Follow Me

13. Shoto Todoroki Blew Up the Stadium, But at What Cost

"Point your brother out to me when you see him!" You said over the noise of the crowd.

"He's not hard to miss, he's got half white and half red hair." Natsuo told you.

The UA sports festival was an event you never thought you would see in person. But here you were with Natsuo ready to cheer on his little brother.

Even though Natsuo was clearly not fond of his family by any means, he still wanted to see his brother in action. You didn't really know much about his family other than the bits he had explained to you. But you could tell his father, the hero endeavor, was a piece of work.

The relationship between Natsuo and his father reminded you of your relationship with your mother. Maybe your family struggles were not as apparent as his, but the tension was still there. There was a similarity In both of your situations. You were the family disappointment, a quirkless nobody. Your own mother barely paid attention to you after the death of your father. Only upon waking up from her coma did she actually take interest in your life. Perhaps she was feeling guilty, or trying to make up for lost time. In Natsuo's case, he was also a disappointment in a way. You had no clue what his quirk was, or if he had one. It was something you felt you didn't need to know. Although you barely spoke of your upbringings since you had met, a bond had grown between you. Finally someone understood. These outings with Natsuo always took your mind off things. It made you feel normal. Not a disgrace, not needing to hide from others, just normal.

"There he is!" Natsuo pointed at the giant screen. His brother was in the front of the pack. Racing around the obstacle course made for the competition.

The two of you cheered for his brother all the way through the tournament. It was interesting to see quirks used in such a way. All the strategies that these young heroes had to come up with. A few of these students stuck out to you. A boy with purple hair. A flashy yellow haired boy with an electric quirk, much like your mom. And the two boys currently battling on the field. Natsuo's brother Shoto and a small green haired boy with the ability to break his arms on cue. That poor child.

The match seemed to be at a standstill until Natsuo's brother literally made an explosion that threw concrete chunks in every direction.

"Holy shit!" Natsuo moved in front of you to protect you from the piercing waves of heat and cold. "I didn't know he could do something like that!" Natsuo was dumbfounded.

"That was... insane." You were in awe of the sheer power the boy possessed. Usually anything hero related didn't interest you but this... this was fun to watch.

After the final battle between the last two contestants was over, you and Natsuo got up to see his brother. An angry gremlin of a boy with an explosion quirk took first place, much to your dismay. In your eyes Shoto was much more talented, but they both possessed extremely powerful quirks. You found it hilarious you were taking sides in a battle of quirks. Definitely not your thing.

The two of you made your way down to the infirmary, where Shoto was getting patched up for some minor injuries.

"Natsuo?" Shoto seemed surprised to see his brother.

"DUDE, that was awesome." Natsuo high fived the reluctant red and white haired boy. "Seriously, you did great."

"I... didn't think you would come to this." Shoto still seemed a bit confused. "Especially with dad being here and everything."

There seemed to be an awkwardness between them. You could tell they weren't very close.

"Yeah well." Natsuo looked serious. "I just wanted to come support you."

"Thank you, Natsuo." The boy had just the hint of a smile on his face.

"Oh, by the way this is y/n l/n, she's a good friend of mine." He gestured for you to come over.

"Miss L/n, it is nice to meet you." The formality of the boy's speech surprised you.

"You can call me y/n, you don't have to be formal with me." You scratched your neck awkwardly. "You were really amazing out there. Good job!" You were unsure of what else to say.

"Thank you I..." the sound of the door opening made all of you turn. "Father?" Shoto said.

You saw the number two hero Endeavor walk through the door, flame beard and all, it was really him.

"Shoto we need to talk about your progress, I'm glad you are finally coming around." The burly man's voice boomed.

You glanced at Natsuo, noticing how stiff and resentful he looked. Never before had you seen this side of him. He was always so chill and relaxed.

"Ah, Natsuo, give me and Shoto some time to talk. You can speak to your brother later." His cerulean eyes landed on you, they seemed familiar somehow. You automatically stepped back, keeping Natsuo between you and the flame hero. "Who are you, Natsuo's girlfriend perhaps?"

"Uh no dad, she's just a friend." Natsuo stammered, blushing hard.

"I'm y/n l/n." You told the man.

"L/n." His eyes widened. He had recognized the name. "Would you perhaps be the daughter of Daichi and Aiko L/n."

"Yes sir." You nodded.

"Interesting, Aiko was a great help to me in the old days. A good side kick, and a good hero. So was your father."

"My mom worked for you didn't she?" You asked, now curious about the past. Shoto and Natsuo seemed uncomfortable about this whole situation.

"Yes, a pity, what happened. To both of them."

You nodded, unsure of what to say.

"Tell me, have you followed in your parent's footsteps? With parents like them your quirk should be a strong one." His words burnt you like the flames surrounding his body.

"I'm quirkless." You looked away, trying not to feel ashamed.

"Strange," His eyes burned into you. "I thought... well, no matter. Shoto, we have things to discuss."

"Come on, let's wait in the hall." Natsuo slipped his hand into yours and led you out of the room.

"Sorry about that." He let go of your hand before you could address the unsuspected touch. "He's a real asshole."

"It's fine." You looked down thinking about what had just happened. He had known your dad too?

"Hey, you okay?" Natsuo asked.

"Yeah it's just..."

"Sorry he asked if you had a quirk, I didn't know he was going to interview you like that. He usually barely takes notice of my friends." Natsuo said apologetically.

"It's fine." You said again. Not wanting to bring up your dad. It had been fifteen years and it still hurt. Knowing your dad was never coming back. Why did that flaming asshole have to bring it back up again?