A Waterbending Quirk

Festival Finale

The quiet hallway was the ideal place Shoto wanted to be at the moment. The crowds cheers from his match could hardly be heard at this point, and he needed the lack of noise to let his mind focus. He leaned against the wall not caring of the charred tracksuit he was wearing, for all he could do at the moment was stare at his left hand.

"I won..." he muttered to himself, not sure if he should be happy or upset with himself.

It had finally happened; he had faced Katara, one he had been set on confronting since school started, and beat her in a battle. But he was conflicted to how he should feel. He felt he should be happy with himself for finally proving he could defeat her. And yet he couldn't, instead feeling grateful and confused. He was thankful this girl opened his eyes and made him see himself for the first time, forcing him to finally accept who he is. And that is what made him confused, for he had broken the promise he made to never be like that man.

He used his left. He used his fathers quirk.

"Shoto..."

That familiar voice caused his heart to race, glaring to his father standing there with a large smirk across his face. "You came down here..." Shoto grunted out.

"What? Not going to tell me to get lost?" Endeavor's grin grew wider as he approached. "You won your match, but your outfit shows me the truth; You need to learn how to control your power. It's dangerous releasing so much energy at once. But now that you have abandoned that rebellious stage you were in, you finally have embraced your power."

Shoto felt his chest tighten to that statement. Did he embrace the power inside of himself, or did he just do it to not lose? He looked down to his father reaching his hand out towards him.

"Once you graduate, you'll come work by my side and I'll show you what it means to be a hero."

Shoto continued staring at his fathers hand, unable to take it. He took a deep breath before looking to his own hand below. "Today I was certain to win this entire thing with only her power. When I fought Katara, I realized I had no chance if I did that. But that isn't why I broke my promise..." He clenched his fist, thinking back to those powerful words she had said to him. "... in that moment, I had completely forgotten about you."

The smile dropped from Endeavor's face, replaced with a look of shock to the words his son said to him. He had no chance to say anything before Shoto walked by and down the hall away from him. The teen didn't even look back as he continued speaking.

"I don't know what happens now, but one thing hasn't changed for me. Perhaps I really don't need you."

Rounding the corner out of sight, Shoto made his way towards the nurses room. He didn't need to be healed, but talk to the one who already did.

_____________________________________________________

Heavy.

That is how Katara's eyelids felt as she laid there. She groaned as she forced her eyes opened, slowly letting her vision focus to the light above. Once it did, she noticed the familiar ceiling above her and the small operation cart sitting next to the bed she was laying on. The sudden stinging sensation on her left arm caused her to yelp out and sit up too quickly causing her head to spin.

"Oh, Sorry about that."

Katara clutched her head from the throbbing headache killing her, rubbing it to soothe the pain before she looked to the elderly nurse wrapping her arm. "What happened?" Katara asked her.

Recovery Girl chuckled as she finished wrapping the teens arm. "You were quite something out there, although it seems you were a little more banged up than your first visit earlier."