was still unclear to him. It was all starting to become a faded memory now because he could feel and think about was his current misery. This was his life now.
“TODOROKI!”
That same voice that brought him back to lucidity now rang closer.
Rapid thumps sounded ahead, and he looked over blearily. His vision was still obscured. He wasn’t sure if it was just because it was nighttime and raining, or if he just hit his head so hard it resulted in injury to his sight. Regardless, he could feel his fragile consciousness slipping away as the pain worsened with each second. He stared ahead with half-lilted eyelids, hoping that if someone were to help him, they’d do it soon.
Then he felt fingers on his neck, pressing hard into the skin right under his jaw.
“Oh– thank God!” The hand moved away and began to grab the first aid canisters on his utility belt. “We’re gonna get you help, just hang in there.”
Todoroki recognized that voice anywhere.
“M’do’riya,” he murmured.
“You’re awake?! Oh my God-” Midoriya gasped. Todoroki watched as the streak of green in front of him turned back and began shouting. He blinked manually. He felt lethargic. It felt as if every second was a minute. How much longer would he have to lay here?
A flash of stabbing pain rendered him senseless. It was coming from his upper right leg in the form of heavy pressure as if someone was pushing it down into the earth with all of their strength. In his misery, he cried out and tried pulling himself away, but he was too weak to fight the heavy object holding him in place. It was too much. He felt like he couldn’t breathe.
“Sorry! I’m sorry! I know it hurts, but I have to–”
Midoriya’s voice faded out as sharp, high-pitched rings echoed throughout his head again, vibrating inside of his skull, against his eardrums. He felt delirious and the world spun above him. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to keep his growing nausea at bay.
Once it died down a little, he adjusted just enough to be able to look at his body, suddenly curious about his condition. A hand on his chin stopped him from furthering at the last second.
“No, wait!” He was gently guided back to where his head had laid just seconds ago.
“Don’t look.”
Todoroki let out a shallow exhale, only complying because he had no energy left within him to be stubborn. Then the pain in his thigh returned relentlessly.
“St-op,” He sputtered, unsure if he was audible enough for Midoriya to hear his plea.
Before he could beg again, Todoroki heard more footsteps approaching rapidly. Someone was running down the alley.
“Holy fuck. Is he alive?”
Gloved hands were on him. They were wet with rainwater and he could feel them checking his pulse, pushing his bangs back, and wiping blood off his mouth. They didn’t belong to Midoriya. He was more gentle. These hands were larger and more abrasive, but they weren't hurting him. It must’ve been Bakugo, then. They were probably battling villains together, but he couldn’t remember for sure, anymore. Plus, Midoriya was the one near his leg, torturing him. He wanted it to stop- he wanted to ask them to give him a minute, but Midoriya wouldn’t hurt him on purpose. He knew that without a doubt. Regardless, it was hell.
Todoroki could vaguely hear the two talking back and forth to each other and tried to ground himself by listening.
“He jumped in front of me...”
“I know, he’s a fucking idiot!”
He really didn’t feel good. He needed to tell them something right now.
“M’dor’ya-” He whimpered, but his breath hitched when he tasted blood coat over his tongue. He struggled to lift his arm to cover his mouth while the metallic taste bubbled in the back of his throat. When he tried taking in a small breath, he choked, sputtering red all over his face, and the ground in front of him.
“Shit!”
A hand was on his shoulder in an instant, snaking behind and supporting his upper body weight. It eased him up, then leaned him over to the side. Every cough sparked utter agony through his entire body, especially his midsection. Todoroki nearly passed out right then. Instead, he fell limp in the arms of whoever was holding him up, too weak to care about his dignity.
“Todoroki!–“
There was a palm against the back of his head now, dug under his hair and Todoroki groaned. The fingers felt around his scalp, tracing along a particularly sensitive area and his vision went black and he convulsed when the hand pressed down.
“Holy fuck.” Bakugo’s hold on him got tighter, keeping him secure.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“The back of his fucking head– look.”
The hand moved away from the spot, much to Todoroki’s relief. It trailed down and fingers wrapped around the back of his neck, supporting some of the weight of his head. They pushed and tilted him down, and his forehead rested against Bakugo’s bicep. He heard Midoriya gasp and Todoroki wanted to look up to see what happened, but he was stuck in place. There was no way he could lift his own head without help.
“Head injuries bleed a lot, right? Maybe it looks worse than it really is…”
“Unless he cracked his damn skull. He could have a brain injury if that's the case. I know this hurts like hell when I touch it, though. I’m surprised he’s conscious.”
“Shit,” Midoriya said, and Todoroki realized he’s never heard that word come out of Midoriya's mouth until now. He almost chuckled because of how foreign it sounded, but the situation was serious. It wasn’t that funny, actually. To be honest, he was pretty scared.
“Is there a cut on his back, maybe some of that blood is from other injuries?”
He felt someone fiddling with his shirt, ripping open from wherever it was already torn and he shivered when his exposed skin was pelted with rain.
The two continued talking and he found it getting harder to stay lucid.
