Chapter Text
When Touya didn’t return after leaving to go train again in the woods, Shoto could only assume something was wrong- and it didn’t help that his mother was crying while his father Endeavor seemed disappointed. He didn’t know why- but the police officer at the door, his mother and sister crying, Natsuo looking anywhere but at him and the rest of the ‘family’ and Endeavor's rare moment of quit unquote ‘vulnerability’, he could tell something was off at the very least.
He was waiting for Touya to come back and was waiting around the corner. He had promised to read him some new stories he found, and Shoto wanted to tell him about this butterfly he saw that reminded him of Touyas’ eyes. Natsuo tended to avoid him, and Fuyumi always defended Endeavor whenever he talked about his training or the day.
Touya agreed with him and shared his own opinions on Endeavor whenever they talked way into the night. Touya helped put the burn cream where he couldn’t reach when his other siblings wouldn’t. Touya actually played heroes with him and helped him brainstorm names- Ice Might was currently in the lead (Inspired off his favorite hero of all time)
He was peeking around the corner and trying to build up the courage to ask someone what was wrong- and he hoped Touya would come back soon to tell him what was wrong.
In the end- he didn’t build up the courage to ask, and when he went to bed, he didn’t hear any windows opening indicating a sneaking in Touya, and the front door remained stilled too. He was worried of course, but Touya told him never to sneak out after him- and only he could in case Endeavor caught him.
He’d listen- and would wait patiently- not daring to fall asleep in case he needed someone to apply burn cream to his back or bandage a wound like Touya always did and would continue to do for him (Touya didn’t need him to do that often, but he tried to be there for his older brother when it did)
Shoto would ask Fuyumi the next day while she was washing dishes only for her to turn away crying, which was odd. He quickly left after that when she glared at him. He checked all of Touya's usual hiding spots, even knowing Endeavor would be looking for him for ‘training’. He ran around the house- only stopping when he heard Endeavor's footsteps to hide. He couldn’t find his mom either, so when he saw Natsuo staring off into space- he quickly ran over and asked the question.
He’d rather train with Endeavor every day for the rest of his life then believe what Natsuo screamed at him before storming off. It was just a cruel joke. It had to be.
...
Shoto didn’t see his mother often. He was busy training with Endeavor most of the time- or following in his brother's footsteps and finding ways to sneak out to the nearby convenience stores to grab bandages or the occasional snack. Sometimes he sees her in the gardens with Fuyumi. He is not jealous. He never went over and talked to her though- he knew she wouldn’t look as relaxed as she did with Natsuo and Fuyumi.
He wanted to try though. He wanted to know his own mother's favorite color, her favorite season and food- and not the water-downed answers from Fuyumi. So, he decided to take action.
He quietly kept track of his mother's schedule, sneaking off early and asking inconspicuously Fuyumi and Natsuo, and around noon every day, she made her favorite tea and called someone, and she always looked more relaxed after, so they had to be nice.
The best time to try and talk to her without her getting stressed was when she was already relaxed!
He was at the corner when he listened in on the convo. She was talking about how someone reminded her of ‘his’ face- and she sounded worried- which wasn’t the plan. He poked his head around the corner, and she was there, making what he thought was chamomile tea like usual. Fuyumi said he was terrible at ‘reading the room’ -so maybe he was just reading it wrong? That had to be right.
Right?
…
Maybe his footsteps were too quiet. Maybe he did read the room wrong. Maybe she wasn’t calling who she usually did. There were way too many Maybes. Maybe he wouldn’t be on the floor covered in the boiling water made for the tea. This was his mother- or maybe he should call her Rei. Would that stress her out less? He remembers the way she turned around- not a trace of relaxation in her eyes. The burn that hurt way more than Endeavor's flames. He might have screamed. Maybe he cried. Maybe he just sat there in stunned silence as the pain slowly faded away behind his own thoughts.
Rei was on the floor, frantically apologizing- which wasn’t what he wanted at all. He should apologize for scaring her- for reading the room wrong. She was supposed to be relaxed, and he ruined it for her. Maybe You would've known what to do, how to do it. The mystery voice on the phone called for Rei, then just hung up with a beep. That wasn’t the person she usually called.
