Archive of Our Own

From The Perspective of Aiko Todoroki: (Intro)

My name is Aiko Todoroki. This is my story.

I was born third, after my brother Toya and sister Fuyumi. It was Mama who named me. She gave me the name Aiko, meaning “beloved child,” welcoming me into the world. I embraced my name. Its meaning, though, I found harder to accept.

 My eyes are like Mama’s. I have always been proud of them. They are solemn and gray, which balances out my wild hair. Mostly, my hair stays pink. It's a dark shade of pink, a good mixture between my father’s red and Mama’s white. In many ways, I am a mixture of my parents.

My father’s Quirk is called Hellflame. It’s powerful and destructive. 

Mama’s Quirk has to do with ice. 

Both Quirks live inside me.

My Quirk is called Heatwave. When I pull heat into myself, my hair changes to white, and it protects me from being injured. When I let the heat out, my hair turns to red and everything around me slows down. 

My name is Aiko Todoroki. This is my story.

From The Perspective of Aiko Todoroki: (Pt. 1)

When I was little, I adored my father. He was the Flame Hero: Endeavor. He was strong, able to defeat any opponent. He was fearless, never backing down from anyone. He was a hero, fighting for justice. I wanted to be like him. I would train on my own, every chance I got. I came up with special attacks, trying to impress him. I was determined to be strong, just like him.

… He never noticed me.

There was something my father wanted; there was a child my father wanted; but it wasn’t me. I didn’t mean anything to him. Aiko. “Beloved child.” That wasn’t me. The truth stung. 

He was still my father, but I began to care about him less.

When I was five, my brother Shoto was born. I had another younger brother— Natsuo— but we were barely a year apart. This was different. It gave me the chance to be someone’s older sister. It gave me purpose. I decided that I would be strong for Shoto and protect him. 

So, I stuck by his side. Shoto was quiet and gentle. He liked drawing a lot. We would sit together, markers spread all over the table, and color. Most of the time, we drew heroes. All Might was our favorite. There were lots of afternoons when we curled up, side by side, and watched videos of him rescuing people. We became inseparable, close friends.

When Shoto turned five, our father began to train him. No-one was allowed to see him or be with him. This was the child my father had been waiting for. This was the child he had wanted all along. They couldn’t waste any more time, my father said. Shoto had to start his training. Someday, if he was trained well, he would surpass All Might. That was the goal.

It all felt wrong to me. It happened without any kind of warning. Every day, Shoto and I had played together. Now, we didn’t. I wasn’t even allowed to see him. At first, I was mad. I wanted attention. I wanted my father to see me. Yet— he only looked at Shoto. Then, my feelings shifted. I realized I missed my brother. I wanted to spend time with him again.

Rebelliously, I began to spy on their training sessions. What I saw scared me. Shoto was little. He was quiet. He was gentle. My father was none of those things. I did believe Shoto wanted to be a hero. He wasn’t ready to be trained this harshly, though. He wasn’t ready to be hit. He wasn’t ready to be pushed to his limit. He wasn’t ready to be isolated. 

Endeavor wasn’t going to back down, though, and it only got worse. He was hurting Mama. He was hurting Shoto. I couldn’t watch. There was screaming. There was crying. I couldn’t listen. This wasn’t right.

From The Perspective of Aiko Todoroki: (Pt. 2)

Like a soldier, I kept guard. I rested my back on the wall lightly, keeping my spine rigid. That way, it would be easy for me to get up quickly.

This had become my routine. While my father trained Shoto, I sat just outside the door. If it got too rough, I would rush in and protect my brother. Endeavor was an intimidating opponent, though. He had beaten me— easily— more than once. By now, I had learned to choose my battles wisely. I knew my limits.

I listened through the wall. Shoto wasn’t crying. That was a good sign. There were a few muffled thumps. It didn’t seem bad. I released a bit of the tension in my back and waited for training to be over...

It was night, now, the same day. In ten minutes, it would be midnight. The house was quiet, but the silence didn’t calm me. I heaved myself out of bed. In my head, I heard crying. There was always someone crying. That’s the way it had become. 

I slipped out of my room. Sneaking up the stairs, I licked a cut on my lip. It had almost healed. I grunted, remembering how my face had hit the floor. My father had been the one who hit me. I had asked him if I could see Shoto. I hadn’t won that battle. 

Here was Shoto’s room. I planned to check on him and go back to bed. I had to be quick. If Endeavor found me, I would have more cuts to lick. 

The crying in my head grew louder. Then, I saw Shoto. It wasn’t in my head after all. It seemed like he was in pain. I went right to him.

“Where are you hurt?” I asked softly. I put a hand on his head.

He sucked in a couple of breaths and pulled up his shirt. My eyebrows drew together into a scowl. A bruise stretched from his right hip up to his left shoulder. It was a dark color, puffy and swollen. His eyes were squeezed shut.

“I’m so sorry, Shoto.”

“It hurts.” His voice was hoarse.

My heart burned. I should have been a better protector. I hadn’t realized training had been this rough. I should have stepped in. Angry at myself, I started to get up. “Let me go get some—” 

He leaned into me. “Aiko. . . please, don’t leave.”

I sat back down and stroked his hair. “Alright.” I whispered.

Leave. That’s what we needed to do. The idea grew in my head.

After a while, Shoto fell asleep, and I laid him down.

Leave. Shoto, and the rest of us, needed to leave this place. I was determined to make it happen. We would escape.

From The Perspective of Aiko Todoroki: (Pt. 3)

It was the next day. I found Mama drinking tea in the kitchen.

“Mama?”

“What is it, honey?”

“I think we should leave. Toya, Fuyumi, Natsuo, Shoto, you and I.”

Mama looked out the window. “I would like to, but would we be able to get away? I’m afraid your father would find us.”

“We have to try! I don’t want to keep watching you and Shoto get hurt. . . It’s awful.” My voice was quiet. I took a breath. “Staying here is like giving up. We have to try!” I repeated. “Please, Mama, I’ll come up with a plan. I’ll handle everything.”

She stared into her cup. “I’ve been afraid,” she said. “You’re right, though. We need to leave.” She paused for a minute. Then, Mama surprised me. She smiled. I hadn’t seen her do that in a long time. “I have money set aside that we can use.”

I smiled back, and we started planning. 

. . .

The night was warm and dark. We rubbed the sleep from our eyes while we waited for the bus. Mama had considered taking the car, but Toya had talked her out of it. It was too easy to track a car. If we were truly going to escape, we had to be smart.

I was shaking. I’m not sure I had ever been this excited.

“Come on! Where’s the bus?” Natsuo was excited too.

“Be patient. It’ll come.” Toya said.

Lights shone ahead, and the bus finally pulled up. All of us got in.

“A bit late for a family outing.” Commented the driver.

Fuyumi was ready for him. “Our grandma is very sick in the hospital.” She adjusted her glasses. “We’re going to visit her. Mom says. . . Mom says she might die.” Her face was grave.

We all tried to match her expression, and Mama nodded. 

This was the story we decided we would plant. Tonight we would travel in the direction of Mama’s family. Then, we would switch buses and head in the opposite direction. We hoped it would throw Endeavor off our trail.

“Oh. Sorry to hear that.” The driver said. He turned back towards the windshield and closed the door to the bus. He had believed us.

We went towards the back rows of the bus. Sitting down, we got comfortable. Fuyumi and I shared a seat. As I sat, she stared at me intently. 

“What is it? Did I do something wrong?” I asked her. I respected my older sister. We had grown a lot closer in the past few months. 

“Your hair, Aiko. It’s too easy to recognize. As a family, we stand out too.” Her mouth bent into a frown. “I think we need to dye our hair, or else we’ll get caught.” She sighed. She seemed reluctant to suggest it.

“What color?” I said, eyes wide.

Across the aisle, Mama spoke. “But your beautiful hair. . .” She seemed devastated. “And what about Shoto’s?” She shook her head.