“You with us, Halfie?” A hand tapped his cheek a couple of times and he stirred, forcing his eyes back open, and was greeted with flashing white stars dancing along his vision in front of the colors black and orange. His throat was attacked again by the bile and blood, and he coughed once, then twice as he tried to breathe out of his mouth, trying to dislodge the blockage.
“This is so fucking bad,” Bakugo grunted as he tried lifting Todoroki’s head.
“Be careful moving him!”
“No shit! I don’t want to move him if I don’t have to but he’s choking on his own blood. He can’t cough it out in this position.”
“I know! I– the ambulance is on its way, but–”
The voices faded out, and the ringing returned. His senses were dulled. the pain was growing in intensity and his taste was just fine. His mouth felt full of blood, and he swallowed it subconsciously. The iron flavor gliding down his throat only worsened his already ruthless nausea. How bad was he hurt, anyway? He knew he shouldn’t have blood in his mouth unless he bit his tongue, but his tongue felt normal. His teeth felt like they were intact. Maybe he was bleeding internally.
Morbid curiosity was getting the best of him.
He was set back down very slowly and he braced himself for a moment before shifting slightly to peek at the damage before anyone could stop him, and this time he felt bile come up rapidly.
There was a sharp metal rod lodged in his abdomen, sticking out by about 5 inches and he had no clue how much of it was buried inside of him, but it was jagged and thick and blood oozed out around it. However, the same could not be said about the injury on his thigh, which was probably around the same diameter, but there was nothing lodged in it to slow the bleeding. If Todoroki’s vision wasn’t so foggy he could probably see the exposed muscle easier. His eyes flicked over and watched as Midoriya ripped off part of his shirt with trembling hands Bakugo helped pack it in the injury, then tie it around tightly to secure it. They were working fast, it was disorienting.
He looked a bit further and saw that his ankle was twisted at a 90-degree angle. though his leg was straight. It must’ve been broken, and he hadn’t even noticed that injury but now that he knew it was there, he could feel the intense throb radiating off of it.
He then looked at his arms and noticed they were covered in scrapes and gashes where the fabric of his hero costume had been ripped. Who knew what it looked like underneath everything. He had no idea what his head or back looked like but based on how he felt, it couldn’t be any good either.
“Todoroki!” Bakugo exclaimed, and his eyes shot up to catch the blond staring right at him. He looked panicked, and Todoroki realized he had never seen that face on him before, but he doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to forget it. Midoriya’s head whipped up in response to Bakugo’s reaction, and he gasped.
“Todoroki! Stop looking!”
A hand guided his head back down but the damage had already been done.
“Wait, he’s gonna throw up.”
How did Bakugo know that?
There were hands on his shoulders again, and he was being put in the position he was in just moments ago.
Todoroki felt his stomach flip before he began vomiting bile and blood. Bakugo supported his weight the entire time, though the position was awkward and uncomfortable. Moving him was dangerous but given the circumstances, they didn’t have many options. He couldn’t tell if he missed and had been throwing up on himself or Bakugo the whole time. If it was the latter, he didn’t seem to care.
Through his suffering, the only solace he could grasp onto was the sensation of someone gently rubbing his back. He could almost say it was pleasant if this entire situation wasn’t a total nightmare. Todoroki was sure he was dying now. Each gag sent him closer and closer to death's door. He felt like he was being ripped apart.
“Where the fuck is the ambulance?!”
Once he was no longer throwing up, he let the excess blood drool out of his mouth as he panted out tired breaths and stifled groans. He didn’t dare move, and Bakugo didn’t set him back down this time.
If someone would have told him that one day, he’d be cradled in Bakugo’s arms, he’d have had a hard time believing them. Maybe he’d even find it funny. But Bakugo’s changed a lot since he first met him. Come to think of it, Midoriya has too. They both made Todoroki a better person.
He was very grateful for both of them.
“He won’t last if we wait much longer. We need to do something.”
“You think he can cauterize himself?”
“Kacchan– He– I don’t know if that’s a good idea. He could pass out.”
“Well, he can’t lose more blood. He’s so out of it look at him!” Bakugo just barely shook him. Todoroki whined in response.
“I know! Our options are so limited right now. You said he could have a brain injury, right? If he passes out while cauterizing then what?! He would d-”
Todoroki’s head was pounding, and the more they spoke the worse it got. They were right though. He wasn’t going to live much longer if they didn’t do something now. He was losing too much blood and it was hard to keep his eyes open.
Without really thinking, he moved his hands weakly toward the rod in his midsection. “It hurt’s.“ He wanted it out. At least then he could at least die faster.
“Do not take that out!” Bakugo shouted.
“I kn-ow. ‘m not st’pid.” He retorted breathlessly, side-eyeing the blond.
“Obviously, you kinda are! Look at what happened to you!” Bakugo’s voice cracked at the end of his sentence, and from this proximity, Todoroki could hear the whispered curse that followed.
