Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

With the rainy season finally ending, Aizawa Shouta prepared for the approaching increase in crime by double checking his patrol routes and making any necessary adjustments. It wasn’t easy being an underground hero, especially one who preferred working in the less well-off parts of Tokyo, but he wouldn’t trade this job for the world.

The nights were still quiet, smelling on the edge of a rainstorm combined with garbage-filled alleys, streets barely scattered with pedestrians touting umbrellas, and a soft quiet that put Shouta’s soul at peace. Normally the silence put him on edge, but he wanted to hold on to one last night of calm before work kicked back into overtime.

Of course, the universe hated him, and a cry for help got him running and ready for a fight in less than an instant. He found the sound accompanied by his least favorite and most commonly confronted scene: a young woman on her way home getting assaulted by some drunk, entitled shithead.

“I said get the fuck off me!” the woman screeched, clawing at the man’s face and aiming kicks at his crotch. Unfortunately, his skin looked to be made of metal, and as ferocious as her attacks were, her blue eyes were alight with terror and desperation. “ Help !”

Shouta wasted no time jumping into the alley and fighting to restrain the man with his capture weapon. “She said get off!” he yelled, grunting with the effort to keep him back.

“Shit,” the would-be rapist muttered before tossing the girl into the side of a dumpster and grabbing Shouta’s scarf to fling him away, too.

The Hero thankfully landed against the wall without breaking or spraining anything, but in the seconds he spent reorienting himself, the man escaped the alley. Shouta hesitated before deciding the woman’s care was more important. He could always find someone with such a distinctive Quirk again later; the woman still hadn’t stood back up.

“Miss, are you okay?” he asked, pulling out his first aid kit.

She groaned softly, sitting up slowly. “ Fuck ,” she muttered, reaching for the back of her head.

Shouta pulled out an instant ice pack, activated it, and held it to her head as it quickly went cold. “Miss, I’m going to ask you a few questions, and I want you to answer them to the best of your ability. You hit your head quite hard, and we need to check for brain damage. What is your name?”

She blinked. “Uh, Tanaka Yakedo. I, uh, don’t have my ID on me, though.”

“That’s fine; I’ll take your word for it. What day and year is it?”

“Pretty sure it’s July 12, 2037.” She sat up straighter, taking the ice pack. “Might be off by a day, though.”

He checked his watch. “No, you’re correct. Do you know what prefecture you’re in, the district, the city?”

“Last I checked, Tokyo, in Kabukicho, Shinjuku. I’m pretty sure I don’t have a concussion, Hero; you can stop with the questions.” With a grunt and some help from the wall, she got to her feet. “He didn’t even fuck up my grafts, so I’m fine. You missed your chance to bag that guy, you know. If you need his info, his name’s Kinhifu Hagane, dunno where he lives, but he likes going to the soaplands and image clubs around here. You can probably get him from that, right?”

Shouta tensed up. “You know him?”

Tanaka-san shrugged. “Only as a frequent customer.”

“You work at a soapland? Are you in danger of him attacking you again?”

“Pink salon,” she corrected. “Soaplands aren’t too keen on girls like me working for them. You, uh, probably wouldn’t be, either, um, if you know what I mean, but I can get you a coupon for my place? I don’t exactly have anything else for you, and you’re definitely not getting a higher rank for saving a prostitute .” Her arms were crossed, and she was leaning heavily towards the exit.

Shouta backed up a bit more. “I don’t care about the ranks or any kind of payment. Honestly, what I care about now is making sure you’re okay and that you don’t have to worry about Kinhifu-san again.”

Tanaka-san gave him an odd look. “I can easily get him banned, and he’s probably too much of a coward to try anything else tonight.” She sounded hesitant.

“But he may try again in the future,” Shouta deduced. “I’ll make sure he gets arrested and faces a suitable punishment for this.”

She stared at him for a moment. “You’re a weird one, huh? Can’t say I’ve encountered a lot of Heroes, but you’re the first that’s never asked for anything after saving the day . I didn’t know any still saved people out of the goodness of their hearts anymore.”

Shouta felt his face heat up. “Thank you?”

Tanaka-san laughed. “Eh, you’re still a Hero, so I wouldn’t take it as a compliment. You can get back to your patrol now, or whatever it is you were doing. I can get home on my own.”

