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When the name Todoroki Shouto featured on the hit list released by the Hero Killer, Stain, his first sight of it - on a typed copy handed to him by the police, meeting him in his sitting room as he arrived home - was naturally shocking, and he was afraid. The fact of Stain's breakout from prison a few days before was horrifying already (if he could do it, then couldn't One For All?), and the list spoke of a huge change in his modus operandi that was also unsettling; to think that his society-destroying idealism could change in any way... Despite all that, what stuck in Shouto's craw was the fact that, in a way, he'd been elevated.
His cachet with the general public had never been higher, even with being Endeavour's son. There was prestige in being ranked by this murderer, of having caught his attention to this degree. Awe surrounded the people named as future victims.
Now he knew how his father had felt after the battle where All Might had burnt out the strength of his quirk. To know that you're far from being the best, to strive and plan, and then to blink and find that you have been won by your dream instead of the other way around ... it was incredibly frustrating and downright surreal along with that.
Shouto was now called a hero. One of the rising stars of Yuuei, the media would state when it talking cloyingly and with breathless outrage of the younger people on the list; a boy faced with a number of Villain Alliance troubles and proving more than equal to them in most cases... He was recognised and people turned to him, in opinion pieces he stumbled across and even when he went outside, there were greater expectations resting on him, respect given and faith invested as if he was a certified, proven professional hero.
When will I be able to call myself that?
He wasn't in much danger yet. Stain had ranked the names on his list according to an unknown system that was being analysed for insight into his thought process, and had announced that he would be going in order. Like most people, Shouto was convinced enough of Stain's bizarre sense of honour that he was sure the statement wasn't a lie. He had an escort of two heroes from his father's office in public places now (appearances had to be kept up, after all) and that was it aside from the unearned respect and some more sensible sympathy.
There was an exception.
Two days after Stain's announcement, Shouto was approached after class. Iida held himself with extra rigidity as he explained that he'd prefer to state something when everyone else had left the room.
They didn't bother to make small talk as they waited. Finally the last classmate filtered out and Iida said his piece:
"I wish to tell you that I will lend any assistance I can while your situation is so difficult. You helped me in the past, regarding the villain Stain. It would be good to help you in return."
Shouto's first thought was that this was the case especially because Stain wouldn't hunt for Iida's closest friend, Midoriya, until the others on the list were killed or put out of commission; but that would be an unworthy thing to say. Another day he might have teased that he (and Midoriya) had got Iida into a lot of trouble since then, too, even if it had been with good intentions, and waved the offer away.
But ... another bodyguard, huh? He already had the two from the Endeavour Office. It wasn't only fear for his life and thoughts about worthiness that kept him awake, lately. There was an immediate, practical problem brought on by Stain's threat: with all the attention, his family had to look like it was pulling together to help him. It meant his father wanted to keep a closer eye on him.
Shouto regarded Iida with a list of pertinent points building in his head: legacy hero, upper-class upbringing, lover of rules.
"All right," he said, tamping down his own reactions to make what he was about to say seem more off-hand. "You can help by giving me your opinion about something. This year's field training is coming up: How bad would the PR fallout be if I did mine with your family's hero office rather than heading for my father's group?"
Fortunately, Iida would just about die from the impoliteness of asking why Shouto would want that. He looked surprised but simply answered. "Oh! Well, I'm sure that Aizawa-sensei, or perhaps Present Mic would be better people to give advice, as teachers and from their greater experience with--"
"Help me, Iida." Well, that rankled more than he'd expected it to; he worked to keep his expression composed. Shouto made something of a point of rarely bothering to ask for help. The thing was: put it that way, and Iida would very probably be unable to resist.
He couldn't. Iida at once clicked into the question-answering mode he entered during class, chopping up the air with his seriousness and rigour. The two of them sat on the sunny side of the classroom and debated. One of Shouto's escort called to ask where he was, and he reported that he was fine and would be a few more minutes delayed. He and Iida took a slow walk down UA's halls as they continued raising points back-and-forth:
Immediate headlines would be generated by such a move; the news might be overshadowed by the latest account of someone spotting Stain; media speculation, analysis and think-pieces might well follow for days or weeks down the line; his esteem would lend honour to the Iidas' office; his father's disappointment (and anger); the importance of practicing different tactics and aspects to heroics; the way that public opinion shook like a trembling leaf these days; if changing his schedule would allow more or less opportunity for Stain to target him...