He could hear his footsteps from across the room- but the rest was blurry as he was picked up and rushed somewhere. Fuyumi was frantically comforting Rei- which was what he needed her to do. Natsuo yelled at someone- but he was hazy with something he could only describe as pain, and he couldn’t make out the words that Natsuo was throwing around. He could feel his skin melting- his face flushed with either tears or blood as his body rushed to fix the damage.
It was after half his face was bandaged- and after his mom was sent away, because of him, and after he turned 10 a few years later that he decided it wasn’t worth it. Shoto wouldn't do it without Touya- couldn’t. He had tried, honest in his heart had he tried.
Endeavor was a bit too rough with him- as usual- and made some absent-minded comment about Touya that caused Shoto's blood to boil over, and maybe that was the breaking point.
So, after everyone was sleeping, he packed up a bag and double checked an old notebook that had escape plans from his older brother's room. After he got the news, he quickly ran into Touyas room to salvage what he could through tears before Endeavor could trash it and found a lot of things. Cash, escape plans, snacks, schedules he’d never be able to finish. He shook his head clear of the thoughts and crawled out through his window- getting through the fence with ease and disappearing into the dark and nearby alleyways.
It was a lot easier than he had expected- but he was thankful none the least for the easy way out. He’d use his fire- but not on who or what Endeavor had originally planned on.
—----------- POV switch.
When he woke up- his legs and arms were stiff as hell, and his face felt like patchwork- literary. He must’ve fallen asleep in a tree while training- that explained his stiff joints. Then he heard a beep. Then another. Then he finally sat up to look around. This was not his bedroom and definitely not the woods.
Bolting up right, Touya quickly scanned his surroundings and could only come to the conclusion he was either kidnapped, in a hospital, or both. Maybe Endeavor finally cracked and sent everyone to a psych ward. Would that be a win or a loss scenario?
Deciding he didn’t like any of the possible scenarios, he yanked the white and plain covers off himself and stumbled out of the bed- immediately collapsing onto the floor in a heap of limbs. Not his smartish move- but he was starting to panic, okay? His vision seemed to flood with stars as the pain of not using his limbs in however long clouded his head. He waited for a moment for it to subside before looking around for something to grab.
“Shit,” He mumbled and froze. That was not his voice. What the hell had happened? Was he some sort of lab rat? Did he have amnesia? Was he kidnaped and tortured to the point of memory loss? What would he tell Shoto or Fuyumi? Natsuo never listened to him anyway, so he wasn’t as worried as him. (He still cared for him- not that he’d really tell anyone)
Not wasting another second debating- he pulled himself up and took a practice step forward- holding onto the edge of the bed as his muscles got back to work.
His legs gradually woke up and he made his way, shakily, to the door. Taking in some of his surroundings and not calming any of the thoughts in his head. It wasn’t locked- thank God- and he was able to make it into a hallway.
It was decorated like a child's room- flowers littered the walls along with hearts and butterflies. There were also animals everywhere- but they looked to be drawn by children. Maybe he was kidnapped by some sicko and those were the last evidence of their final days on earth.
The fluorescent lights only proved he wasn’t home- unless Endeavors remodeled the entire house, and the floor was a tiled mess- but even better there was a mirror. He eagerly half ran; half limped over to it. He nearly jumped back surprised when he saw someone there and thought he confused the end of the hall for a window. Wait.
…
That was not him. Sure, the face matched up- Ish- and the hair- but he wasn’t that old, and his jaw didn’t look like that or underneath his eyes. His hair was still white without a trace of red- and his eyes still reminded him distantly of his mother's- but he wasn’t that tall- or that ‘scarred’ up.
Then he remembered. He remembered everything.
The fire licking away at his skin. His own screams being drowned out by the sound of the burning trees, he desperately
pleaded with his body to stop the tears. He hadn’t expected Endeavor to come- but he hadn’t been able to cry by himself in a while. He just wanted to cry for a little bit then head home. He never completed the second phase of his plan, however.