“Of course. I’ll be around if he does come back, or anyone else tries anything, so don’t hesitate to call for me if you need to. Have a good night.” He bowed and prepared to swing back onto the rooftops.

“You too, weirdo hero. And, uh, thanks, I guess.” She fixed her long, dark ponytail, then pulled out her phone light to find an umbrella she must’ve dropped earlier.

Shouta perched on the roof ledge and watched as she left. From her baggy pants tucked into rain boots and clear raincoat over a modest sweater, he never would’ve guessed that she was a sex-worker. She was certainly pretty, in a very unique and almost tragic way, between her plethora of graft scarring and delicate features. Those probably helped her pass as a woman, though; her voice didn’t sound altered by hormones, and beneath the loose clothes she still had a very masculine build. Shouta felt for her; even with a Hero’s salary and status, it had been insanely difficult for him to get testosterone and top surgery. He was almost impressed that a pink salon let her work for them.

With a sigh, he continued on his patrol, and though he kept his ears peeled, he did not hear her cry out for him again.

Chapter Text

Crime fighting had truly swung into full gear once more, and Shouta put the mysterious Tanaka Yakedo out of his mind. Mostly, at least. There was something about her that he couldn’t help but focus on, and he still couldn’t tell if it was his instincts saying she was some sort of criminal or if it had nothing to do with that. Either way, he tried to not think about it and just concentrate on his job.

At least, until about a week later, when he saw her again. With the weather getting nicer, she wore much more form-fitted clothing that did a surprisingly good job at helping her come across as more feminine. It also made it much more obvious that she did sex work.

Shouta hesitated before deciding to talk to her again. It was a slower night, and he wanted some kind of closure to finally put her out of his mind.

Tanaka-san leaned against the alley wall, smoking a cigarette and humming to herself. This time, her wavy black hair was down, and it looked longer than Shouta’s, or even his fiancé’s, and that was a tough length to beat. It helped frame the deep v-neck of her blouse to make it look like she had cleavage, which almost made Shouta blush. Sure, he was an asexual gay man, but she was a woman who knew what she was doing.

Upon noticing him, she quickly stamped out her cigarette and stood up straighter. Something in her eyes looked afraid. “Oh, shit, hey Hero!” she greeted before reaching into her thigh-high stockings. “I- I have money, if that’s what you’re here for.”

Shouta paused. “That’s not what I’m here for.”

Tanaka-san grew a little pale. “Do you need more info about that guy? Did you change your mind about a coupon?”

He held up his hands, staying far enough back to not corner her. “No, no, I promise. It’s just been kind of slow, and it’s way too early for me to actually leave, so I thought maybe we could talk until it gets busier.”

Some tension left her shoulders. “Most Heroes I know would just go straight home. Hell, most Heroes I know are almost never in this area, unless it’s for sex.”

“I disagree very strongly with that mentality,” Shouta replied easily. He thought for just a moment before deciding to share, “I actually grew up in a town kind of similar to this one, so call it a personal investment.”

“You really are fucking weird,” Tanaka-san muttered before relaxing a bit more. “Why’d you wanna talk to me, though?”

Shouta ignored the heat building in his cheeks. “I don’t really know anyone else nearby.”

Tanaka-san burst out laughing at that. “Do you have, like, anxiety or something? God, you’re strange! Patrolling the dark sides of Tokyo, not asking for anything after saving someone, acting like an actual human being. How the hell did someone like you become a Hero?” She sounded more bewildered than insulting as she pulled out another cigarette and lit it.

He hid his face in his scarf. “Honestly? I just wanted to protect people better than the ones in charge.”

She just looked at him. “You’re so weird. Hey, I’ve just been calling you ‘weird Hero guy’ in my head this whole time. What’s your name?”

“My Hero name is Eraserhead.”

She blew a ring into the sky. “Cool. I’m Tanaka Yakedo.”

He nodded. “I remember.”

Tanaka-san chuckled. “Of course you do.”

Shouta hesitated for a moment. The woman before him seemed so young, even with the scarring and smoking. “I know it might be rude to ask, but could you please tell me your age?”

That made her laugh again. “I actually get that question a lot! I know, I look twelve. I promise you I’m legal, though! I’m actually twenty-one. It’s the scars, makeup, and childhood malnourishment.”

She said it so casually, Shouta had to suppress a snort of laughter.