"Shouto," Iida said weightily, when they had stood at the exit for minutes on end. "As I have stated multiple times, my advice is that it would be a poor idea in terms of public relations and your own likelihood of being left alone by the media, as well as several other reasons. But when I explain my reasoning you simply try and find ways to wave them away!"
"I guess I just want to do what I want to do, instead of really think about the pros and cons. Selfish, but there it is."
"And... If I instead requested to join the Endeavour Hero Office for my field training...?"
That would be much worse.
Luckily, Shouto didn't give in to knee-jerk impulses often, and he didn't say the first words to come to mind. That kind of impulsivity represented what he wished to escape; hot-headedness was something his father got accused of a lot, and not because it was an obvious joke. So Shouto considered Iida's idea fully though it made him a little sick.
"That's not a bad thought, I guess. It would give you field experience of a kind that you focus on in school, since your family business is focusing more on support gear nowadays. And I could go to join you after your stint at Endeavour - that way it would be an exchange in expertise. I think it would be hard to argue against it."
Except that he didn't want his friends around his family for that amount of time. But to be able to get away from his father's renewed obsessiveness without it looking strange... He focused on that idea of easy freedom instead of the thought of close scrutiny into his family life. It wasn't like he'd hidden what a piece of shit his old man was, so why start now?
"I'd like that, Iida. Thanks."
"Ah!" For a moment there, Iida's pleasure looked uncomplicated. "I'm glad." Then he grew grimmer, as he likely always would when he had to think of Stain. "I must emphasise, Shouto - I will help you any way that I can."
Butting your nose in when no one asked for it: An aspect of heroism that attracted a lot of jokes, but was serious for all that.
Shouto wasn't given to it, and Iida struck him as too awkward to be a natural either. That smile, though, had got him further even than the sincere offer of help. He'd looked delighted to be allowed to help, which somehow made up for discomfort.
Shouto nodded, happier than he would have thought. Dangerous times, special measures, and the help of a friend like this - not that hard to live with.
*
"The Iida lot just produces support gear ever since their Turbo Hero got cut down. Are you being a fool again, Shouto?"
They were sitting at the dinner table, and maybe it was the food being served that made him perceive something like greed in his father. An excess of expectation: he wanted to hear how well his worthy heir could strategise, and he also wanted the satisfaction of Shouto making a mistake to be corrected on.
"My interest remains in more active heroics. So does Iida Tenya's, despite the shift in the past year in his family's business. He needs more of the kind of training that could be provided at Endeavour Office, and it wouldn't hurt us to have a close contact for better deals on support tech."
"It would look good. Carrying on with business as usual under these circumstances, not letting Stain restrict your movements completely..." A gleaming grin, which disappeared to convey the weight of an order given: "Come get a form from my study before you leave for school in the morning. Young Iida had better prepare himself for what it's like at Endeavour Hero Office."
*
Field training was three weeks long this time. A week and a half of his father having unimpeded access to him; six working days and then however long they saw each other outside of working hours, too.
Shouto could tolerate it. Having a far bigger problem coming for him - and other people - put his father in perspective. It also helped to think of Iida standing alongside him, just ... being so earnest. A complete contrast to everything that would surround them. He imagined that uncomplicated delight on Iida's face again - maybe it would happen when they were taking a break from training. Maybe he could introduce Fuyumi to him and they'd chat peacefully for a while. It would be tough, but then the two of them would be out of there.
"I'm happy our deal was accepted so readily!" Iida handed Shouto his signed copy of the field training forms.
"You'd better keep in mind that I wasn't kidding when I told you what the training's going to be like. You saw that indemnity form. And there's going to be a side of weird professional politics from my old man, at the least."
"Hrm. Well - that's something that will also be useful for the future, in its way. And training hard is natural in our position."
Shouto would shield him - if worst came to worst they could file a complaint to the school and leave for the Ingenium Hero Office. He changed the subject. "What do you think we'll do on your family's side?"
"There are several options! There's answering calls for active incidents, of course, with villain take-downs; there are the safety and rescue missions; and ... the most ... honestly, the most fun option is to help the research and development team with testing support gadgets." He actually looked guilty. "Not that this is supposed to be about fun!"