He might’ve stood there for a minute or two, tracing the skin along his jawline as his brain fogged up with memories.
Several possibilities popped up in his head. Maybe he was dead? He couldn’t be though- he had stuff to do- things to tell Shoto at the least.
When he finally sorted out his thoughts, somewhat at least- he looked around at his surroundings a bit more. He took in the medical cart and the pack of grippy socks- and ruled out most possibilities of it being anything but a hospital or a lab.
He heard voices, which caused him to freeze up- until he realized they were the sounds of children laughing and arguing for ‘fun’. So, this place was either haunted, a hospital, maybe a psych ward, or they were all government approved and mandated spies sent to observe the average human's reaction to being in a different environment after a life changing event in which- he was putting too much thought into this. Maybe he did cook his brain in that fire.
He should still have his flames- even if he was now terrified of the red blaze, and he could protect himself that way. He shuddered as he felt the phantom pain of the fire crawling along his skin like across the sand, the fire slowly eating away at his skin, layer by layer- never mind.
He shook his head and followed the sound of giggles and some sort of marker on paper as it gradually increased until he was just around the corner of the room.
He had grabbed a scalpel on his way through the building, so he had double defense, and slowly poked his head around the corner- then quickly tucking it back in.
There were at least 10 kids at the bare minimum all playing with crafts or board games. There were kids that were at least 4 years old to kids who looked 15 and were playing cards, which, off topic, who would actually voluntarily do? He played crazy 8 a few times with Natsuo and he still despised those stupid eights.
Nobody changed their tones or switched up conversations, so he didn’t think anyone saw him- so he peeked around the corner again.
He was curious alright. Also, he should get a feel for their quirks just in case something happened, and they really were government spies trained by the number 9 hero-
He wasn’t as lucky this time around though- as some kid who looked Natsuo's age but with brown, shoulder length hair jumped up and pointed at him, calling him a sleepyhead or whatever. He’d be offended if he wasn’t busy panicking.
Everyone in the room started talking and giggling to themselves. Then she said something that caught his attention almost immediately.
"You're finally awake- you’ve been sleeping for, like, 3 years! Oh! Speaking of which, I should probably go get Mr…”
3 years… He was in that bed for 3 years. The rest of the sentence faded away as his brain struggled to catch up. That couldn't be true. The fire wasn’t that bad, (the fire licking away at his skin) it didn’t make sense. What about Shoto? Was he there alone for 3 years? Did anyone look for him? Did Shoto or Natsuo find him- burnt on the ground after the fire? Did Endeavor come after it was too late? What about his mom?
Sometime during his internal panic, a creepy sunflower man had come through a door on his left and started talking about him staying there. Forever. He can’t stay here forever. He had to be a hero and save Shoto. He had to find a way to end Endeavor and expose him for the freak he was. He might’ve started talking out loud at some point but what had happened to Shoto? He’s the oldest, he had to take care of his younger siblings.
Then- a computer started to speak to him from the side- a ‘sound only’ screen glitching in and out as it talked about the damage he received from the fire. His fire that he made. He had barely wrapped his head around the fact he's been here for 3 years and was trying to convince himself that it was just a dream.
A nightmare. But the facts lineup.
His older sounding voice, the fire, the scars. And now the voices around him were too much. His brain wasn’t processing this fast enough.
He grabs the scalpel he had armed himself with and thrust it at the screen- watching with a twisted satisfaction as the screen glitched out one final time before shutting off. The sunflower man started scolding him- and it suddenly felt like he was back with Endeavor. His second defense weapon was still on him, and he felt the familiar rush from under his hands. The burn didn’t hurt that much- not like it usually did.
He was not staying here forever, that's for sure.
The building went up in flames quite easily- almost reminding him of the forest- but he had a mission, and he wasn’t going to stop until he could see he was safe.
Touya walked around until he saw a familiar store, crossed a few streets, took a few turns- thankfully not much had changed in 3 years as he trekked back towards the house. He took an alleyway and saw Shoto's face plastered on a brick wall, then took another left. Wait a damn minute, what?