Tanaka-san grinned. “It’s okay, dude; you can laugh. It’s far in the past, now.”

He let a small chuckle escape. “The pink salon treats you well, then?”

Her smile grew soft. “Yeah, the owner’s a real sweetheart. Most of us were on the streets when she took us in, and while part of the job entails paying her back for helping us, she makes sure we can all eat in a warm, dry place.”

He accidentally let the next question slip from his lips. “Did she help you pay for your grafts? Oh, shit, I’m sorry; that was insensitive.”

Tanaka-san shrugged. “I mean, a little, but I don’t mind talking about it. I don’t remember much about how I got hurt in the first place, anyway. They were pretty major burns, though… Ayame-chan did help me recover from them. She actually didn’t let me work for, like, three years while I healed.”

“And you healed very well.” He wanted to say more, but stopped himself before he could say something rude again. Just because she was very informal with him didn’t mean he could act like he does with Hizashi.

Still, Tanaka-san proved to be quite observant. “Considering how much had to be replaced, yeah. That’s what you were thinking, right? I’m very aware of what I look like, Hero.”

Shouta flushed. “I didn’t mean anything by it,” he promised.

She rolled her eyes, but her quirked lips around the cigarette let him know she wasn’t too upset. “Let’s just say some people can really perform miracles,” she said cryptically, breathing smoke out from her nose.

“Why are you telling me all this in the first place?”

Tanaka-san eyed him up and down. “I’m not always great with first impressions, and you can probably tell I’ve got some prejudices to work around, but I’m pretty good at reading things like body language and intent. Call it a gamble, but I’m pretty sure I can trust you.”

Before Shouta could reply to that, he heard a scream from a few streets away.

“Looks like we both gotta get back to work,” Tanaka-san sighed, putting out her cigarette. “See ya, Eraserhead.” And with a casual wave behind her, she left the alley.

Shouta didn’t let himself dwell for too long, racing towards the action. He did, however, let his mind wander back to the strange woman. He couldn’t wait to tell Hizashi.

Chapter Text

Every few weeks, Shouta found a quiet night to visit the woman who was quickly becoming his friend.

After a fight with someone who had a fire Quirk, Tanaka-san saw his top surgery scars, which led to them bonding over the struggles of being trans, which turned into a discussion about being queer in general.

“I just think that with how far science and medicine has progressed, it’s a goddamn crime we can’t get hormones for free,” Tanaka-san said, handing a cigarette to a nodding Shouta.

He lit it and took a drag. “It’s been a long time since I smoked,” he admitted, “and my boyfriend’s probably not gonna be happy when he smells it on me.”

“Oh shit, you have a boyfriend? Nice!”

Shouta flushed and hid his face in his scarf. “Actually, he’s my fiancé. I’m still not used to calling him that.”

Tanaka-san punched him lightly in the arm. “That’s so awesome, man! I’d say I wanna get married one day, but I’m aro as fuck, not to mention way too poly for Japan’s marital laws.”

Shouta laughed. “I’m actually poly, too. Hizashi and I, that’s my fiancé’s name, actually used to have a third boyfriend, but…” He winced, thinking about Oboro.

She gave him a soft look. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“How’d you know he died, and it wasn’t just a nasty breakup?” he deflected.

Tanaka-san blew out a stream of smoke. “I have some usuals who just come for the company and are still mourning. You made the same face they do when they talk about their late partners.”

He nodded. “I probably would’ve dropped out of the Hero courses if he hadn’t encouraged me to stay. And after the accident, well… I’m only one man, but I have to do whatever I can so no one else has to lose a partner, a friend, a son, anyone ever again…”

She nodded with sympathy in her eyes. “One girl I used to work with died, too. We were just friends, but I did have a crush on her. …And I found her body.”

Shouta knew how awful that must’ve felt. “I wish I’d been there to help.”

“Nothing you could’ve done.” She shook her head. “She wasn’t even in this part of town. Ayame-chan sent her to get some nicer food or clothes or something to celebrate the salon’s anniversary, and when she never came back I went looking. A building collapsed after a Hero fight, and no one thinks a red-light district whore was worth saving. You’re the first Hero I’ve met who’s ever given a shit about us before.”

“Surely there are at least some vigilantes around,” Shouta insisted.

She chuckled. “Yeah, but I’m no narc. Besides, half of them just want shit from us, or they’ll stop protecting us. Ayame-chan refuses to cooperate with that shit, though, thank fuck.”

