Chapter Text
Cold wind sifted its way through 10-year-old Enji Todoroki's hair, shivering and sniffling. His father, Daichi Todoroki a tall sturdy man with kind, big brown eyes paired with short messy crimson hair; playfully shoved his beanie onto his son's head (who had previously insisted he didn’t need one), covering his eyes for Enji to adjust the beanie for his vision, giving his father a pouted look, which made Daichi chuckle. "How's ya school going kid?" Daichi decided to break the comfortable silence
"Boring" Enji said, offering up as little of an answer as possible.
His father snorts "Not in the talking mood huh, Ponky?" Enji hated that name his father gave him, he never knew what it meant, but he hated it. The boy turned away from Daichi.
The two walk the snowy streets of downtown Musutafu in the peak of winter, their steps synchronized even despite Enji's current mood with his father. Because he does look up to his dad, he could always put a smile on people's faces, well, by people he mostly means his mothers, who found his goofy nature to be the most amusing thing known to man, yeah, he's cool . 'Even if he always takes it upon himself to break silence'. "So, you wanna tell me what's actually been happening at school, Enji?"
Enji hesitated for a moment "I already told you, it's just boring, same old uninspiring stuff"
"Then why dont'cha make some friends dumby? You know that's like half the point of school, right? And I don't mean acquaintances that you sometimes talk to, like actual friends like what you used to have"
"Dad, I just ... don't care about that stuff, friends or no friends it's fine, plus, no one in my class has anything in common with me, they don't think the same way I do"
"Well, aren't you just a choosy little bastard huh? Have it your way Ponky, you'll come around, just cause’ you're the tallest kid in the class and got a deeper voice don't make you the king now does it?"
Enji lets out a "Hmph" before speeding up his walking pace to be in front of his father. Daichi shakes his head and smiles ‘Looks like it’s someone's time of the month’
The pair walk into a convenience store, "Right kid, your mother wants more bread and jam, so shoo" with his father giving Enji a light shove. His son reluctantly makes his way down the first aisle adjacent to the cash register where the bread is located.
"Yo, Takasu!"
A skinny, short, sickly man in his 30s behind the register responds "Daichi! Mate, I can't believe that fuckin' dark horse shit the warriors pulled out of their ass last night!" Enji rolled his eyes. Daichi's face lights up at his friend's remark, quick with a response "Surely they would've been out for the season-”
Enji's mind slips back into reality.
A cold, cruel reality. Rain drips down the young boy's neck sending a shiver that courses through his nervous system, his hands trembling, his entire body unable to react to what he just saw. There were hundreds of people around him, kept by a gate put up by authority figures, what lay beyond that gate was a building that had crumbled to the floor, but it wasn't the building that was Enji's focus or anyone else’s - It was the man. The man on a stretcher, covered by a white sheet, the only thing visible to the crowd was this man's hand peeking out from the sheet. Bloodied. Broken. Scarred. Lifeless.
Enji's breathing had gone haywire, yet his body remained still, even his eyes were unblinking, in the face of what no son should ever have to go through at such a young age. It shouldn't be this way, but it is, Karma should be a factor, but sometimes it isn't - No because sometimes, this is just the way life is, the way things worked in this world that was less than fair. Daichi Todoroki was a man who stood strong in the face of reality, a man who always stood up and fought for himself and others, a man who had faced hardship after hardship - I mean shit, that's how he died; protecting a little girl from a villain, but as luck would have it, both he and the girl died, and the villain? Well, the villain had escaped.
Enji had seen everything, the way his father selflessly threw himself into a situation he wasn't sure he could win to save someone he didn’t know. But that's just the way they say it is for some people, their legs move before they have a chance to think. That day is patchy in Enji's mind. He remembers the moment his father ran, the moment afterward with his hand dangling from the stretcher, his mom, who at the time was 6 months pregnant, holding Enji all night crying. He remembers looking up at his mom's tear-stained cheeks with a genuine question that had been troubling his mind the whole day
"Mom... What are you supposed to do when there's something you could've done, but didn't, and then the bad things happen because you didn't?"
All his mother had done was grip him tighter with that question. Back then, that's not what he wanted her to do, he wanted to know what he could do then to make it better, to ease the pain, he supposed he just had to find that answer to the question himself.