I understood her sadness. I felt the same way. My hair changed with my Quirk. I was proud of it. I didn’t want to dye it. If it would help us stay safe and hidden, however, I would sacrifice it.

“It will have to be black. That’s the only color that can cover up red, white, and pink.” Fuyumi answered. I could tell she was serious about this. “Maybe we can also find some contact lenses. It would be better if Shoto’s eyes matched.” She sighed again. “I hate to do that to him.”

Mama looked like she was about to cry. She looked down at Shoto, who had gone back to sleep. I reached out and put my hand on hers. 

“We need to stay safe.” I tried to say it in a comforting way.

She nodded, pursing her lips.

So, that’s what we did. Our hair became black, and Shoto’s eyes both became blue. It was strange and surreal, but it helped us blend in. 

We also adopted the surname Himura. It had been Mama’s last name before she got married. This added another layer to our disguise. . .

Several days later, we entered what became our new home. I twisted the ends of my hair. I wasn’t used to its rich, dark color yet. Looking around, I surveyed the small apartment. It was clean and empty.

“The boys will have to share a room. You and Fuyumi have to share too. I’ll take the smallest one. I’m sorry there isn’t more space.” Mama looked at me as she spoke.

“This is all we need.” I reassured her.

The smile she gave me was genuine. 

“I’ll try to find a job as soon as I can and help you with the rent, Mom.” Toya put his hand on her shoulder; he was smiling too.

My glance shifted to Shoto. 

“This is where we’re going to live.” He looked incredulous. He turned to me. “Aiko, we’re going to live here.” He looked happy.

“Yes,” I said, smiling too...

It’s been two years now. We’ve each, in our own way, learned to smile again. Toya. Fuyumi. Natsuo. Mama. Shoto. And me. I’ve watched us grow into a family. The change still amazes me. Still— in the back of my mind, the memory of my father is sharp and clear. It festers in my mind like a wound. I haven’t fully relaxed.

From The Perspective of Aiko Todoroki: (Pt. 4)

The door wasn’t on its hinges. From down the hallway, I could see the empty hole. My pace increased— so did my anger. Endeavor.

The door looked like it had been kicked in. Barely glancing at it, I dropped my backpack. There were more important things to notice. Like Toya. He lay motionless, and his eyes were closed. A thin stream of blood ran down from his temple. 

Looking to the right, I clenched my fists. Mama was on the floor too. Her body was twisted, and her hair was splayed over her face. I couldn’t tell if she was unconscious.

All at once, the noise hit me. My father’s voice and Shoto’s, much higher one, rang out. They clashed with each other. In the background, there was another sound. It was like a rushing wind— strong and terrifying.

“You will obey me! I created you!” Endeavor roared. There was something in his voice. He almost sounded insane.

“No!” Shoto said. “I’m not going with you—” His sentence ended in a gasp.

My eyes followed a path of curved ice that ended at Endeavor. He was hunched over Shoto, holding him down with one arm. His opposite hand was lit— like a blowtorch— slowly burning away the flesh on my brother’s face.

“Your right side is for balancing your left. It is not valuable alone. You will learn this, Shoto.” Endeavor continued his rant, strangely calm.

“Please. . . stop!” Shoto pushed the words out, fighting the pain.

He was crying. The tears kept coming, rolling down his cheeks. I hadn’t wanted him to cry ever again. Gritting my teeth, I let my anger explode within me.

 My voice was guttural. “Enough.”

I growled and released the heat in my body, activating the offensive side of my Quirk. The air became sticky and hot. Endeavor’s eyes locked on to me. The rest of his body moved in slow motion. He glared at me.

“You have no right to interfere, Aiko.”

I kept my lips pressed together and said nothing. I focused on pulling Shoto out from under him. Inside, I was almost blind with rage.

Shoto looked very little compared to Endeavor. He was shaking violently, but I didn’t know how to comfort him. 

“It’s going to be okay.” I whispered. “Everything will be fine.”

I managed to get him onto the couch, away from our father. I took one last look at him. His right eye. . . it was. . . 

I growled again, turning to confront Endeavor.

“It’s you who has no right to interfere in our lives.” My face was twisted in anger. “You have only ever hurt us. You have never acted like a father!” I was yelling now. “This is the last time you’ll hurt us, Endeavor!”

And I meant it.

From The Perspective of Aiko Todoroki: (Pt. 5)

I meant it. That was the last time he would ever hurt us. I was going to make that statement a reality. I wouldn’t lose this fight.

In that moment, I disowned him as a father, for good.

Snapping forward, I smashed my fist into Endeavor’s jaw. The impact jolted through my arm. I winced. Trying to become heavier, I shifted my weight forward. I punched again, giving it everything I had. And again. And again. 

Sweat rolled down my forehead. My hands shook with adrenaline.

Endeavor grunted and rose to his full height. My Quirk’s hold on him was weakening. I tensed my whole body and felt him do the same. Quickly, my eyes darted up to his face. His eyes shone with anger.

Dread rose in my throat like bile. Like a battering ram, his fist swung into my chest. The momentum threw me backwards. In front, my ribcage felt shattered. From behind, shards of glass pricked me like thorns.

I was falling out the window.

Desperately— I drew in heat to protect myself. In that next moment, I crashed into the ground. It sounded like a gunshot. My back curled in on itself. A cry spilled out of my mouth. I could see black spots spreading like stains. They were taking over my vision.

I made myself stand and forced my eyes to stay open. I’d blackout if I closed them. Blood pumped in my ears. It hurt to breathe. Heavily, Endeavor landed in front of me. Before I could react, his flames were tearing up my arm. It stung, and the pain reached into my bones. It was so hot, it was cold. 

I knew my body was at its breaking point. This was the end of the fight. I was giving up.

White light flashed around me.

I saw Shoto. He looked. . . older.

Again. Flash.

It was Mama this time. Her eyes were sad and distant. 

Power. I could feel it pouring out of my body. My vision cleared. Around me, glass and debris were floating. The air hummed with electricity, with heat, and with anger. The world lurched and expanded.

Flash!

Natsuo, Fuyumi, Toya.

The light was so intense now— like an explosion.

One last time— flash!

Then everything went black.

From The Perspective of Aiko Todoroki: (Pt. 6)

I blinked a few times, waking slowly. There was light coming from my left, but the room was dark. My chest felt heavy. Cautiously, I took a breath. It didn’t hurt, so I sat up. The world swayed back and forth. I clutched my ribs tightly, trying to steady myself.

Shoto!

My brother’s face flickered into my mind. My heart began to rush like a freight train, rattling on its tracks. Anxiety flooded me. I took slow breaths, pushing down nausea. I needed to know he was okay. He had to be okay.

I found slippers under the bed; they matched the hospital gown I was wearing. I put them on and went out the door, heading for the light. As I walked, something bright flashed in the corner of my eye. It had been my hair. It was— it was pink again. I ran it through my fingers, amazed and confused. 

I shook my head and kept walking.

Shoto wasn’t in any of the rooms near mine. I ordered myself not to panic. In the next room, I would find him. I would find him. Refusing to give up, I walked up the stairs leading to the next floor. I entered another hallway. It was cold and silent, like a morgue. My spine stiffened.

Beside each door, there was a nameplate. These patients must be living at the hospital. If that was true, Shoto wouldn’t be here. I was close to the end of the hallway, now, reading the names as I went. Then— 

Rei Todoroki

I stopped breathing, eyes wide. It was Mama’s name. Without hesitating, I went inside.

 The air was even chillier. My breath became puffs of white mist. I scanned the room. A desk. A kitchenette. A vase of pale, blue flowers. A bed. Squinting, I could make out a woman laying in the bed. Her face was turned towards the wall.

“Mama?” I touched her shoulder gently.

With a little sigh, she sat up and turned to me. I shivered. Her eyes weren’t right. They were big— too big— and lined with grief. They had a faraway look in them, as if she was lost someplace else.

“Who are you?” She said.

“It’s me. Aiko.”

She was slow to react, but after a moment, her face spread into a smile.