Under a huge sum of money he could only ever dream of, was Shoto's face- except a little bit older looking and a huge… water ‘burn’ scar across his eye. It's not the type you’d get from a fire quirk- more like a pot of boiling water. He knew because he had seen some when Fuyumi tried to make ramen by boiling a kettle full of water. What had happened while he was gone? Did he have a missing poster?
He was there for a while, standing in between the alleys as the sun lowered itself and the moon took its place in the sky. His knees gave out after a while, but he didn’t get up. His brain was trying and failing to catch up with what had happened in the past what- 4 hours? Maybe longer since the moon was up now in the clear, starry sky.
If only he could get the answers he so desperately needed right now.
—----------- POV switch;
Shoto only had one regret as he snuck along the tall walls of the Todoroki residence, and that was the lack of a flashlight. He had his flames- but this was the number 2 pro heroes' home- and he wasn’t able to check if there were heat sensors along the walls and he didn’t want to trigger any accidental alarms- so technically 2 regrets.
He had found one of Touya's old notebooks that had a few escape plans in case Endeavor ever went crazy, and while that wasn’t why he was leaving, it was close enough. He got one of Fuyumi’s old backpacks and had filled it with food and the small amount of money he had managed to save up under Endeavors watch.
He stumbled over a few flower beds and tripped over a steppingstone path that probably led to a gazebo that Rei used to use. He stopped calling her ‘mom’ after he scared her into throwing boiling water on his face almost 3 years ago. Turns out she was talking to her mother since her friend was busy and that's why she wasn’t calm like usual. Turns out he didn’t read the room wrong.
He managed to recognize the chipped part of the wall that signaled a hole just below it. He had seen Touya sneak out using it whenever he ran to the store, but Shoto was never allowed to follow so he didn’t know how to navigate it. It was covered with ivy and near the far back of the house so hardly anyone checked behind it. He parted the vines and crawled under- his pants legs getting caught on the rough edges.
He popped up along the other side of the wall, and the air almost immediately felt fresher and more freeing. Shoto pulled himself up and looked around quickly for cameras, and when his search came up empty, he chose a random direction and sprinted towards it.
He ended up running around, taking random lefts and rights. He would’ve looked up directions to a park or maybe a less populated part of the city- but the computer had a code on it, but Endeavor only ever gave it to Fuyumi when she told him where he was skipping training that day. Fuyumi seemed to ignore the extra bruises or his slightly singed off hair. He had tried to ask her to keep it a secret on multiple occasions- but she always denied that he’d do stuff like that- that Shoto was a liar. That Endeavor was their father- and he couldn’t- not being the number 2 hero.
He shook his head as if that would clear the thoughts away- and continued on. He passed the convenience store Touya often stopped by- which meant he wasn’t far enough from his house.
The sun eventually began to rise as the moon disappeared behind a hazy and cloudy sky. The stars faded away and his surroundings got way clearer, however the runaway from last night was catching up to him as he felt his legs get sore. He couldn’t stop now though. Endeavor would be expecting him any minute now- and when he didn’t show he’d be mad.
Maybe he could lie and say he was kidnapped.
By the time he had found a small nook in between two buildings, the sun was high above, and the clouds had all but disappeared. He had plans to go to the building he saw in the distance, as the further he walked through the alleys the less people were walking around. He didn’t know if Endeavor's pride let him put up a missing poster, but he wouldn’t risk it by going out in daylight.
He pulled out his bag and rummaged through his items. Shoto pulled out the smaller of the two blankets and draped it across the small crawl space- then rearranged it so it looked like it was thrown there at random. It would let him sleep a little more calmly knowing he wasn’t as out in the open.
He had no idea how to run away- what to do before and after- especially since Touya never got the chance to finish it after he…
He pulled his hood over his head, trying to hide his attention-grabbing hair as he curled into a ball in the corner. Maybe he could get some hair dye? Touya mentioned that once- but then he had his large and obvious scar across his eye. Endeavor never released it to the public (according to Fuyumi) but if there was a missing poster out, he’d be seen in seconds, hood or not.