He remembers looking up at the cloudy, night sky and feeling only one thing: regret. Regret that he had not tried to talk to his father more, listen to him more, spend more time with him; regret that he had not tried to aid his father with the powerful fire quirk he was gifted with. Maybe if he had run to help his father, burnt the villain to a crisp, saving his father and the little girl and getting the villain arrested; but no, he had just stood there, completely frozen. Enji would never let go of that feeling of regret, not for as long as he lived, it's what drove him to become a pro hero, to save people, to fight crime, to be the best, the indisputable best that no one would be able to reach, so powerful that not he or anyone else had to get injured and die.
And that brought us to the present day.
Endeavor, Real name: Enji Todoroki, Age: 29, Status: Number 2 Pro Hero.
Enji Todoroki, standing at 6'5" with a wide, muscular build, and strong jawline - dressed in a specially tailored suit that was second to none, sporting a navy-blue tie that matched his cold blue eyes. The Pro Hero was making his way down the streets of Musutafu in the warmth of a September night. He'd been thinking about death a lot that day. What it does to people, how it changes you, how it molds you. He'd been thinking about death because that day was not like any other. Because this day was the funeral of Hisashi Midoriya, his sworn friend. Midoriya was a Hero Support Technician, a position that needed a great mind and dedication. He was a man with ideas, with passion and vigor, and ... A bit of a trickster
[2 years ago]
Hisashi and Endeavor had gotten into the same elevator, Endeavor faced Hisashi to find a horribly drawn mustache using red, orange, and yellow. Hisashi silently looked at Endeavor, pausing for a moment.
"You know what they say about great minds and thinking alike, right Todoroki?"
Hisashi blankly looked at Endeavor's flaming beard, Endeavor looked back at Hisashi to see the man holding back his laughter as much as humanly possible; Endeavor let out a small exhale and smirk "Imitation is a form of flattery, Midoriya" they both laughed, well, Enji let out a small chuckle and Hisashi ended up wheezing and violently slapping his knees.
[4 years ago]
"And Hinata, for you I designed these impact absorption boots that will not only absorb most of the impact of your fall but store up kinetic energy allowing you to jump higher as well! OH YEAH! I almost forgot, Togase, these mean green circlets are going to stabilize your body if you put them on your limbs when you're spinning! And- And-”
Todoroki watched from afar as Midoriya, the freelancer Hero Support Technician showered his sidekicks in upgrades to their costumes, he had only seen them in action once and 2 weeks later he'd come back with several amazing items that improved the prowess of his sidekicks hero ability. Midoriya was a master of his craft, and that's what he liked about Hisashi Midoriya 'Even if he is a little jokey for my tastes'.
[Present]
It was as good as any funeral can get, there were jokes thrown around, tears shed, and hearts poured out. The usual . But the death of Midoriya left an uneasiness in the stomach of the Number 2 Hero Endeavor, that he just couldn't shake. Fresh out of the church, Enji, who was left all by himself to attend the funeral due to his wife Rei, and son Toya being bedridden sick from a virus they caught a few days prior; Natsuo is a toddler being taken care of by their nanny, and Fuyumi opting to stay home to take care of her sick family, 'Fuyumi is sweet like that'. Todoroki took a few steps, walking slowly and quietly down a footpath that was showing its old age; Enji was just, thinking, ever so much.
Breathe in through the nose
And breathe out through the mouth
Enji kept walking, everything around him was a blur in the face of his heavy thoughts, everything until...
He stops.
Todoroki's eyes widen as he scans the area, his hands tremble. They hadn't done that in a while. His breathing exercises had gone to waste. Enji clenched his fist.
Because this area was the same block of downtown Musutafu that he grew up on.
"Shit."
Enji's eyes lock on a certain building and he hesitantly makes his way inside. A bell dings as the hulking, well-dressed, crimsonette locks eyes with a familiar face, a man; a man dressed in an oversized black and blue hooded flannel and olive cargo shorts, his face showing some wrinkles, his hair fully grey reaching down past his shoulders, yet sporting youthful hazel eyes. This man was known to Enji as Takasu.
Both of them pause for a second before the dumbfounded Takasu opens his mouth -
"TODOROKI!?"