“You look so grown up!” She spoke to me like I was a small child. “And your beautiful hair! So pretty. . .” Her expression turned wistful. “I wish I could have seen you grow up.”

My stomach twisted. This was all wrong.

She sighed again. “I know you’re not there. I can’t help but talk to you, anyway, honey.” She reached out for my hand. Her touch was like ice. “I pray Jizo continues to watch over you.”

Jizo. The god of dead children.

She blinked, and the recognition faded from her eyes. Like a porcelain doll, she sat silently, gazing at nothing. I shuddered and let her hand fall out of mine. My heart beat wildly.

I fled, running through the hospital until I found my own room. I got back into bed and wrapped the blanket around myself. It was hours before I fell asleep.

From The Perspective of Aiko Todoroki: (Pt. 7)

A man was waiting for me when I woke up. His hair was long and dark. Under his right eye, there was a small, jagged scar. His expression was humorless.

“I’m Shota Aizawa. What’s your name?”

His voice matched his expression. 

“Aiko Himur—” I stopped short. Since Endeavor had found us, there was no use in hiding anymore. “Aiko Todoroki.” I finished.

Aizawa’s mouth twitched. I could tell he recognized the name.

“Do you have any family?”

“My mom Rei, my sister Fuyumi, and my three brothers— Toya, Natsuo, and Shoto.”

“What about your father?”

I stiffened. “The Flame Hero: Endeavor.” I grunted.

He was unreadable.

“Your age?”

“Twelve.” I was getting tired of the questions. I still needed to find Shoto. “Mr. Aizawa, my youngest brother should be here in the hospital also.” I got straight to the point. “Do you know where he is? I need to see him.” 

He locked eyes with me. “First, tell me what happened to you. Where did your injuries come from?”

“My father did this to me. He attacked us. It was. . .” I remembered Shoto’s face— his eye. “I tried to stop him and got injured in our fight.”

Aizawa’s frown deepened.

“I’ll be back to talk to you again tomorrow.” He said.

The abrupt announcement annoyed me.

“Do you know where my brother is?” I asked again, my tone betraying my emotions.

“Get some rest.” He turned and left.

. . .

The conversation had ruffled my spirit. It took me a while to smooth it. I began to notice my right arm. It itched, and it was wrapped in gauze all the way up to my shoulder. 

Gently, I unwound it.

The burns underneath disgusted me. They were shiny and pink. Yellow lines rimmed their edges. My entire arm was covered in them. I hoped they wouldn’t become scars. 

I wrapped the gauze back around my arm. Listlessly, I laid down. My hair was pink again, and I couldn’t find Shoto. Everything was all strange. What had happened?

. . .

“You’re dead.” That’s how he started the conversation this time.

“She said that too.” I muttered, thinking about the woman upstairs. I hesitated to call her my mom. I’m not sure she was. 

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Aizawa went on. “Aiko Todoroki, daughter of Rei and Enji Todoroki, died at age two of Pneumonia.”

He turned and glared at me. It felt like a challenge. Prove you exist.

“I did get very sick when I was little, but I did not die.” I glared back at him. “The doctors said it was a miracle. They didn’t expect me to recover.” I added.

His character softened slightly.

“I can’t take your word for it, unfortunately.” He turned towards the open door. “Tsukauchi, your turn.”

A woman strode into the room. She was tall and thin, with a clever smile. Her green eyes were piercing. She waved at me.

“This is Makoto Tsukauchi. Her brother is a detective with the police. I want you to tell her your story.” Aizawa said. 

Makoto sat down next to me.

“My Quirk is called Polygraph. I can tell if people are lying, as long as I’m touching them. My brother’s the detective, though. Funny, right?” She winked at me. “Go ahead, tell me everything.” She put a hand on my arm.

I closed my eyes. This was all so weird. I didn’t know these people. They were trying to help me, I believed. Still, I would have preferred to talk with my family about what happened first— before I talked to strangers.

“My name is Aiko Todoroki.” I began, searching for words. “I’m the daughter of Rei and

. . . Enji Todoroki.” I pushed Endeavor’s name out of my mouth. “I have four siblings: Fuyumi, Toya, Natsuo, and Shoto.

My father is obsessed with being the number one hero. He cares about nothing else. He started training my youngest brother, Shoto, when he was five. He wants him to surpass All Might. Shoto would come out of it covered in bruises.” My voice was laced with anger. I kept going. 

“We ran away— all of us. For two years, we managed to stay hidden.” I drew in a shaky breath. “Then, he found us. I came home from school to find our apartment door kicked in. Mom and Toya were unconscious. Endeavor had Shoto pinned to the ground. He was burning it. . . Shoto’s eye. . .” I could barely say it. I grabbed onto my shirt with my hand. “I snapped. We started to fight. After that, I woke up here.”

I waited for them to say something. Makoto looked completely shocked.

“She isn’t lying, Aizawa. Every word that came out of her mouth was true.”

He looked at me. “The doctors say you’re sane.”

“She’s supposed to be dead, though. If she’s not crazy, what does this mean?”

Aizawa seemed unfazed. “It means she’s from another world.” He said.

. . .

He began explaining, starting with where I had been found. It turned out, I had appeared, out of nowhere, on the grounds of UA. That was the same high school Endeavor had graduated from. It was in the same city where we had lived— the city we had run from. 

Aizawa was a teacher at UA. He had been the one to find me. That’s why he volunteered to question me. Aizawa knew Endeavor, and he knew my brother. Shoto was one of his students. That meant Shoto was four years older than me.

Now I truly believed I was in another world.

My other siblings were older too. Fuyumi was twenty-three and taught at an elementary school. Natsuo, nineteen in this world, was in college. Toya. . . Toya had died. Endeavor was involved. Also— The woman upstairs was Mama. She had been in the hospital for years.

They were my family, but at the same time, they weren’t. They wouldn’t know me. I wouldn’t know them.

No matter how different this world was, though, I was stuck in it. The adults didn’t know why I wasn’t in my own world or how to get me back. I had to stay for now. Even so, I made it clear that I would not live in my father’s house again. I refused. Even if this man wasn't the Endeavor I knew, I still hated him.

“In that case, I’ll see if UA will allow you to stay on campus.” Aizawa had promised. 

His other promise was my favorite, though. 

“At the very least,” he said, “I’ll take you to meet your brother.” 

From The Perspective of Aiko Todoroki: (Pt. 8)

The morning after, I waited impatiently for Aizawa to come back. Instead, a man called Cemontoss came to see me. He looked as if he was made of stone. 

It turned out, he was another one of the teachers at UA.

“Aizawa told us what happened.” Cementoss said. “I’m sorry you’re stuck here, away from your family.” Kindly, he put one of his large hands on my shoulder. “We agreed as a faculty that you should come live at UA. There’s a room prepared for you in the dorms. I’ll take you there, if you’re ready.”

I jumped down from the bed, excited to be out of the hospital.

“I’m ready.”

The campus was nearby. We entered it by passing under a tall archway. The school’s name was engraved on it— UA. Once we were inside, Cementoss led me to a row of identical buildings. 

“This is the dorm for Class 1-A. It houses the entire class, including Shoto Todoroki. We thought you would be the most comfortable here.” 

“Is he in there?” I asked bluntly. 

“He’s in class right now.”

I felt an odd mixture of disappointment and relief. We continued into the building. The first floor was full of couches and chairs. There were tables, with a doorway leading to a kitchen as well. Crossing the room, we started climbing a set of stairs.

“Your room is on the fifth floor, next to Momo Yaoyorozu. She’s the class’s deputy representative. If you need anything, you can ask her.” We kept going, flight by flight. Finally, we reached the fifth floor. Cementoss turned right.

“Here it is. You should have everything you’ll need.”

I walked into the room reverently. It was kind of the school to let me stay here. It was something I wouldn’t be able to repay them for. 

On the bed, there were extra clothes for me and a gray uniform. I picked it up.

“What is it for?” I asked Cementoss.