A few weeks later, Tanaka-san invited Shouta to use her given name.

“You know what? You can call me Yakedo now,” she said with an amused smile.

Shouta smiled back, pinking a little. “You can call me Shouta, then. Aizawa Shouta, for now at least. We’re thinking about hyphenating.”

“Aww, you guys are adorable,” Yakedo teased. “You’re gonna have to introduce me to your Hizashi at some point. I’d love to meet him.”

“He’d love to meet you, too,” Shouta chuckled. “I think I’m too introverted to survive you meeting him, though. You’re both much too extroverted for me.”

She just laughed.

They spent many nights together, just talking and smoking (and Shouta reported to Yakedo’s great amusement that Hizashi did give him shit for that last bit), until half a year had passed. For Yakedo’s birthday in September, Hizashi came with Shouta to both finally meet her and give her a small cake, and she happily informed Shouta that she would make him a cake when June rolled around again, too. Terrifyingly enough, she and Hizashi got along like a house on fire, but Shouta put up with their antics the way only a fiancé and best friend could.

He and Hizashi actually ended up inviting Yakedo to their wedding next July, almost causing the young lady to burst into tears with joy. Everything was coming up aces for the trio, but good things never lasted for any of them.

Chapter Text

While Shouta attempted to patrol as much as possible, the human body had limits he had yet to overcome, forcing him to stay home at night for once.

“But what if I miss something?” he pleaded with Hizashi, sniffling from under his mound of blankets and a forehead compress.

His fiancé sat down with a tray that had bowls of rice and broth on it. “Well, someone else will have to deal with it. I keep telling you that you have to take at least one night off a week or you’ll get sick, and this winter weather definitely didn’t help. Just try to relax, okay? For me?”

Shouta grumbled, burrowing further into his blankets. “Fine.”

Hizashi turned on their TV and put on a nature documentary while feeding his ill fiancé. The narrator’s soothing voice describing the life cycle of emperor penguins was interrupted, though, with breaking news. Both men tensed, ready to spring into action if necessary. Sickness be damned. They relaxed, though, when it turned out to be another sensationalist piece.

“Today is the four-year anniversary of the tragic disappearance of the first-born son of Japan’s Number Two Hero: Endeavor, and we are no closer to finding him than before,” the news lady said empathetically.

“Poor kid,” Hizashi muttered, getting ready to change the channel.

Once the boy’s photo came up, though, Shouta bolted upright, almost knocking the food onto the floor.

Hizashi yelped. “Oi! Shou, what the-”

“That’s Yakedo.” Shouta stared at the image with horrified eyes. The image was from four years ago, and the boy, Todoroki Touya, had white hair instead of black, but the resemblance could not be denied. It wasn’t just that they looked similar; they looked identical. The same piercing blue eyes, the same elegantly narrow face, hell, even the burns creeping up Touya’s neck and jaw were in the same place as Yakedo’s scars, which were from burns.

Hizashi squinted at the photo. “Holy shit,” he breathed, growing pale. “I mean, are you sure, though? She’s a twenty-one-year-old trans woman, and he’s a seventeen-year-old boy. I mean, they could be related, absolutely-”

“I’ve seen her roots, and they’re white. I always thought she looked younger than she said she was.” Shouta swallowed, because thinking about the implications, he didn't want to be right. “I need to talk to her. Now.” He started to claw his way out of his blanket cocoon.

“Wait- Shouta, no, calm down,” Hizashi protested.

“I have to know-!”

“You’re still sick!” That caused Shouta to pause. Hizashi continued, “As soon as you’re well again, you can talk to her. Until then, I’ll look more into her background and see if it’s at all possible for her to be this missing kid. In the meantime, please rest, my love.”

Shouta hesitated before relaxing against the sofa again. “Please tell me what you find out,” he pleaded softly.

“You know I will, love,” Hizashi assured. “Until then, just rest.”

***

Shouta’s fever had broken, and he only needed decongestants when Hizashi returned with his research. His normally tanned face was almost as pale as Shouta’s, and his hair was in disarray. Between being a Hero and radio host, he hadn’t been able to keep his fiancé very updated on everything he and their mutual detective friend, Tsukauchi, had uncovered. Even if they had, though, the last pieces of Tanaka Yakedo’s puzzle had only just been put into place.