“Kacchan that’s not his fault!” Midoriya’s voice was watery, but he was back to pressing down on Todoroki’s thigh. At the same time, Bakugo clutched the back of his head, placing flat pressure against his wound. Todoroki cried out. His hands tightened around Bakugo’s side, squeezing whatever fabric of the other’s hero costume he could, along with some skin. His nails dug in but the pressure didn’t let up.
“I know that! I’m just saying th–“
Both boys sounded upset. They wouldn’t be crying like this if it wasn’t a dire situation, he knew that. The motivation to stay awake for their sakes was diminishing as the pain continued. He’d rather be asleep and not feel it at all.
He needed to tell them something first.
At least give them some sort of closure, just in case.
“Guys.“ He breathed, cutting off their banter. Both boys looked at him immediately, and Todoroki stared at them for a moment, trying to find their eyes but they were shadowed and blurry. The moon and street lamps above were the only sources of light.
Maybe it was for the best that he couldn’t see their grief that well, that way he could say everything he needed to without crying as well.
“I– I’m so grateful for the both of you.“
“Shut the fuck up!“
“Shoto–”
He grimaced. Their voices sounded panicked and heartbroken. He kinda wished the ringing in his ears would come back, so he didn’t have to hear how hard this was on them. They didn’t deserve this.
“Todoroki– don’t fucking... Just shut up! We’re getting help, you’re gonna make it out of here, just wait a couple more fucking minutes. You’re fine!”
Todoroki let out a weak exhale, before continuing. “I’m glad we all got to be f-friends, you both helped me b’come a b-etter person.” He spoke slowly, struggling with each word but doing his best to sound as clear as he could. He could hear Midoriya choke out a sob, and Todoroki was abruptly welcomed with damp green hair against his cheek, as arms wrapped around his shoulders and neck, holding him tightly, forcing Bakugo closer as well.
Bakugo was already holding him up with an arm behind his shoulders, and the hand on his head never moved away, if anything it pressed harder, and the body heat from the blond inched closer. Despite the cold rain and blood loss, he felt very warm.
“You’re not fucking dying if I’m here. We just need to wait for the ambulance.”
Todoroki felt too weak to hug either one of them back properly, but he relished in the comfort while he could.
“Don’t close your eyes, please.” Someone tapped his shoulder urgently, and he felt Midoriya pull away. He didn’t realize he was closing his eyes in the first place, but he forced them open, as he was told, and swallowed another thick coat of blood.
“Fuyumi’s gonna be so sad.”
“No, the fuck she isn’t because you’re gonna be fine.”
“And my mom…” He murmured, disregarding what Bakugo said. “She’s g’nna be heartbroken. I- I still have a letter for her on my d-desk. One of you need to g've it to 'er"
Someone grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly and he tried returning the touch with whatever strength he had. That’s when he noticed that the overwhelming pain was starting to fade, and for a second he felt like he was going to be just fine until the ambulance arrived, maybe he wouldn’t have to say goodbye after all. But maybe the numbness was bad because he knew he was mortally injured, he shouldn't be feeling like he was floating. When he looked down, he could see more blood than he could see the color of anyone's clothing. It was stained everywhere, the rain couldn't wash it away fast enough.
“I love you guys.” His voice was strained in a sudden onslaught of raw emotion. He heard Midoriya sob loudly, and from the corner of his eye, he watched the boy fold over himself.
“We love you too, Todoroki, you just need to hang in there a little longer, okay?”
“C'mon Icy-Hot. Don't do this to us. I know that stupid fucking ambulance is taking too long but hold on. You’re gonna give your mom that letter yourself. Hey! Are you listening?” Bakugo said sternly, giving Todoroki a weak shove when he started spacing out.
Bakugo still didn’t move his hand from Todoroki’s head, probably because he couldn’t without consequences. Midoriya moved back up and was putting pressure on the wound in his thigh again, muttering panicked sentences too fast for Todoroki to comprehend in his state. He was overwhelmed in pain again, just when he thought it was over. His vision grew dark at the corners.
He couldn’t hold on any longer. He’d already stayed as long as he could.
“We…. cauterize … can’t because …”
“What… just…’tting pressure?”
“My quirk …. heat …’nt hot ‘nough”
Someone shook his shoulder. “Please, keep your eyes open! Just a little longer. Please.”
Todoroki blinked, but even that wasn't enough because his eyes rolled back into his head.
“Kacchan, He can’t– he’s–”
“Fuck, fuck!”
The tapping on his cheek became frantic. The voices were fading. He licked his cracked lips and blinked hard, forcing his eyes to focus and he looked forward one last time, seeing both of his friends crying, looking at him, and touching his face. Their mouths were moving, and he couldn’t tell if they were asking him a question, but he didn’t care. His eyes then drifted to look at the other end of the alleyway, it looked so quiet out in the street straight ahead. There were no people, no cars. Just the silent, rainy night, all by itself.
His vision clouded then, and he saw a green smudge stand up quickly and run towards the entrance. Flashes of blue and red, feet rushing towards him, more tapping on his face, as well as his shoulder, hands feeling his neck. As bad as he felt for causing his best friends this grief, he didn’t regret it.
He was at peace.