“The uniform is our way of welcoming you.” He replied. “It means you’re officially a student in Class 1-A. Student number twenty-one.” 

My eyes were wide with amazement. “Thank you.” I said. 

. . .

I was given a tour of the campus, afterwards. I met a few more teachers and ate lunch in the school’s cafeteria. Later on, in the afternoon, I returned to the dorms. Aizawa was waiting for me. He had come to fulfill his second promise. 

I was going to meet Shoto.

“I asked him to wait in the classroom.” Aizawa said. “Follow me.”

I obeyed, yet, as I walked behind him, a nervous feeling grabbed me. It made my movements jerky and unnatural. I needed to see Shoto. I needed to see him, even if he wasn’t the Shoto I knew. I was sure of that. Still, I couldn’t shake the nervousness.

Tentatively, I touched Aizawa’s back. He paused mid-step. My eyes fell to the floor, my cheeks burning. I asked my question quietly.

“Will he like me?”

I needed reassurance.

“Yes. He will.” There wasn’t any doubt in his voice. Calmly, Aizawa continued walking. Standing straighter, I followed.

“Here we are. Class 1-A.” He leaned against the wall, next to the door. “I’ll be back for you both later.” 

He was telling me to go inside. My mouth refused to open, so I nodded instead. My hands shook. I opened the door and walked through.

. . .

He was reading a book near the back of the room. Hearing me come in, he glanced up. Several emotions fizzed in my chest: surprise, that same nervousness, pride, joy— even nostalgia. Shoto and I used to read together, like that.

We met in the middle.

“Hello,” he said.

Hands at my side, I bowed to him. “I’m Aiko Todoroki. It’s nice to meet you.”

“There’s no need to be so formal. We’re siblings, right?”

His voice was low and even. His expression was serious, but not unkind. It almost seemed as if he might be nervous too.

“We are.” I answered. “You’re much older than the Shoto I know, though.”

“How old is he?”

“Seven.”

“She’s already in the hospital, then.” Shoto sat, cross-legged, on the floor. I did the same, shaking my head.

“Mama still lives with us.” I said.

His eyebrows lifted. It shocked me how grown up he looked.

“He didn’t. . .?” Shoto started.

“We ran away before he could.”

His eyes widened. He looked like he wanted to know more, but there was a question I needed to ask first.

“Shoto, why is Mama in the hospital?”

From The Perspective of Aiko Todoroki: (Pt. 9)

For me, it had always been my father who was the villain. Mama had never hurt us. Just like us, she had been a victim, unable to escape. She was a source of comfort; I know she kept me strong. I love her.

Not so in this world. Rei Todoroki has been in the hospital for ten years. It’s hard to believe she wasn’t there for her children. They had to suffer all on their own. Shoto had to endure being trained, all on his own.

This is even harder to believe: Rei gave Shoto his scar. It surrounds his left eye, like a stain that can never be washed away. He remembers the night it happened. 

He found Mama talking on the phone one night. Her voice was low and frantic. She told whoever was listening she didn’t want to raise her children anymore. She said she couldn’t bear it. They looked like Endeavor. They acted like him. And Shoto’s left side— she couldn’t stand to look at it. She was going to run away. 

Confused, he asked her what she was talking about. She turned to face him. In her eyes, something snapped. The teakettle shrieked on the stove.

Hot water burns— just like flames. It bites. 

Rei was determined to wash away his fire. . . all she did was leave a scar.

I could try to excuse it. Like Mama, Rei was a victim. Yet— my Mama never hurt us. She never abandoned us. She didn’t try to run away and save herself. How can a woman who did call herself a mother?

From The Perspective of Aiko Todoroki: (Pt. 10)

 Shoto was nearing the end of the story. He pulled in short breaths, as if he were running out of air. I could see his shoulders trembling.

“He sent mom to the hospital.” 

I wanted to reach out and comfort him.

“For a long time, I was afraid to visit her. I thought the sight of me would cause her nothing but pain.” He closed his eyes for a moment. 

I had never seen anyone look that sad. I tasted salt in my mouth.

“Then—”

Then, I hugged him. It was a kind of wild, fierce hug. He started, but after a few seconds, he closed his arms around me. I could feel the weight of his chin on my shoulder. I hugged him as tightly as I could. This was my brother, too. I would help him in any way I could. It was my purpose as an older sibling. I hung on to the moment.

He sighed, slowly letting out a breath. “I did visit her. I was able to mend things with her, and she forgave me. I want to rescue her from that place.”

I lifted my head. What he had said didn’t sit right with me. “Forgive you? She’s the one who hurt you.” I protested.

“I was the one who asked for her forgiveness.” His voice held sadness. “I had forgotten about her for so long. I needed her to forgive me for that, so I could move forward.”

I thought about Mama. She had always given me hope and courage. For most of his life, Shoto had been separated from her. He wanted to love her again without any guilt. He wanted to feel her hope again. 

I understood.

After a pause, his eyes shifted to mine.

“Will you tell me your story, Aiko?”

I sat up. “Yes,” I said. It was only fair. 

Preparing myself, I dove into the memory of it once more. I told him everything I remembered. I described the night we ran— our excitement. I confessed how we dyed our hair and changed our name. I talked about our apartment, too. I started telling him about the attack, but I couldn’t get the words out. There was a wall in my throat, stopping me. I was shaking. 

Shoto put his hand on my arm and waited quietly. Eventually, I continued in a whisper. Telling all of it to him was different from telling it to Makoto. It felt more real, more awful. Flames snapped and twisted in my mind as I talked.

“He’ll probably have a scar like yours.” I finished, my voice low.

“I’m sure he’ll be alright. It would have been worse if you hadn’t come to help.”

I nodded. I didn’t know if he was right, but it was comforting to believe. 

We were silent, then. It was a good silence, though, a growing silence. We were beginning to connect with each other. Our stories had bridged us together. Both of us understood what the other had suffered. On that foundation, we became close friends.

From The Perspective of Aiko Todoroki: (Bonus Feature One)

I had never experienced anything like this. It was overwhelming. Aizawa had informed the other students about my situation, and I was meeting them all for the first time. Their excitement amazed me. I wondered what he had told them.

“Is this her? She’s so cute!” This came from a girl with pink hair and skin. She was very close to my face, smiling widely. 

Shoto answered for me. “Yes. This is my sister. Aiko.”

“It’s nice to meet you. Ribbit.” A girl with long, green hair said this.

“Whoa! She is cute!” One of the boys commented. The girl standing next to him— she had purple hair— punched him in the arm.

“Shut up, Kaminari. Do you want to scare her?” She said, sounding exasperated.

The look on my face must have betrayed how nervous I was feeling. A tall boy wearing glasses began waving his arms around.

“Quiet!” He yelled. “Quiet down, everyone. Step back and give her some space!”

Most of them ignored him, but they did back off a little. The girl with the pink hair and skin turned to her friend, and a mousy looking boy approached me instead. He had wild, green hair.

“Hi!” He said in a friendly way. “I’m Izuku Midoriya. It’s really nice to meet you.” He extended his hand. I shook it.

“It’s nice to meet you, as well. I’m Aiko Todoroki.” I liked Izuku. He put me at ease.  “Shoto was telling me about you.” I said.

Izuku’s eyes widened. 

“I fought your brother in the Sports Festival, and it got pretty rough.” He sounded apologetic. “Is that what he told you about? I wasn’t trying to hurt him! I promise! We just— had to give it our all.” His voice became soft. “Please don’t be mad!” He seemed nervous.

I was confused about his reaction. “Yes, he told me about the Sports Festival. He’s glad you gave it your all. Shoto likes you a lot. He considers you a good friend,” I said to him. “I’m not mad at all.”

Izuku looked ready to cry, but he seemed happy. “I consider him a good friend too.” He said, smiling this time.

We seemed to be moving on from introductions now. People were throwing questions at me. One in particular stood out. “What’s your Quirk?” I wasn’t sure who had asked, but when they did, all the others started chiming in.

“Yeah!”