"Good evening, Takasu, it's been a while."
"Jesus, kid, 11 years and you haven't even thought about this place, complete and utter betrayal I'll say!"
Enji offers a half-smile at the friend of his late father. Takasu leans on the counter with one hand placed on his cheek supporting his head, his face painted with a bored, yet curious look. "So big man, how's life goin' for ya? Got yourself a wife and kids yet?" Enji's eyelids fall halfway, his smile disappears, things not unnoticed by Takasu, he didn't look angry, no; the face Enji Todoroki made was one Takasu could only identify as hurt .
Before Enji can answer the question, Takasu follows up with another "Looks like you got yourself some nerves that need calming" he flashes a pack of cigarettes in his hands and Enji pauses hesitantly, but nods.
"AYANE, TAKE OVER THE COUNTER" A younger woman who somewhat resembles Takasu bursts out of the back, bellowing back at her co-worker:
"MY BREAK ISN'T OVER FUCKFACE!" Takasu, a man in his 60s, yet still owning a spirit ever so young, rushes Enji out of the store while whistling loudly to shadow over Ayane's brash insults.
Takasu and Todoroki lean against the adjacent building to the convenience store. Takasu hands the son of his old friend a cigarette, with Todoroki promptly lighting it with his finger "Ho Ho, neat trick, now me" Enji complies and lights Takasu's cigarette as well. The pair take a puff from their respective cigarette and stand in silence, a gush of cool wind blowing over them in contrast to the heat of the sun.
"Something is botherin' ya, Todoroki, you don't hafta' bore me with the details if you don't wanna, but even if you cover the surface stuff, just talkin' about it helps y'know?" Takasu looks at Enji with a concerned, yet stern look. Enji looks up at the sky to think for a moment, blowing out the smoke from his cigarette as he does.
"To answer your previous question, I do, I have a beautiful wife: Rei, and she has bore me 3 children – And every one of them reminds me a little bit of me, it's scary, to say the least. The eldest has a fire quirk more powerful than mine, but he lacks resistance to fire and burns himself every time he uses it; even so, he wants to be a pro hero so badly, and it greatly pains me to be frank." Enji is hesitant to share further, but he looks down at Takasu who is listening intently - this is a man whom his father trusted, Enji sees no reason why he shouldn't do the same.
"I just came from a funeral, the funeral of a friend who I held a great respect for despite our differences. It got me thinking about the whole concept of death, the death of my father-" Enji sees Takasu's fist clench out of the corner of his eye "-and my mother's. I started thinking about my own goals, my goals that once felt close and simple to reach, they now feel an eternity away. And there's nothing I can do but keep reaching for a sense of hope, a sense of hope that in the end, may not even come through."
Takasu ponders for a moment, looking up at the Number 2 Hero, someone who was known by the public as a person who was always winning against villains and taking down crime, but someone who now only seemed vulnerable.
"I'm not sure what to say to that y'know. In my educated opinion, that sounds pretty shitty, sorry ya gotta go through those things, Todoroki" Takasu stands up straight and looks the Number 2 Hero straight on.
"Look I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed mate, but if you keep putting in the work, there's no way that nothing good ain't gonna come out of it, you just gotta keep going"
Takasu yawns and throws Todoroki the pack of cigarettes, "It's on the house. Now I better get back in there, more time out here is more time I'm getting my ass beat in by my crazy-ass sister"
Takasu walks back into his store, waving at the crimson-haired hero "See-ya in 11 years Enji" Enji sees him chuckle at his remark before slipping back into the store. Endeavor continued down the rough path, literally, and figuratively. His brain is in a civil war with itself.
'You just gotta keep going huh? Words are just that, words.' 'But he's right, no point in giving up' 'Keep going? How? I need a win, I need a goddamn win' 'STOP'
Enji smacks his palms against his temples to stop his thoughts and sits down on a bench outside a town library. Because there he was, Enji Todoroki, a man who had the world against him no matter how much effort he put it in, a world that had left him with a powerful quirk in a body with a mind that had cracks forming every passing year, because every year was a year where he was inferior to All Might, every year was a year where his parents are dead, every year was a year where he can't get a child with the right quirk, every year, every year despite taking down the most crime out of any other individual in Japan, every fucking year, Enji Todoroki felt he was losing . Enji leans back against the bench and now looks up to the sky, clouds painted in a light pink color, the sunset was unseen. The Flame Hero closes his eyes.