“Fuck,” Shouta muttered, taking in Hizashi’s disheveled appearance.

“Yep,” Hizashi replied with a humorless laugh. “She’s sworn up and down that Tanaka is her real family name, and even with how common it is, no one matches her description. There are only maybe two people who come close, but one’s AFAB and the other is five years too old. Even looking at underage Tanakas, we can’t find her. Even if she’d seen an underground doctor for her burns, she has absolutely zero records anywhere, no schooling or medical or anything . She just… doesn’t exist, legally speaking. And trust me when I say we looked everywhere for some sign that she does.

“I don’t want to believe she’s the Todoroki kid, because those implications honestly terrify me, but the only way to know for sure is her Quirk. I’m holding onto hope that she’s just under some kind of identity protection services that have nothing to do with Endeavor, but we uncovered some dirt on the Number Two that makes things even more complicated. For example, his wife’s in a mental hospital because she permanently scarred her youngest’s face.”

Shouta was horrified. “Fucking hell. Alright, what’s Todoroki Touya’s Quirk?”

Hizashi rubbed his eyes. “You’re gonna have to hear me out before reacting, because it confused me at first, too. It’s called Blue Fire. I know!” he interrupted when Shouta’s mouth opened. “Most people with fire Quirks rarely suffer from burns. Looking further into Todoroki Touya’s medical records, though—and there were a concerning amount of medical records with a bit too much redacted information—he inherited a tolerance for ice and the cold from his mother who has a powerful ice Quirk. There is a mild tolerance for heat that is basically negligible when you realize his fire is blue because it’s overwhelmingly hot.”

“Shit…” Shouta dragged his hands down his face. “I need to talk to Yakedo tonight. If she’s Todoroki Touya, we’re gonna be in some serious fucking trouble.”

“We’re already in some shit for finding out some of this stuff‌,” Hizashi confessed. “I actually had to contact Nezu to get the damn Commission off mine and Tsukauchi’s backs when we found the medical documents specifically.”

Shouta paled. “Are Todoroki Touya’s injuries from abuse?”

“Almost definitely. And you’re really gonna hate this next part.” Hizashi took a deep breath, looking as though he blinked back tears. “Touya was supposed to be reported as dead. Not missing. The only reason he wasn’t was because the middle brother, Todoroki Natsuo, snuck out of the house with missing posters.”

The underground Hero practically collapsed into their sofa. “Fuck. If Yakedo is Touya, she’s gonna be in some serious danger.”

Hizashi nodded. “I already informed Nezu about the situation. He’s willing to help with the only caveat being that you become a teacher at Yuuei.”

Shouta growled. “Seriously? He’s still on that? The bastard knows I will, eventually.”

“He wants you now.”

“…I’ll talk to him after I confirm or deny Yakedo’s identity. I need to do that now, though.” He slipped out of his house slippers and into his boots. As he unlocked the door, though, Hizashi put a hand on his shoulder.

The blond’s face was stricken but intense. “We’ll protect her,” he said firmly.

“Of course we will,” Shouta agreed, and he was off.

Chapter Text

Yakedo greeted Shouta with an enthusiastic wave. “Hey, Shouta! It’s been a minute. Are you feeling better?”

“Yes, thankfully,” he replied, suddenly unsure of how the hell he was going to start this conversation.

“I really hope Hizashi bullied you into finally taking a day off every once in a while,” she laughed, entirely unaware of his nervousness.

He still managed a chuckle at that, though. “Yes, he did,” he painfully admitted.

“Good. I’d hate to see you really hurt yourself doing this shit.” Her blue eyes were warm and so scarily similar to Touya’s. “You’re a good person. Take care of yourself or I’ll collaborate with Hizashi to make you.”

“You two are menaces,” Shouta grumbled, but his smile gave him away.

The two of them stood in silence for a moment, just blowing smoke and relaxing away from their jobs. Well, Yakedo could relax. The tension in Shouta’s body felt ready to snap him in half, so he bit the bullet and started the actual conversation.

“I was watching the news the other night, and there was some special program about that missing kid,” he started.

Yakedo looked at him curiously. “I don’t watch the news that much. What missing kid?”

“You know, that Todoroki boy, who went missing four years ago.”

She got a concentrated look on her face. “That sounds familiar, I think. Did they finally find him or something?”