“What’s your Quirk?”

“C’mon! Tell us!”

I addressed them all at once. “It’s called Heatwave.” I said, raising my voice a little. Immediately, the room went quiet. I didn’t like all the attention. My cheeks burned. “I can pull in heat to defend myself, or I can release heat to slow down nearby opponents.” I summarized my Quirk, feeling embarrassed.

Fearfully, I looked around. They all had wondering looks on their faces.

“That sounds awesome!” This came from the boy who got punched in the arm.

“We have some free time before dinner. I’m sure everyone would appreciate a demonstration,” said the boy wearing glasses.

The whole group nodded. I looked around, lost. They wanted me to demonstrate my Quirk? I felt like I had been thrown under a bus.

“We should probably go outside, so we don’t damage any of the furniture.” The suggestion came from a girl with black hair. She spoke in a refined way.

“That’s an excellent idea, Yaoyorozu!” The boy with glasses said. 

In unison, the entire class headed for the door. I stood where I was, still stunned. 

“They can be overwhelming.” Shoto said, noticing my hesitation. “They’re just excited to meet you.” He turned to go but waited for me.

“They do seem nice.” I said. Pushing down my fear, I walked with him out the door.

. . .

We were all standing in a field now.

“How are we going to go about doing this?” A boy with a thick, skin colored tail asked this. I wished I could remember his name.

“Why don’t you pick someone to fight?” The boy with glasses turned to me. “It will be a mock battle, of course. Whoever you pick will fight with the utmost caution and respect.”

I was silent, considering. Although it was a little strange, I didn’t mind his suggestion.

“Which of you is the fastest?” I asked. Going against an opponent known for their speed would clearly outline the limits of my Quirk.

“That would be me, I suppose.” The boy with glasses answered, without missing a beat. “My Quirk is called Engine. It increases my mobility.”

“Alright, but could you, um, remind me of your name?”

He smiled in an understanding way. “I’m Tenya Iida.”

I returned the smile and nodded. “If you don’t mind, I would like to take on one more opponent, as well. Does anyone specialize in long-range attacks or jumping?”

This time, it was the green haired girl who spoke up. 

“I can do both of those things. Alright if I join you?”

“Sure.” I said. 

“I’m Tsuyu Asui, by the way. But you can call me Tsu.”

The rest of the class retreated a few steps back, clearing a space for the battle. I began bracing myself. Widening my stance, I looked at Tenya and Asui. 

“Ready?” I asked them. Both of my opponents nodded. “Try to touch me. If you can, I’ll admit defeat.”

As I spoke, I released my Quirk, and my hair flashed red. I heard a couple of gasps from the audience. The temperature around me rose. The air rippled with heat. I watched it spread over the field. Inside the bubble of warmth, I could move freely. For the other two, it was like walking underwater.

Right before my Quirk hit her, Asui jumped. She shot up several feet, above my range. Maneuvering herself in midair, she angled her body to land right near me. I sidestepped, and waited for the effects of Heatwave to catch her.

When she was about three feet from the ground— it grabbed her. 

She gasped. “ Ribbit.”  

I had her trapped. 

She wasn’t giving up, though. Opening her mouth, she shot out her tongue. It shot out fast, but my Quirk slowed it down enough that I could dodge it. I wasn’t afraid of missiles. In here, I was in control.

Behind me, Tenya was charging full throttle. He was trying to, at least. The way his arms and legs moved, but didn’t go anywhere, was almost comedic. He was gaining ground, though— even if it was only inches. I could tell his Quirk was powerful.

“You. are. quite. the. adversary.” He grunted.

“Thank. . . you.”

Without warning, I began to feel light-headed.

 “I can only keep it up for. . . about ten minutes, though.” I was running low on air. “I’m going to. . . release you.” I took a deep breath and let the heat disperse. 

Asui dropped to the ground, and Tenya lurched forward. 

On the sidelines, the other students were clapping. I froze. I didn’t know how to react. I bit my bottom lip, nervously.

“Wow, Iida! Even you weren’t able to touch her!”  A girl with short, brown hair rushed over to us. She was animated when she talked.

Close by, Izuku was muttering to himself.

“. . . it was able to slow down Asui’s tongue enough so she could dodge. . . would be incredibly useful when fighting fast villains, or even lots of villains at once. . . the drawback is the amount of stamina it takes. . . if she could increase the amount of time her Quirk is activated. . .” 

His hand raced over the pages of a notebook, jotting down his stream of thoughts. He noticed me staring and looked up. “You were really amazing!” His eyes shone. “Would you be willing to show us the defensive side of your Quirk too?”

Several of the students nearby perked up, looking excited.

“You said you store up heat, right? It’d be cool to see that in action.” A red-haired boy addressed me. 

“Alright.” I said. I had demonstrated half of my Quirk. I might as well show off the other half. “I’ll need you to hit me, using your Quirk.”

He looked uncomfortable. “Are you sure?”

“The best way to see what someone’s defenses are like is by hitting them.” 

I took a moment to draw in some heat, pulling in as much as I could. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my hair fade to white. 

“Go ahead.” I said, crossing my arms in front of me.

“My Quirk is Hardening! It’ll be like getting hit with rocks!” He seemed even more anxious. He waved his hands around.

“I fell from the fifth floor of an apartment building. No punch could come close to what that felt like.”

He still looked worried. 

“Hit me. I’ll be fine,” I urged. I wasn’t going back now. I had already stored up heat.

I saw something shift in his stance. I could tell I had convinced him. His skin began to change, becoming jagged and tough. Half-heartedly, he punched my arm.

“Hit me again— harder.”

He swung again. I hardly felt it.

“Harder!”

This time I felt a jolt.

“Harder! Pretend I’m a villain. Do whatever you have to!”

He hit much harder, then. When his fist made contact with my arm, there was a dull thud. A heartbeat jumped under my skin. I grinned. “That stung a little.” 

“That was about sixty percent of my power.” He said, letting his skin go back to normal. “It only stung a little?” He sounded amazed.

“Yes.” I said, honestly. The stinging had already begun to fade.

I let a couple of the other boys try attacking me. One of them— Rikido Sato— came close to breaking my defenses. I held up, though. Around me, there were cheers and laughs and exclamations from the rest of the group. I think I had gained their respect. I was glad. After a while, Iida herded everyone back inside. Victoriously, I followed the rest of the group.

From The Perspective of Aiko Todoroki: (Pt. 11)

It had been three weeks since I woke up in the hospital. It had been nineteen days since I began living at UA. It felt almost normal. At least— I had a routine of sorts. 

In the morning, I was on my own because Shoto was in class. To fill time, I usually went for a walk. Behind the dorms, there was a running track. It was a good place to walk. I didn’t feel as if I had to be on guard while I was on it. The sky and trees were my company; I trusted them unconditionally. The track taught me to relax again, which I hadn’t done since the attack.

In a couple of hours, I would join Shoto’s class. I had persuaded Aizawa to let me train with them. I needed to continue growing stronger, so I could protect my family. He agreed, on the condition that I be extremely cautious. There were other regulations in place as well. If I got hurt, the school would be liable. We had to be careful. . .

A shadow fell over me. It chilled me, and so did the voice that followed.

“So the rumors are true. My daughter has come back from the grave.”

I pivoted and faced Endeavor.

“You’re not my father!” I spat. My anger flared up, snapping and crackling. It roared. Blood pulsed in my ears.

Slowly, he inclined his head. “True. But I needed to see you, Aiko.”

“Tch.” I didn’t want to hear what he had to say.

“Tell me, what made you hate me?”

The question burned. It was as if he had rubbed salt in my wounds. Fragments of memories sparked in my mind. Impress him. Quirk. Surpass. Training. Fire. Fire. Attack. Falling. Thorns of glass. That question was all I needed. I exploded.

“You hated me first! You hated all of us! Shoto’s eye— it’s because of you! You hurt everyone close to you. I can’t understand it! I wanted to be like you, a hero. I tried so hard! And you never even looked at me! You didn’t want me!” 