"Being a guinea pig doesn't sound like it counts." He smiled to show he was teasing, and Iida laughed a little in return and advised that he ask Uraraka and Midoriya, who had been able to take advantage of the opportunity once. While Midoriya would have spilled the beans, Uraraka shushed him and spun Iida's slight embarrassment out to turn the whole thing into a secret surrounded by mysterious, ridiculous hints, and they kidded around until class began.
It was hard to believe how little the field training weighed on him, Shouto found. The solution was simple but would have been out of his reach; he wouldn't have approached any of his classmates, not even Midoriya, who knew the most about the issues, to help him like this. Now that Iida had put it on the table it was clear that he was an excellent person to help in this way, and Shouto realised how much he respected his friend, always there, odd and reliable.
A few days before it was time to start field training, the situation changed.
Midoriya took a turn to request a private talk. He asked before school and then hurried to his desk, hunched in worry through several classes straight, so during break Shouto went directly with him to find a quiet spot to talk.
"I know Iida offered to help you ... but would you mind keeping a close eye on him, too?" Midoriya bobbed a little bow to emphasise the request. "I don't know how badly he might react to having Stain in front of him, if that happens again... Please make sure that you two run away if you possibly can. He's a great choice to have on your side in a case like this, as long as he makes use of it, a good Recipro Burst or of course, as a more desperate measure, the Extended version would mean that you could easily get away as long as you ran at first opportunity, he would have to carry you but he has practiced the proper holds a lot lately so..."
Shouto was startled and interrupted - the analysis ramble was more half-hearted and worried than usual, anyway. "Iida wouldn't try for revenge again, would he? I mean, I can't say it's all behind him, or he wouldn't have made this offer - but he's been serious about avoiding mistakes like that. And since he's offered to help me, that would be his focus. Um, I think."
"Iida's emotions run deeper than tends to be obvious..." Midoriya laughed a little. "He says his brother called him robot when he was a kid. But he feels a lot, and it can sweep him along until he stops thinking his actions through. The feeling of wanting revenge might rise back up even if he doesn't expect it to."
But I thought he was too, well, good to be like that. Dutiful. Smart, fair, kind, and just sort of bright, in a way... Oh, damn it.
"Right," said Shouto, tightly. "I will keep that in mind."
Talk about emotions running too deep.
*
Lying awake for long hours over the next nights, as had become usual, Shouto had realised that he was officially up to three bogeymen:
1) Being thought of as a hero.
2) Stain, somewhere out there.
3) Iida's smile, it was definitely the smile that had started the problem. That flash of expression had been like something new, combined with all he knew of Iida already, and it had kicked at something inside him until it sputtered to life. It wasn't just the kindness; it was the way Iida offered that kindness, despite the danger and regret this situation held for him. Uncomplicated. It said a lot about him. And Shouto didn't have a lot of things in his life that hit that mark.
So this was what it felt like to give an analysis ramble. If he had had the slightest excuse it would have been out loud in the proper Midoriya style, so this would feel less like nerve gas fogging his head and making synapses pop and fizzle in strange ways.
He rolled resolutely over and stared at a bedroom wall. Think about something else, then, he instructed himself.
That list... The Stain situation was so much more personal for Iida, but he hadn't made it onto the list. Good. But why? And nearly all the UA teachers had, but why not all of them? A major theory was that the hit list was meant to sow discord and discontent. So it wasn't just a straightforward statement of intent, but a way for Stain to make people question the heroes they'd always trusted, to get society teetering closer to his belief that a hero should better be nearly a legendary paragon rather than any person walking down the road.
And then there was Shouto.
One of the things that bugged him about being on Stain's list, he decided, was that it had probably happened because of Midoriya. Not because of the things Midoriya had helped him to rethink; just because they were known to be friends. 'Midoriya Izuku' was the second-highest name on the list, after all, right below Yagi Toshinori.
So: he had been listed because he was close to goodness - could recognise it and value it - and because he was strong and likely to do well as a pro, which painted an acceptable target. Or, because he was born of the kind of arrogance that Stain professed to despise, because something of his bitter spite in aiming to become a hero was obvious. There had been rumours over the years, after all. Especially when Mom went to the hospital. Some people knew what Endeavour was like.