For the first time that day, his mind goes blank. Quiet.
The birds are still chirping.
The breeze is still blowing.
The streets are still bustling
The warmth of the sun is fading.
But peace is always only temporary, Todoroki knew this well. After some minutes pass, he forces himself up and keeps walking. There was another place he needed to visit. If it had been any other day he wouldn’t have, if only, if only it had been another day.
...
[50 minutes later]
...
A new low has been set for the Pro Hero. drinking his troubles away at a low-life bar on the south side of Musutafu. He'd found his way there almost completely on autopilot, it was a bar his parents would often go to celebrate whatever it was they were celebrating; they were people who appreciated the small wins in life, and they took whatever they could get. Enji on the other hand, had a different outlook on the world.
"You all good there, Big Red?" A tall, slim, dark-skinned Bartender with scarred arms asks the Fire user,
"I'm not in the mood," the Bartender nods and attends to other drinkers, another low-life, Enji might as well have been one himself he thought. No one recognized him without the fire on his beard and out of his hero suit, he was just another citizen of Musutafu at that point, and he liked it that way . Enji made his way through the crowded bar, all outside voices muffled in the face of his internal problems, he slipped into his mind again, he seemed to be doing that a lot today. Now if it had been any other day, despite being inside his head, Enji would be able to instantly react to any outside crisis with his honed ability as the Number 2 Hero - if it had been any other day, then-
"Crap!"
A woman trips over Enji's body and is sent rag-dolling across the hardwood bar floor like a bowling ball. She re-adjusts herself to a sitting position, wiping off the beer droplets that made their way onto her short-cut-sleeved, pitch-black dress. Her hair sports a dark green color and is tied up into a ponytail with a fringe hanging over her; it wasn't the usual look this woman went out in, but today was not a normal day for her . Her sizeable, innocent green eyes looked up to meet the sharp blue eyes of the man standing before her; donning high-class black dress pants and shoes, a silky white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up the elbows (he’d previously removed his tie and blazer); his hair short and spiked with a crimson hue.
"Todoroki?"
"Midoriya?"
The woman who stood before him was none other than Inko Midoriya. The woman is the cousin of his dear wife Rei and a part of the Himura clan. The woman who had to face the tragedy of losing her husband, the love of her life at the age of 24, something that should never happen to anyone so young. But of course, the world didn't quite work that way, did it?
Enji offered a hand, lifting the greenette off the ground with barely an inch of effort.
"That certainly looked like a rough fall, are you alright, Midoriya?"
"I- Uh, yes, yes, I'm okay, thanks Todoroki! I have a mutation from my mother which makes my body just all round tougher and stronger than a normal person, pretty neat huh?" Inko Midoriya put on a big smile, but it wasn't infectious no - no, Enji Todoroki could see right through it. Had it been any other day, Todoroki would've brushed it off, ignored it, because, in reality, it wasn't anything to write home about; but because it was today, this one day, Todoroki could see the cracks forming in this woman's mind, because the cracks were also forming in his.
"May I get you a drink, Midoriya?"
"I … I'd like that."
...
"And another whiskey for you, Big Red," The bartender says cheekily handing Todoroki his drink. 'He must be new' Todoroki quietly thinks to himself, partially annoyed at the bartender's nickname for him
"Thanks."
Inko glances at Enji Todoroki as he calmly takes a small sip of his beverage. He is a somewhat strange man; quiet, partially bland, but also possessing a strong sense of justice and passion for what he does. He and herself weren't exactly friends, but they would make some small talk every time Inko came to visit Rei. Inko wasn't exactly sure what to make of the Todoroki familial situation, on one hand, it was an arranged marriage that was created so Enji and Rei could conceive a child with the perfect quirk for a pro hero; Inko found many flaws in this but ultimately brushed it aside, because even though their family itself was seemingly built on fundamentally questionable ethics, they seemed like an alright family that loved one another. Even if he was reserved, Inko could tell that Enji Todoroki truly loved her cousin Rei - and that's what counted.