I was coughing now. I was choking, and I couldn’t see. No— I was crying.

“I’m sorry.” Endeavor said it gently.

I froze. That wasn’t right. This man— the number two hero— didn’t apologize. It wasn’t in his nature. I opened my mouth, but hesitated. Endeavor spoke instead.

“Those burns. They’re from my flames.” The shiny blisters had almost healed, but they were still visible. It didn’t seem like they would leave scars. Carefully, he reached out and touched my right arm. He seemed afraid. I flinched but didn’t pull away. “I have a lot to atone for.”

A feeling like lightning shot up and down my body. What had he just said?

He let go of my arm.

“I am going to become a person you can be proud to call your father. Whether you choose to forgive what I’ve done is up to you.” He paused. “I’m glad I got to meet you, Aiko.”

Something leapt in my chest. It felt odd. I felt odd. All I could do was stare. This wasn’t the man I knew. He had matured. He had changed.

One more time, my father reached out and touched my hair. Then, he left. I stood in the same place for a long time, thinking.

From The Perspective of Aiko Todoroki: (Bonus Feature Two)

Standing with the rest of Class 1-A, I waited outside the dorms. This was my first time training at night. I took a breath, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. 

“Listen up,” Aizawa said. 

Everyone went silent. 

“Tonight you’ll be training in the mock city. It’s been sectioned off at certain places, making it hard to navigate.” He blinked. “In other words, it’s a maze.”

Tokoyami’s voice came from close behind me. “Revelry. In the dark,” he muttered.

“There are people inside you’ll need to rescue.” Aizawa stopped for a moment and looked over the group. “I’m splitting you into teams. I want each team to rescue one person, at least.”

“This is going to be fun!” Hagakure’s voice came from my left. There were other voices and whispers too.

Aizawa cleared his throat. Everyone was silent again.

“The teams are as follows. . .”

. . .

My team had five members, including me. Shoto was on it too. At first, I had felt strange around Shoto, but it hadn’t taken long for us to become friends. The other members of our team were Jiro, Tokoyami, and Kirishima. I was especially glad to be paired with Jiro. A few of the other girls made me nervous, but she was relaxed and easy to talk to. We got along well. We were clustered in front of the city now, and Aizawa was speaking again. 

“When the horn goes off, I want the first team to enter the city. The next one will go a few minutes after. Get ready.”

A loud bleep rang out. The first team entered. Since we would be the second team to go, our group started working on a strategy.

“We should do some scouting first.” Jiro said.

Shoto nodded his head. “We should get someplace high up, so we can find the exit.”

“That would be wise.” Tokoyami agreed.

I stayed silent, watching and listening. While I did, I stretched my hands and fingers. 

I moved them around, loosening them up.

Shoto came over beside me. “Are you nervous?” He asked.

“I’m not. . . nervous.” I started. “It’s just, the air is cooler at night. It will be harder for me to draw in heat. I need to be ready.” I tried to explain what I was feeling.

“We’ll work together.” He said. “I can use my fire to heat up the air.” 

I smiled. It was good to know I wasn’t alone. That was something I was still trying to get used to. I had always relied on myself. 

As we were talking, another loud bleep pierced the air. I took another breath, bracing myself. Our team moved towards the city’s gate. Together, we entered.

. . .

We stuck to our plan.

It didn’t take us long to find a place to scout from. Near the entrance, there was a tall office building. It rose a few feet above the rest of the city. Luckily, it was unlocked. We climbed the stairs and got onto the roof. From there, we looked out over the city. Most of it was dimly lit, and its edges were blurred by shadows.

“I found the exit.” Tokoyami said, after a minute.

I stared in the direction he was looking. In the far left corner of the maze, there was a bright, colorful sign.

“That has to be it.” I said. “We should start heading in that direction.”

We went back down the building again. Once we were on the ground, we started looking for someone who needed to be rescued. This was the second part of our strategy. 

Jiro crouched, one knee on the ground, and activated her Quirk. I tried to breathe quietly, so I wouldn’t distract her. She put a hand on her ear.

“There are a couple of people close by. I can hear them talking.” She said.

“Nice work, Jiro!” Kirishima grinned.

Jiro stood and motioned for us to follow her. “They’re this way. Let’s go.”

We didn’t get very far— before— it happened. The lights flickered. They went dim, then shone intensely, and went out completely. We were left in total black.

I blinked a few times, trying to adjust my eyes. “Is this part of the exercise?” I asked.

“Either that, or Kaminari fried the grid.” Jiro said wryly.

Tokoyami’s voice sprung out of the darkness. “Todoroki, could you make some light? I can feel Dark Shadow growing restless.”

“Oh. Sure.” Shoto’s left hand lit up with a small flame. I could see everyone again.

Up ahead— there was a scream. Someone was calling out. They were in danger.

“They need help. Let’s go!” Kirishima said. He started running, with us close behind him. 

I could feel each step as my foot made contact with the ground. My chest started to burn. We veered around a corner and came out into an open square. In the middle, there was a girl. She was wearing a shirt that said Help Us Company .  She was screaming at the top of her lungs. 

“No. Please help. Someone.” 

She was so loud, but somehow, she sounded equally as bored. Next to her stood one of our other teachers, Ectoplasm.

“You will not escape me, heroes.” He said. His voice was low and threatening. Opening his mouth, he breathed out a cloud of smoke. Around him, five clones appeared. It was clear he was playing the villain. We would have to fight him.

“Oh no.” The girl yelled. She put one hand on her face.

Without warning, my head slammed forward. One of the clones had gotten behind me. I grunted, shaking off the pain. It tried to hit me again, but I managed to dodge. It kicked, and I jumped back. It was steering me backwards, against a building. I wouldn’t have anywhere else to go. I grunted again, this time in anger. I wouldn’t let it trap me.

I began to fight back. I only had so much heat to work with, though. I had stored up a fair amount, but I didn’t want to use it all at once. Carefully, I sent a bit of it into my palms. Heating up my hands would give my punches extra power. Their glow also helped me to see my attacker.

I hit with everything I had. Again. And again. I was relentless. The clone was moving more slowly now. I was close to beating it. I ran, circling it, and punched one last time. I felt my fist charge through it, out into open air. The clone evaporated.

I leaned against the wall, catching my breath. A few feet away, I spotted Tokoyami. He was standing at the edge of the square. He was strangely still.

“Tokoyami. Are you. Okay?” I called out my question between breaths.

One of his eyes locked onto me. It was wide, with fear. He was trying to warn me. I looked around anxiously, but I didn’t see anything. Then— with a jolt— I realized what was wrong. There wasn’t enough light. At some point during the fight, Shoto had put out his fire. 

Tokoyami groaned and doubled over. A great, pure darkness oozed out of him. It began to swallow him. 

“Fight it!” I yelled. 

It was too late, though. Dark Shadow was taking over. 

He grew bigger, engulfing the square. He was out of control. He flailed around violently, and his talons clawed the buildings around him. Pieces of glass and chunks of cement crashed to the ground.

There wasn’t time to think. I ran towards Tokoyami, letting out my Quirk. I poured every ounce of heat I had into the air. 

The air became dense and hot. The darkness stopped growing, but I was just barely holding it back. I could feel Dark Shadow writhing inside. I didn’t know how long I could hold him. I had never tried to stop anything this big before.

I noticed my knees hurt— my right one was warm and sticky. I looked down and saw I was on the ground. My hands stung. My body ached. 

I felt like I had been doing this for hours. Still, I kept my Quirk activated. I kept pouring heat into the air. I had to keep going.

I started to feel cold, then. All at once, a strange, hollow feeling washed over me. I felt numb, almost. I pushed down the feeling, trying to ignore it. I tried to stay focused, but I could only see darkness. The world was gray, and black, and deep purple. Everything was so far. . . away. . .

An enormous, warm light burned next to me. I gasped. Heat began to spread up my arm like lava. Someone was holding my hand. I felt stronger. My vision cleared, and I looked around. The square was alive with fire and heat. 