Shouto no longer tended to wonder if he ought to exist; now it was more if he ought to exist in the way he did.
Mostly, he wished he could close his eyes and sleep. Field training started in the morning.
*
Ah, good. Iida had taken his advice to show up in his hero outfit; he'd only left his helmet off, holding it under one arm. Shouto had had an idea that his father would throw them in the deep end, and if he hadn't, it still would have been a good idea to look tough.
They stood in the waiting room just off the foyer, ready to go, just as he'd suspected they might be.
"Good morning, sir," Iida said to Todoroki Enji, standing almost to attention in front of him. An impressive figure. (Shouto blinked and looked away. Was he going to turn into some kind of Mineta about this crush?)
"Good morning, Ingenium. Now put that helmet on. We're heading out." Endeavour looked wolfishly pleased at Iida's shock. "There's a bank robbery with villains of a calibre that I and my team are required to see to. Because of you, we'll be the back-up to the first half of the team. Hurry!"
The boys fell into step behind him as he strode towards the garages. "I'm glad you could get here early - I know the morning rush gets pretty crazy around here," Shouto said in a welcoming way, loud enough that his father could hear, and then changed the subject to making sure Iida didn't have necessities he lacked for a day's work. It would be fairly terrible of him to get Iida any more involved in this feud.
"Students! Do you know how to maintain a perimeter?" Endeavour barked as they made their way to the crime scene, and they gave the textbook answers.
The task went off in a textbook way in reality, too, fortunately. Endeavour was realistic enough to assign two of his subordinates to provide them with instructions during the course of the day, and Shouto noted that they were happy to help the boss's kid and his friend rather than resentful of the added burden, so that was another relief.
Maintaining safety perimeters was all they needed to do that day, working with several other members of Endeavour's team at the scenes of two robberies and the dismantling of one illicit weapon production lab, preventing anyone inside if they fled or anyone who attempted to get near the fight. Nothing actually happened where they were stationed, but they could hear the fights over their earpieces. The weapons production took the longest, but was at least in an isolated area.
For the bank robberies, everything was highly visible as they waved civilians back and gave brief explanations about the situation. Shouto almost twitched as the flashes of snapshots taken kept going, and wished he could tune in to a radio channel somewhere, or get a glimpse of a few news websites. Who knew where he was right now?
It wasn't supposed to matter. Stain hadn't resurfaced yet, and there were other people who had far more reason to worry than he did. This was a lot like the threat of the Villain Alliance, always under the surface, so it shouldn't have so much of an effect on him.
After the normal work was done, it was time for training. At the office dojo Iida trooped into the same changing room as Shouto, who took one look at Iida removing the helmet of his hero costume and then turned his back to start changing. He was absolutely not going to be a creep about this.
"Shouto." Being addressed with such weight - that couldn't be good. "I feel - what's happened today-- Well, I'd say it was downright unwise! We might have gained experience, but for you to appear so publicly, now of all times!"
"It's a challenge. My father's also on that list, after all; he was never going to take that lying down. He has to make the most of the bait available for dangling. Both of us in the same place could have presented a tempting target for Stain, despite what he said about how he'd operate."
"Bait..."
"It's not like he allowed me through these office doors with the idea that I'd be useless around here," Shouto said, and stuck to his policy of not turning around as he went from the changing room into the dojo. He didn't quite want to see Iida's reaction to acknowledging his family dynamics.
The dojo wasn't in the traditional style like the ones at home, but highly modern and built of the hardiest materials. Endeavour was going to want to go all out.
"We'll start, Shouto," his father said. "Young Iida will have to--ah, there you are. We warm up - and then we fight."
Of course his pain-in-the-ass old man wouldn't just set exercises. But it wasn't actually that bad, as they got into it. Shouto and Iida pulled their punches with each other, but still sparred so vigorously that there was nothing for Endeavour to object to.
It was a strange experience. His father gave so much useful advice, instead of drip-feeding hints and expecting instant revelations, that Iida almost started to look like he was enjoying this. Maybe it was because their time at the agency was limited. Shouto found it hard to suppress the reflex to reject everything and instead actually apply the good advice.