'Although He certainly isn't the type most people would joke around with, Hisashi was the only one who could bring that side out of him. Hisashi...'
"Todoroki" Inko drew the attention of the Pro Hero.
"I don't think uh, I don't think I ever thanked you and Rei for introducing me to Hisashi, so, thank you"
"It's quite alright. Hisashi and I shared almost every difference in the book, but we both had an undying passion for heroism. I always felt a similar energy coming from you, so I thought you'd be a good match" Inko smiles at this, it's the first time she's genuinely smiled all week. This doesn't go unnoticed by the Flame Hero.
"I must add, your speech was quite impressive, it summed up the feelings of everyone in that room in a beautiful way." Enji Todoroki had many questionable characteristics, but he was certainly no liar, he always spoke his truth. This statement causes an involuntary blush to paint Inko’s face. The effects of the alcohol are now seeping in.
"Alright 'Big Red'" Inko mockingly says glancing at the bartender who is attending to other drinkers, causing Todoroki to visibly cringe a little,
"How about you fill our time with some of your hero stories, and I'll do my best to give you some well, legal assistant stories. Something tells me yours might be a slight bit more interesting though." Enji ponders for a moment on that thought. "Well..."
[20 Minutes later]
"... And then he used his enhanced strength to kick me in my, uh... testicular area"
"MMFFPH" Inko chortled on her drink, escaping her mouth and not being able to stop the flow with some of it dribbling down. "BAHAHAHAH, TODOROKI, YOU KNOW YOU CAN JUST SAY YOUR JUNK, RIGHT?"
"I, well, uh, I, I find that word to be vulgar" Enji expresses with an unfeigned look on his face
"Oh, you precious thing"
[20 Minutes later]
"And so, I threw a donut at that punk's head" Inko exclaimed with exaggerated hand movements. Todoroki raised an eyebrow. "Okay well maybe I ate the donut ... BUT I DID IT ANGRILY"
"Poor donut got caught up in everything" Inko's eyes widened. Enji's eyes widened. "Todoroki, did you just make ... a joke?" "I did, and I don't like what this alcohol is doing to me" Inko giggles uncontrollably.
[20 Minutes later]
"Because of this villain's ability to erase quirks for 5 minutes when she touched someone, we all had to pile onto my sidekick Blaster-Heat's motorcycle to catch up to her"
"And...?"
"I fell off immediately, they tried to turn around to pick me up, but instead crashed into a streetlight and toppled over each other like dominoes"
"As you do," Inko remarked, making Enji snort in such a way that felt very out of character to Inko.
[20 Minutes later]
"With about 15 meters before I reached the finish line of the fun run, my body decided to regurgitate what felt like everything I had eaten in the past 24 hours. Unfortunately, a woman and a toddler got hit with shrapnel" Inko shivers "It was not a good day for the Musutafu South Law Firm."
Enji raised his hand "Speaking of which, I kind of feel like I'm gonna..."
"BARKEEP! BUCKET!" Inko commanded. Now, Midoriya and Todoroki had underestimated the seemingly inexperienced barkeeper, because in the blink of an eye, a big red bucket was presented for Enji to, well, y'know.
"Looks like you made a mess of 'Big Red' there huh, Big Red?" Inko could hear the cicadas in the moments that followed the barkeeper's remark. "Okay but uh, real talk, Red, clean yourself up in the bathroom, and in my professional opinion, probably ease off the drinks for now." Todoroki nodded and complied. He returned to his new green-haired friend a couple of minutes later, greeting each other with warm smiles.
"I should probably walk you home, Midoriya, these streets can get quite dangerous at night"
"Mm, no objections here", the two begin to walk out the door, but not before being stopped by that same barkeep.
"Hey! You two, you might want this!" The tall, dark-skinned barkeeper threw a pack of gum high in the air, Inko locked onto it with her quirk and drew it towards her hand, Enji was relatively surprised.
"Telekinesis quirk?"
"Something of the sort." For a split moment, the Pro Hero gets an idea, a twisted and unlawful idea that his moral code quickly shakes off but stays in the back of his mind. Todoroki requests a piece of gum to erase the little remaining stench of throw-up that he couldn't quite wash out, Inko recognizing that Enji did not see the further implication the barkeeper was making.