I turned my head. It was Shoto next to me, holding my hand. He was mixing his fire with mine. He was giving me the heat I needed. I looked ahead. Dark Shadow wasn’t writhing anymore. Looking timid, he shrank back into Tokoyami.

I let my body relax, feeling relieved. Strangely enough, I heard myself laugh. 

It was going to be okay.

. . .

It took us another hour, but we did escape the maze. After our fight with Ectoplasm, we didn’t encounter any more villains. Shoto kept the area around us bright, and Tokoyami was able to keep Dark Shadow under control. We brought the Help Us Company girl out with us, successfully completing our training.

Sitting outside the city, I wrapped clean gauze around my knee. I had come down on it hard when I fought Dark Shadow, but the cut wasn’t too deep. I was able to walk without any trouble. As I worked, Tokoyami came up to me. I tilted my head up.

“Thank you for what you did.” He said. “I’m sorry I hurt you. I apologize.”

I looked at his hand, which was also wrapped in gauze. He had hurt it while fighting one of the clones. The sight of blood had pushed Dark Shadow over the edge. That’s what had caused him to rampage.

“It’s alright.” I said. “I was glad I could help.”

I got up and went to find Shoto. I needed to talk to him. Our team had kept moving after the fight. We had all concentrated our attention on getting out of the maze. After a minute, I found him talking with Aizawa.

“Is your leg alright?” Aizawa asked, seeing me walk up.

I nodded. “I’ll be fine.”

“You did well. You’ve improved a lot.” He put a hand on my shoulder, then walked off to check on another group. I watched him go. A proud feeling lifted my chest. Aizawa didn’t give out praise lightly.

I shook my head a bit and turned to Shoto.

 “Thank you.” I said.

“You were the one holding him back. I just helped you.” He said. He looked down at his left hand, while he talked.

In my mind, I saw the square again— orange and yellow swirling with red. It had been like the flames were dancing. “Your fire is beautiful.” I said.

Shoto looked up. He seemed surprised, but he smiled. I didn’t see him do that very often.

“Thank you.” He said.

I smiled back. I realized again that I wasn’t alone. It felt good.

From The Perspective of Aiko Todoroki: (Pt. 12)

My heart beat quickly. My hands shook with adrenaline. Today, I was going to meet Natsuo and Fuyumi. I was looking forward to it. We were going to get lunch together, all four of us. Shoto was coming too. After talking with Aizawa, we had gotten permission to leave campus for the afternoon.

“Aiko!” Fuyumi called my name from down the street. 

I smiled when I saw her. I realized I had missed her— even more than I thought. By her side stood Natsuo. He was tall, and he looked strong. Out of all of us, he had grown up to look most like Endeavor.

When I got closer, Fuyumi clasped my hands in hers. Her eyes were bright. They were, without a doubt, Fuyumi’s eyes. I was glad, at least one of my siblings seemed the same.

“It’s so good to see you, Aiko!” She said.

“It’s nice to see you too.” I looked between her and Natsuo as I spoke.

I tried to express the happiness I felt. All of us being together like this, it felt like I was with my family again. It felt good.

“That’s what you look like. Huh,” Natsuo lifted his eyebrows. “To be honest, I couldn’t remember. I was really little when you died.” He said. 

I smiled at his awkward greeting. 

“It’s alright. I didn’t expect you to.” 

“Anyway, I’m glad we get to see each other again.” He said.

As we talked, Fuyumi began steering me towards the entrance.

“Let’s go inside. The food’s really good here!” She said excitedly. 

I let her pull me through the door. Natsuo and Shoto followed behind us.

. . .

We got our food and sat down. Fuyumi kept us talking, for a while. After about twenty minutes, though, it became uncomfortably silent. Then, Natsuo spoke up. 

“Is. . . Toya alive in your world?”

He had seemed relaxed up to this point, but now his face was serious. 

My heart ached. I had been expecting this question. I had hoped he wouldn’t ask it, though. 

“Yes, he’s alive.” I said.

“What’s he like?” 

The intensity in Natsuo’s eyes startled me a bit. I could tell this was a big deal to him. I pictured Toya in my head. I wasn’t sure what to say. 

“He’s thinner than you, and he’s taller.” I started slowly. “He’s hard-working, and he would do anything to protect our family.”

“He sounds like a good brother.” Natsuo sounded bitter.

My eyebrows drew together. 

“You and Toya are close. He loves you, Natsu.”

I felt like he needed to know that, even if it didn’t change things.

He balled his hands into fists. “It isn’t fair. Toya should still be with us.” He said quietly. 

I could hear years of anger in his voice. He looked down at the table, eyes narrowed.

“What isn’t fair?”

A feeling of surprise flooded me. It was Endeavor’s voice. I started to become angry,

but it was half-hearted. That surprised me even more.

Unlike me, Natsuo was wholeheartedly mad. “Why are you here?” He said.

I turned to look at Shoto. I could tell he was mad too, but he was controlling it. I put my hand gently on his. He relaxed, but just barely.

“Fuyumi invited me. I had to handle a few calls on my way here, however. That’s why I was late.” Endeavor said, sitting down.

Fuyumi looked uncomfortable. She straightened her glasses.

Natsuo stood up. 

“I have to go.” He announced. “It was nice seeing you, Aiko.”

Fuyumi reached out, taking his arm. “Natsu, this might be our only time to eat out like this—  as a family.” She looked heartbroken. 

“You can’t keep doing things like this, Fuyumi. We’re not a family.” Shrugging off her hand, he took his plate and left.

“I’ll go talk to him.” Fuyumi said, getting up.

“It’s okay, you stay here. I’ll go talk to him.” I said.

She looked worried, but nodded. I hurried out the door.

. . .

Natsuo was walking quickly. I chased him down the street.

“Natsu!”

He stopped and turned to look at me.

I took a step towards him but jerked back. Bright, blue flames shot up around me. They were hot and fierce.

“Aiko—” Natsuo’s voice was cut off by the fire.

“Poor, little Aiko Todoroki.” This was a new voice.

It was a man’s voice, close behind me. It sounded like smoke, rough and scratchy. My blood ran cold. It sounded— familiar.

“Who are you?” I asked, spinning around. 

“My friends call me Dabi.” He said.

I looked at him closely. He was tall, with black hair. His eyes were very blue. They matched the flames. Around his mouth and eyes, his skin looked burnt and rotting.

An image sparked in my head. I shook my head hard, trying to get rid of it. There was no way this was. . . It couldn’t be. . . 

“That pink hair. Sure you’re a Todoroki?” Dabi said. He spoke with his head tilted back. It felt like he was looking down on me.

“How do you know who I am?” 

I coughed a couple of times. The heat was getting to me.

“There are a lot of rumors going around about you.” His face was serious. 

I grunted. Sweat rolled down my forehead, and my mouth was dry.

“What do you want?” I asked. 

“You ask a lot of questions, for a dead girl.” He answered. As he spoke, he started 

walking towards me. 

“I’m not dead. . .” The heat was making me dizzy.

“I’d be happy to fix that for you.” Dabi grinned, letting his head fall to one side. 

In that moment, I pulled in a massive amount of heat. My hair flashed to white.

 The flames burned as strong as ever, though. This man was powerful.

“That’s a nice trick.” Dabi said. He sounded amused.

He was very close to me now. He grabbed my arm. I tried to pull away, but he pushed me back, into the flames. I sucked in a sharp breath.

My defense hadn’t been strong enough.

“It hurts, doesn’t it?” Dabi was back to being serious now, yet his eyes were still bright with this insane sort of glee. He latched onto my other wrist. 

I pushed against him, but I knew I was losing—

A wild roar drowned out the flames. After that, I saw everything in flashes. It was like my mind was a camera, taking a picture of each second. I saw Dabi let go of my wrist. His hand lighting up. A stream of cool flames coming out. Endeavor charging forward. Covered in fire and smoke. Red flames swallowing blue flames. Dabi on the ground. Endeavor breathing heavily. 