.../p>
His bones all but screamed in protest as he pushed himself into a sitting position after laying curled in a ball on a piece of paper- which was missing the ‘missing person’ sections. It didn’t happen recently because then it’d be on the front- unless Endeavor covered it up until recently.
The blanket was still draped across the dumpsters, and he pulled it down before standing up- being basked in the moon and starlight. He didn’t hear anyone except for the occasional patter of paws.
“It’s probably safe to walk down to those other buildings”
Shoto thought to himself as he buckled his bag back up after shoving the blanket in. He quickly ran across the street (Checking both ways of course) and ran through alleyways that headed in the general direction he wanted. He kept poking his head around corners to check if the buildings got any larger- and it was during this time he let his guard down and ended up bumping into a guy leaning against a wall.
“Watch where you're going freak”
The dark-haired man mumbled around the cigarette as he traced a gun with his finger. Luckily Shoto's hood was up, and he quickly nodded before scurrying up. He didn’t let his guard down after that- focusing on the goal of getting to those buildings.
The stores nearby got less and less nice looking and the streets got slightly more populated with people in leather jackets or baggy hoodies like the guy in the alleyway. Some were smoking cigarettes while others handed off money or were simply talking. Every so often someone would pull out a knife and scare the other- which made him wonder if he needed a knife or a gun? Probably a knife since he thinks guns can be pretty loud.
Soon the buildings towered over him by several stories, and he immediately checked which buildings were abandoned compared to those that just looked terrible- and turns out every building but what must’ve been an old bakery, was just terrible looking.
Endeavor would never waste his time down here- and he’d rather deal with any pro hero but him. (Also he doesn’t like that 1 washing machine hero- it creeps him out)
He set his stuff on the ground and tried to find what he could make his room. Turns out there's a reason it wasn’t demolished and that was the fact there was mold everywhere and the walls were basically toothpicks.
They were probably betting it’d fall on its own or it’d get caught in a villain attack on its own. Regardless- he found what he thought used to be the manager's office and declared it his own.
He didn’t plan on staying here for too long- just long enough that Endeavor would prioritize other things and he could get a disguise. The only issue was his huge scar- which he had no idea how to cover up. He could use bandages but that would look way too suspicious.
Shoto was tired- but he’d rather get this sorted out before the sun came up fully so he could have a plan at night.
He could use makeup but since he wasn’t experienced at all he was sure anyone would look at him and notice something was off.
He could just get a mask and say it was because of his quirk? It would have to make sense- like he had some illusion quirk that never turned off and he would still have to dye his hair as well as wait until Endeavor was less alert, but it might work.
Should he be basing his freedom on a ‘might’? No, not at all- but who was going to stop him? He liked that, having the choice to make decisions himself- he didn’t even get to choose what he ate back with Endeavor.
He looked around the office and noticed it was bare except for a few papers and organization crate things and a bolted down desk.
The walls seemed decent- aside from the growing mold and a few holes in the wall- mainly since whatever villain had attacked the shop was aiming for the front and not wherever he was located right now.
They still looked like they carried 19 different diseases, yes, but it felt more reassuring in a sense.
He wanted to take out his blanket but the floors looked lethal at the least, so he settled for sitting up against the desk. He looked at his meager supplies and sighed.
He would have grabbed more but he was always under Endeavors constant watch, and someone was always up at night- usually Natsuo doing his homework that he put off on a regular basis. On Fridays, the one-day Natsuo didn’t do his homework late into the night was always when Endeavor trained him the hardest- as well as Saturdays and Sundays, so he was too exhausted to take too many breaks.
He looked around one more time and smiled softly to himself and laid his legs out in front of him- not feeling the need to curl up in fear like usual. It had only been 2 days or so and he already felt freer then he did with his ‘family’
He ran through his list of plans for the next night and let his eyes slide shut- thankful the bulky desk redirected most of the sunrise and let himself drift asleep.
Maybe it could- no would, be alright.
—----------- POV switch;
Touya got up at some point- walking in random directions as his skin pulled painfully at the stitches. He only stumbled once or twice- which when you were as zoned out as he should’ve be impressive. He could care less about that though.