The pair walk down the bustling streets of South Musutafu on a warm September night, their steps unconsciously synchronized. The pair had both had a rough, heavy day that weighed them down and made them face demons they wouldn't be conquering anytime soon; it was a night both had needed after their troubled day, both with overlapping reasons for needing it and some unique. They had temporarily stopped more cracks forming in the other, this is something they both recognized, something that ... something that ultimately, didn't have to be temporary.
Inko looked into the eyes of Enji Todoroki, turquoise blue eyes she had once thought were cold and ruthless like a lightning strike, but now seemed calm like the ocean on a nice day. She was starting to like his eyes Inko rids the thought like a fly to a swat. This was the husband of her cousin who she loved ever so much. She wouldn't, she couldn't, she would never, but still ...
"Hey Todoroki?"
"Mm"
"Thanks for keeping me company tonight, it was quite nice talking to you, hearing your stories, and sharing my own, it's the best I've felt since, y'know" Enji shoots Inko a sympathetic look.
"What kind of friend would I have been to Hisashi if I didn't comfort his mourning wife?
Friend, huh?
"Plus, you're not alone ... tonight is also the best I've felt in a while, it was- it was comforting." Endeavor voiced in his usual aloof, deep tone. Midoriya smiles at the ground, pleased that she had helped Todoroki out as well. The thing is when you're looking at the ground, sometimes you lose sight of what's in front of you, and that isn't figurative either, because Inko Midoriya in that moment just got clotheslined by a lone tree branch on an off-path section. For the second time that day, she had fallen over in front of Endeavor. She once again looks up at him.
"I think you're some sort of bad luck omen for me, Todoroki" Todoroki gave her a half smile, exhaling air from his nose.
Once again, a hand is reached out to Inko Midoriya, she takes it with gratitude. Now they don't know if one of them had pulled harder, if one of them had weirdly moved their body, either subconsciously or not, but in that moment, their bodies had ended up intertwined with another, merely inches away from the others' faces. They look into the other’s eyes, green meeting blue. They both pull away after a split second.
"Uh, I ... thanks," Inko says looking straight ahead so as not to make eye contact, also from her face being a blistering red color. Enji hesitantly nods. Of course, neither of them was going to verbally acknowledge it, but they had both felt something while in each other's arms. Heat. A sense of comfort. A short moment, where the cracks didn't matter, canceled each other out, maybe.
It was getting late, they were both drunk, both not in a healthy mental state, both half-broken. In time, after a small amount of awkward silence, they reached the unimpressive, middle-class apartment complex of Inko Midoriya. They both breathe for a moment, still wanting to be in the other’s presence for just a bit longer despite the awkward situation they’d put themselves in.
Almost on cue, Enji's stomach growls. And that moment is when both Todoroki and Midoriya realize, neither of them had had dinner yet.
It was a question blurted out without a second thought given to it, a question that would keep Inko up for nights to come ...
"I have some left-over roast, wanna join me, Todoroki?"
Inko instantly felt regret creep up on her, or maybe it was guilt, all she knew was that her stomach was turning on itself.
"Yes"
Enji Todoroki nodded. He felt he knew where this was going, but there was no drive pushing him to go against it. He knew it was wrong. She knew it was wrong. So why did it feel kinda fucking right?
Inko unlocked the apartment. Twisting the door handle open ever so slowly and hesitantly. There wasn't any going back now . The moment the pair entered the apartment, Enji felt Inko's hand grip his shirt right below his neck; her hand was shaking and may have appeared weak to the naked eye, but her grip was stronger than some of the villains Endeavor had faced in his time. Midoriya was looking away from Todoroki, her breathing unsteady, her body trembling.
They pulled each other in
Lips connected, hands moved and gripped in different places. Heavy breathing made its way onto the skin.
Before they knew it, they ended up in the bedroom and the rest, as they say, is history. Both Enji and Inko went to bed on empty stomachs that night, but they had filled the other's needs. Enji looked at the sky that night, it was cloudy, dark, and jaded with no stars in sight. He'd wished that karma wouldn't apply here, just like karma had avoided all the bad things about Enji's life, he'd wished that since he'd put out good in the world this wouldn't come back to bite him.
But the world doesn't always work that way, does it?