“Stay away from her!” Endeavor yelled.

I realized he must be talking about me. He must be— he was— protecting me. Endeavor was protecting me. 

I dragged my eyes off Endeavor to look at Dabi. Blood was streaming down from his nose, but he was getting up. His eyes were cold.

Abruptly, the ring of fire went out.

“Looks like it’s time for me to leave.” Dabi said. He turned away from us.

“You’re not—” Endeavor started, stepping forward. 

More flames shot from Dabi’s hand. They rose up in a pillar. They kept rising, clawing at the sky. I could feel the heat from where I was standing. 

I blinked. 

In that second, the fire had cleared, and Dabi was gone.

. . .

I felt half-asleep and confused.

A few minutes ago, I had been fighting to protect myself. Now, I was fine. 

I could still taste the smoke. I could still feel the flames against my skin. I still felt the adrenaline coursing through my body, but I was safe. Endeavor had saved me. . .

Was I asleep?

There was movement around me. I felt Fuyumi run up and hug me. I could feel Natsuo nearby, concerned and angry. I felt Shoto’s hand on my back, comforting and steady. I could also feel Endeavor, watching.

“Are you alright?” Fuyumi sounded frantic.

I blinked, clearing my mind.

“I’m okay.” I said, slowly.  “Thank you.”

I looked at Endeavor as I spoke.

“Aiko. . .” He seemed unsure what to say.

I looked at him, for the first time, without anger.

“Thank you, father.” I said.

And I meant it.

From The Perspective of Aiko Todoroki: (Pt. 13)

I was completely focused. Eyes shut. Sweat condensing on my brow. Heat pulsed from my hands. It hurt, but I had to go further. The heat needed to grow a little longer.

Although I was training with Class 1-A, I was also working on some more advanced moves. I thought about my father, as I trained. He could have been the one to teach me this, but he wasn’t. After meeting the Endeavor of this world, though, I could see that Enji Todoroki had potential. Maybe one day, my father would teach me.

Instead, I was learning from a high school boy. Katsuki Bakugo. He was loud and impatient, with an ego rivaling Endeavor’s. I had wanted Shoto to teach me, but overall, my Quirk worked more like Bakugo’s. So now I was stuck with him.

Still, he had agreed to teach me. I was grateful. At the moment, I was attempting an ultimate move he called “Armor Piercing Shot.” It was a powerful offensive move, which was something I lacked.

“Idiot! Are you even trying?!” Bakugo growled.

I pushed myself, trying to send more heat to my palms.

“C’mon!! I could store up more heat than that when I was in grade school!” He yelled. This was his way of motivating me, I guessed.

“Shut up.” I shot back. The yelling was distracting.

“What’d you say, shorty?”

My hands practically exploded. They got three times brighter. I hated it when he called me that. “I said, ‘Shut up!’”

In one swift movement, I whirled around. One hand open, the other making a circle, a beam of concentrated energy shot from my hands. The rock I hit crumbled into three pieces, with cracks lacing the edges.

“AP Shot.” I said, pleased with myself.

Bakugo crossed his arms. “That was fine. Concentrate the beam more next time.” He tried not to show it, but I could tell he was impressed.

A flash of bright, white light.

Shoto. I saw Shoto. My little brother.

I squeezed my eyes shut. My arm stung.

Another flash. 

Mama— in our apartment.

I gasped, panic rising. This was just like when I fell. I realized I was going back to my own world. I had to make sure I said goodbye. I didn’t know how much time I had.

“Thank you for teaching me. I’m truly grateful.” I folded into a bow.

“Yeah. . . sure.” Bakugo looked baffled. He could understand later. I unfolded and ran.

I rushed back in the direction of the dorm. I hardly felt the ground. Shoto was training too. He should be nearby. I ducked under branches, searching frantically. Finally, I found him.

One more flash. 

This time it was Toya.

“What’s wrong?” Shoto asked. He looked concerned.

It took me a minute to get my breath back. “I have to leave. I feel it. I see them waiting for me. I’m going back.” I felt shaky. 

He stared at me for a second, digesting what I had said. Then— he hugged me. It was a kind of wild, fierce hug. I started, then closed my arms around my brother.

“Thank you, Aiko. Your coming here. . . it helped me a lot.”

Flash.

Fuyumi smiling.

I hugged him tighter. “I’ll miss you, Shoto.”

Flash!

Natsuo.

Flash!

I was gone.

 . . .

I had spent three months at UA. Fall was just around the corner.

When I opened my eyes, the dawn light was cold and silver. I breathed in deeply. It smelled like soba and green tea. Excitement ran down my spine. This was our apartment! I was laying on the floor in our living room!

I heard footsteps on the stairs. Someone was coming. I sat up and looked.

When he saw me, his eyes went wide. “Aiko!” Shoto was smiling.

Real joy grabbed my heart, but I found I couldn’t say anything. Quietly, he came and sat with me. He curled up in my lap, like when we were little.

“I’ve been waiting for you to come back. I missed you, Aiko.” He leaned into me, just like the night I decided we should run away. “Where did you go?”

“I guess I went on an adventure.” I said.

He lifted his head. For the first time, I noticed his scar. I had been right. Endeavor’s fire had left a mark. It curved around the edge of Shoto’s right eye, dull red and purple. I touched it.  The texture was like leather. 

“Does it hurt?” I asked

“It did while it was healing, but not anymore.” He rested his head on me again. “Will you tell me about your adventure?”

I wished I had been there to help him heal, but he had Mama and our family. While he had healed here, I had done healing of my own in the other world. Maybe that was best.

I smiled, thinking of my time there. “Sure. . .”

It was hard for my family to believe my story. It was almost as hard for me to believe theirs. The video helped, though:

The screen closes up on a teenage boy. The feed is shaky and unfocused.

. . . “Toya, it’s your father. Hide Shoto.”

CRASH!!!

The screen blurs and goes dark. In the background— “Give me the boy and I’ll go!”

Everything comes back into focus. From far back, it shows two people fighting. Fiery light takes over the screen. Red and orange sparks clash in a mixture of heat and color.

“Gah!” 

One of the fighters— Toya— cries out and falls to the ground. Seeing Toya fall, Rei runs up to Endeavor and grabs him from behind.

“Out of my way, woman!” 

Endeavor twists her arm. Rei gasps. From offscreen, a wall of ice rushes toward Endeavor. It crawls up his left side. He drops Rei.

“I find you after all this time, and this is how you greet me? Defiance. Disobedience. I’ll burn it out of you!” 

Endeavor shrugs off the ice. 

“Stop hurting Mama!”

Shoto is visibly angry, shaking. Endeavor grabs the child, shoving him to the floor.

“You will obey me! I created you!” . . .

The video had been taken by Fuyumi. Miraculously— she had stayed hidden and gotten the entire attack on camera. The next part was of me fighting Endeavor.

When the police saw it, they took Endeavor into custody, where he was questioned thoroughly. They found that Endeavor had suffered from a mental breakdown. Something in him had snapped during those two years without us. His focus on being the number one hero had overtaken him and driven him down a dark path. The violence he had showcased, it was a side effect of that.

The police promised our family protection.

Last anyone heard, Endeavor was sent away to recover.

Sometimes, I still think about him. It’s my hope that, maybe someday, he could truly be our father. Once he recovers, maybe he’ll change. For now, I’ll treasure the family I have. 

For us, life has gone back to the way it was before the attack. What we went through will never fully leave us, but that’s okay. It has shaped us and grown us. It isn’t something that holds us back. It’s something that has made us stronger. We’re all standing tall now, smiling without fear.

From The Perspective of Aiko Todoroki: (End)

Aiko went on to enroll in the hero course at UA. With the guidance of her homeroom teacher, Shota Aizawa, she graduated with honors. After receiving her hero license, she founded her own agency. The Dual Hero: Paradox has since become a household name. She ranks sixth on the hero billboard chart. 

She currently resides in Kyushu with her orange cat, Kyo.