Did Endeavor go too far and he needed a cover up? What about Fuyumi and Natsuo? What about his mother- did she go insane after Shoto disappeared? Are Natsuo and Fuyumi in danger too?
When he looked up at the bright neon sign in front of him- he recognized the store almost immediately- memories flooding him in such a wave he almost stumbled. He had gotten bandages and snacks for Shoto here whenever he snuck out and usually met up with the friends he had whenever they wanted to hangout.
He looked to his left and could see the outline of the Todoroki family residence, not very surprised the view still brought shivers down his spine. The only difference seemed to be a taller wall but that could be his eyes adjusting to everything.
He started walking towards it- despite his hesitance. Maybe he subconsciously knew he had to check on his siblings, even if they might be missing (or worse)
The twisting through alleys and hopping fences were basically muscle memory and he was able to get to the house in record time, or what he considered record time anyway. He looked around in the morning light for the hole- only to internally grimace at the fresh cement filling it in. Well, there goes that plan.
He had alternative paths though- it was just the matter of remembering them. He knew there was a second hole but that might be filled too. There was a vine you could climb somewhere on the East wall- but he didn’t want to be caught sneaking around in the morning- especially since Endeavor had cameras everywhere. (He had found one in the microwave once and screamed thinking it was a cockroach-fun times of course)
The moon was still in the early stages of disappearing and the sun hadn’t peeled around the horizon- so he decided to risk it after a brief debate with himself and climb the wall- silently hoping the vine was still there and holding strong.
He used his flame since Endeavor wasn’t smart enough to put heat sensors up- probably because of Shoto’s ‘training’- or because he was too cocky. The sun was barely peeking above the horizon when he made it and to his surprise and excitement the vine was still there.
He gave it a sharp tug and grinned even harder as it stayed sturdy. He tested the majority of them in case it broke at some point- and ripped off the two that tore under his weight.
He grabbed a bunch in his fist and started climbing as it came to him like a second instinct. He grabbed the top of the wall and hauled himself over- nicking his shirt on a sharp corner- and took the path he knew avoided cameras. It was a bit overgrown, but he could still see the old line he would’ve made about 5 years ago.
The house grew larger frame by frame and the sun was starting to cast a slow glow- but the moon still took up the majority of the sky. He snuck around his mother's flower garden and climbed up the fence to peek into Shoto's' room.
It was bare of anything- which hadn’t changed since he lived there- but there was a picture on his desk. The only things he’d even seen on it were pencils and paper- and an occasional rock he’d find.
Curious- he pulled himself over the ledge and poked his head into the window to see a picture of him. It was from middle school but regardless. It would’ve brought tears to his eyes- except for the fact that 1. He couldn’t cry for the life of him- maybe something about the scar bags beneath his eyes- and 2. An alarm blared overhead.
He jumped back and let go in surprise- landing a foot away from a thick bush that could’ve softened his fall. He pushed himself to his feet almost immediately and started sprinting from where he came from. To his luck, the sun was high enough to give a bright enough glow that he didn’t need to worry about tripping or using his flames.
He saw the wall in the distance and pressed on further- not stopping to look behind him in case Endeavor was behind him. He wasn’t sure if he'd be awake right now since theoretically Shoto shouldn't be there to train. He approached the wall and realized he didn’t have a way out.
He scanned the entire wall to try and find a way out- then remembered his mother should've had a chair in her gazebo if it were still there. He took off faster than he thought possible and ran up the steppingstone path and into the floral covered building. He spotted a rocking chair and a bench- and settled with hauling the rocking chair over to the wall- which was only 50-60 feet away.
He was significantly weaker- but managed to get the chair there and turn it around- the back pressed against the wall as he climbed on and reached for the top.
He managed to grab the edge and kicked himself up- thankful his shirt didn’t snag this time and launched himself over the wall- not bothering to check where he had landed.
Landing in a small puddle of water- which had to be his luck- he saw another bush to the left of him 9 inches away.
His luck was all over the place apparently- as he got up and ran back towards the safety of the alley ways. Touya nearly tripped once or twice over some sort of garbage or a random thing like a random neon sign.