They went at it for nearly two hours. And then, in a suffocating creep inside Shouto's head and chest, it became too much. Half the problem with his father was presence. It was best to know where the bastard was anyway, for safety's sake, but then he had to go and fill up any available space with the roar of his instructions and letting his fire flare emphatically. One big nightmare of a human being, towering despite being half a room away.
Shouto ended up on his haunches, silently keeping his head down as he breathed deep. Iida skidded to a halt in front of him - he'd probably been about to employ another kick, like the old bastard had been encouraging him to do.
Endeavour sent a flare of fire over their heads - Shouto had been listening for it, and didn't flinch. That satisfied his father enough to head for the door.
"Sir, could you please get--" Iida started
"It's not a panic attack or anything. He's fine - go home. We're done for today."
The door didn't shut, but there was the sound of receding footsteps. That and steady breathing, even with the air hot from the use of fire, would help. Shouto focused desperately on those things.
And then on Iida's hand, resting on his back. Big - which he knew, obviously, with the way Iida called attention to them by his gesturing, but the tactile effect felt like another story entirely. Part of him was distracted enough to shiver.
They were silent, a while, and then went to shower. There were separate shower cubicles each with space for dressing in, so that at least didn't have to be awkward.
"Thanks. See you tomorrow," Shouto said, and Iida nodded. Simple, and a little wonderful for it.
*
The first half of the field training went on in a similar way, except that Shouto made greater efforts to sidestep his father and keep things pleasant for Iida. He should have given him more warning in the first place, really, for this arrangement to have been fair. Still, Iida didn't seem to bear him a grudge, and his father put a lot of the things he did under the label 'teenage rebellion' for his own peace of mind. It seemed like that tendency got more entrenched while his son had a friend to produce as visible evidence for a typical human need to enjoy himself. Even skipping two training sessions got Shouto little more than involuntary flare of eyebrow fire and a bellow or two.
They were lounging in the hero break room, where they weren't technically supposed to be - it wasn't like they were going to use the mini bar, which was the objection to having them there. Shouto was going to have water, and Iida needed more orange juice to refuel his quirk.
And then Iida looked over steepled fingers and said, "Shall we complete the entirety of our field training here? Ingenium Hero Office won't mind if we cancel."
Shouto had been about to chill Iida's juice. Now he let go of every thought in his head at once in order not to crack the glass. He turned to Iida with a silent question on his face.
"I have a clearer idea of why you don't want much media attention. Even a move that seems so businesslike as ours might occasion comment or a deeper investigation. What would you prefer?"
"You don't have to continue being incredibly uncomfortable to repay your debt, you know." Shouto was surprised by himself - he hadn't meant to sound irreverent.
"It's not just repayment!" Iida protested.
"All right. For one thing, no way. Get me out of here - I'd much rather prefer to go to Ingenium. And for another...
"What else is bugging you, then?" Shouto said, with more effort in the words than he liked. He didn't want to lay Iida open, or himself. He didn't want an answer - and he didn't want to stop. He was half-and-half in more ways than one.
"I can't just leave things! You're awaiting execution, essentially ... and have other difficulties too. You bear it with ... surprising warmth in you, with grace, and, and I can help. You." His glasses were steaming up. "If I can help you, in particular, I must, Shouto. I am driven in what I do by other people, and you ... you're one of them now. You've been an example to me for a long time, but it's more than..."
With a certain feeling of helplessness, Shouto looked down at the glass in his hand. Wow. If I keep him going, I'm as important as orange juice, he thought, because he liked to sabotage himself. It was also kind of funny, so he smiled first at the juice and then at Iida.
"That ... I'm glad to hear it." He thrust the glass out, and then held it firmly so Iida couldn't take it easily. He touched the back of Iida's hands with his fingertips while it lingered.
Iida let out a massive sigh of relief. He stepped a little closer, hope on his face, and with a brief glance at the door of the room, closed one big hand around Shouto's. It seemed like his head lowered a little - but he blushed instead of doing anything more intimate. Shouto grinned widely at him; they could certainly work their way on to other things. Together.
Driven by people, he thought. That's how it was with him too, except with the wrong person dominating his motives for a long time. He should remember that there were other people in his life...
It was not necessarily Shouto's own answer to what a hero was. But he thought it got him closer to figuring it out.