He took a sharp turn left and stumbled into a fork behind what he could only assume was a bakery based on the pastry bags in the garbage, and finally looked back behind him, sighing internally when he didn’t see a pyromaniac trailing behind him.
He walked over to the wall and let his knees fold in as he tried to catch his breath- laughing quietly to himself as he trailed a hand through his hair. He had some things to sort out- like a disguise so Endeavor wouldn't recognize him- if he was recognizable with his new scars. He’d probably have to buy contacts and hair dye- well steal since he was homeless and legally dead. Was he considered dead or missing?
He’s pretty sure the woods went up in flames when he had his little breakdown, but maybe he could go check it out? It might bring back memories, but it might help him get a grasp on reality and realize things were not changing.
While he was debating internally for the tenth time in the past 24-ish hours- the moon had completely disappeared and he realized how exhausted he was, the adrenaline from the alarm, and just everything that he still was trying to deny catching up to him.
He looked around and considered just sleeping there- but saw a more hidden nook across the alley and decided it was way safer to dart across the opening and take a hopefully long nap there.
He could get hair dye and other things like food tomorrow when the sun was back behind the horizon and he could escape under the mask of the night.
He curled up- thankful that the sun seemed to hit his spot perfectly from above as he basked in the warmth.
He smiled softly to himself. Even though he was still internally panicking, he supposed he could let his guard down for a few hours or so. Maybe all he needed was some good sleep to come up with a plan. He just hoped Shoto was okay.
—----------- POV switch;
Shoto wasn’t used to the moon waking him up instead of the sun- and almost panicked when he thought he missed his ‘training’ with Endeavor- but remembered with a smile that he was nowhere near the psycho.
He pushed himself to his feet and stretched his stiff joints with a yawn- rubbing his eyes as he tried to remember his plans for the day- or technically night.
He had to get hair dye- preferably blue or black- since he really liked blue and black was Touyas favorite color- black would be smarter since it would blend in with the shadows- but Endeavor might expect him to think that- so he should pull a reverse and dye his hair a not bright, but not dark blue.
He should probably find something similar to navy blue, some eye contacts that could probably match his hypothetical illusion quirk, and a mask for said illusion quirk. He could probably find it all at a convenience store; the only issue was getting in and out without gaining any unwanted attention.
The moon was fully up- but the stars were still invisible, so there was the bare minimum light. He pulled his hoodie over his head and pulled at the strings so his face was sorta hidden. Navigating through the desolate halls, following where the moon seemed the brightest (He only got lost twice) and making it to the half blown apart front area- he debates where he should go.
He didn’t know any good stores- or if the one he found would have a mask or hair dye in general. Touya never mentioned finding any when he stopped at the one- so what if these didn’t either and he got caught by a hero and punished by Endeavor- he left all of his keepsakes back at the bakery so he wouldn’t be able to get the, back unless Natsuo agreed to get in incognito style.
He walked through the half-existent doors and let the cool and chilled air dispel his thoughts as he chose a direction and found an alley that went in it.
The alleyways were actually decently lit up which was a pleasant surprise. Most were littered with trash and glass he had to step around since he was in his ‘training’ shoes, which weren’t thick at all.
He saw a few neon signs- but by the people smoking and stumbling around them, he was pretty sure it was a bar.
By the time he saw something that resembled a convenience store he was almost positive it was 3am or around that time. He should’ve stolen one of Endeavors watches- it would make his life easier. Then again they were pretty high tech and expensive so they probably had a tracker- which would be the opposite of what he wanted.
The person at the register was sleeping- thank god- and he just prayed that there wasn’t a bell that alerted them someone was there like in the movies. He double checked his hoodie was on tight and realized he had no money.
He only brought so much and wanted to save it but stealing felt wrong. He was pretty sure they made a lot of money a day- so it shouldn’t be too much trouble for the store- it's not like people were getting hurt, right?
Finally reaching a standpoint in his own mind- he triple checked his hoodie and checked for cameras, only noting one that watched over the more expensive items like phones, which was far from the hair dye.
He pushed through and almost cried internally when the door gently clicking shut was the only sound made. Looking over his shoulder to see the employee still fast asleep- he sprinted over to the cosmetics aisle as silently as possible and stuffed multiple boxes of blue hair dye in, accidentally grabbing a purple one but didn’t pay any mind to it as he searched for contacts.
He could only find the stuff for cosplayers- which all looked like they were from one anime or TV show- but he grabbed the one that looked half-normal and looked back at the cashier for a 2nd time.
He spotted the mask he was kinda imagining next to the rest of the prepackaged costumes. It wasn’t even close to October?
He grabbed the one that had a creepy smile and a yin and yang color scheme since the rest were all more childish. (He grabbed the entire rack of Endeavor face masks and moved them dead center under the horror sign. Sue him)
Being he was still asleep- Shoto ran into the food aisle which was eerily close to the cameras, and piled stuff into his packed pockets at random- including some water bottles since he only brought two.
He tried to rack his brain if he needed anything else and decided to check for a blanket- which they didn’t have. They did, however, have wipes he could use to try and make the floor and desk half decent. His pockets were full- and he was trying to fit extra stuff in by flipping sweatshirts up and pilling things in there.
The sweatshirt was Touyas- but he had grown into most of it, and he shoved at least half the shelves in his open sweatshirt.
He spotted the small boxes of tylenol that Touya usually got him for those really rough nights- and grabbed one, balancing it on in the pile of stuff in his sweatshirt. He looked back up at the front and the teenage employee hadn’t moved an inch. It was 3am on a Thursday so the kid probably had school so he should be getting some sleep.
He inched closer to the door and stepped through it only for the door to ring with that stupid bell in the movies. He couldn't tell you if the kid even woke up because he was out of there almost as fast as he ran when he first left Endeavors place.
Looking for the landmarks he had placed in case he got left and followed them- slowing down as he got further into the alleys so he wouldn't drop anything.
He’s pretty sure he lost the tylenol but it wasn’t a huge deal as he had already got more then he originally planned for.
He spotted the outline of the bakery and snuck in through a wall since he didn’t want to risk dropping something and walking around the front. The office was only a hall over- so he might’ve saved time.
He let go off the edge of the shirt after crouching low to the ground and watching the stuff tumble over as he shook his pockets out. He stole well over what he was expecting- but not in a bad way. He sifted through the pile and grabbed some of the wipes and walked over to the shelves as he started wiping. He didn’t have any garbage yet- but he could find something later.
The wipes picked up a lot of dust, and by the time the mini organizer thing was done- there were only a few left in the 100 pack.
He spun around and sorted through his newly acquired snacks. He put the food in the middle- the water on top and the bottom could just be the hair dye and medicine- oh and whatever remained of the wipes.
He was hoping there weren’t any mice or rats- but he was hoping the hair dye smell or something would deter them. What if it attracted them?
He put the mask on his face and was surprised to find it fit quite well aside from needing to tighten the back. Placing it on the top and praying the mice or whatever might be there weren’t hungry for plastic.
He looked at the rest of the stuff he acquired that was randomly targeted. Seeing the sun start to peek through the holes in the walls- he grabbed the majority of it in a tired haze and piled it on top of the used-to-be-white organizer drawer.
He grabbed the rest of the wipes as a yawn sneaked past his lips and wiped a small part of the floor off with small effort- disgusted as it gave up almost every color of the rainbow. He promptly chucked it out the window- cheering silently to himself as it makes it out and into a bush.
He set his backpack down to use as a pillow and layed down- curling into the big blanket.
The recollections of the night brought a smile to his face. He got food, hair dye, a house (?), and stuff to make it somewhat clean. When he decided to run away- he was sure he’d be fighting for his life every second- but that was clearly not the case.
Even if Touya was gone, and even if he was on the run and most likely labeled ‘missing’, this was the happiest he had ever been. Maybe this was a cruel dream and he’ll wake up to a screaming Endeavor, yelling at him to get up and train.
For the first time in a long time- he was excited for the next day, and that was enough for him.