Yakedo had never been a good actor; she was too straightforward for that. Her confusion had to be real, but that just worried Shouta more. “No, unfortunately. He should be around seventeen now, I think. Actually, his family is giving up looking for him since it’s been so long and there’s been absolutely no trace of him.”

She looked stricken. “That’s awful. Poor thing. Was this like a minister’s kid or something? Four years of searching is pretty intense, and most parents couldn’t afford that.”

“He’s a Hero’s son, actually. The Number Two’s, Endeavor’s.”

If Shouta hadn’t been looking so closely, he would’ve missed the way Yakedo’s eye twitched. Her face was normal, though, when she replied, “Damn, there must've been some pretty powerful people if the Number Two can’t even find him.”

This is going nowhere. Fuck, I don’t wanna scare her off, but… “You know, you actually look kinda similar to him. Are you related to the Todorokis, by any chance?”

She laughed, but something in her eyes became guarded. “No, not to my knowledge. I guess my Quirk’s kinda similar, though.”

Shouta latched onto that. “What is it? I don’t think you ever mentioned it.”

“Well, I mean, it’s a little ironic considering my injuries,” she gestured to her scars, “but it’s called Burn.”

That can’t be a coincidence. “It doesn’t have anything to do with blue fire?”

Yakedo looked very uncomfortable, and Shouta felt bad, but she was in danger no matter what. He had to figure this out.

“Um, I mean, now that you mention it,” she replied slowly, rubbing her head, “I think I’ve seen it become blue fire before? Um, I don’t remember really well, though… Why do you keep asking me these questions? Do you really think I’m somehow related to the Number Two Hero? I wouldn’t be a damn sex worker if I was.”

Aggression was a bad sign. Shouta tried to redirect. “I mean, I don’t exactly remember who you said your family was.”

“The Tanakas in downtown Shibuya,” she replied tersely.

Shouta took a breath. “There has never been a Tanaka family in downtown Shibuya with a twenty-one-year-old trans daughter, much less one who was in a horrific fire accident and who now works at a pink salon.”

“That’s not fucking true!” Yakedo snapped. Something in her voice was different. “I have a mom and a dad and two younger siblings! They all survived the fire just fine, and they’re still living there with no problems!”

“What are their names?”

Yakedo froze. “What?”

Shouta spoke gently but firmly. “What are their names, Yakedo?”

She looked pissed for a moment before she looked terrified. “Um, their names are… Uh, m-my mom’s name is- I don’t remember what their names are. Oh, fuck, I don’t remember what their names are. W-wait, no, I remember my siblings! They’re twins, Hibana and Hanabi! …Wait, no- I-”

Shouta put his hands on her shoulders, both to ground her and keep her from falling over. “Yakedo, there are too many coincidences that I can’t just ignore. I know your natural hair color is white, the same as the missing Todoroki’s, and if you compare a photo of him to yourself, you’re identical. Even your scars are in the same areas where he was injured before going missing. I don’t know what exactly happened or what’s going on now, but I think- No. I know that somehow you’re the missing boy, Todoroki Touya.”

Yakedo’s breath hitched. “I know that name. I’ve seen him, that boy, in my dreams. He has red hair, though, not white. But- It’s the same boy, it has to be. Is- Is this a Quirk? Fuck, my head hurts so much! What the hell is happening?!” She suddenly pushed Shouta away violently. “Get away from me!”

Shouta paused. The pitch and accent of Yakedo’s voice had changed, and the way she looked at him was different. Strikingly so.

“Shit,” he muttered.

Chapter Text

“You need to shut the fuck up about Touya and leave Yakedo the fuck alone,” the person growled.

Shouta took a cautious step back. “You’re not Yakedo, then?” he asked.

They scoffed. “No, but I’ve been here the whole time, and I was fine with you hanging around before, but now? You’re putting her and Touya and so many others in danger, so either stop talking, or fucking leave.”

Back when Shouta was considering dropping out of the Hero courses, he’d taken up some psychology courses, and while he wasn’t an expert by any means, he still remembered a thing or two. “Are there a lot of people in there with you?” he asked gently.

The person’s stance shifted from aggressive to defensive. A yes, even if they spat, “I said stop fucking talking!”

“Are you aware of something called dissociative identity disorder?” Shouta continued.

They made an angry, strangled sort of sound. “Are you fucking listening to me?!”

“Does Yakedo know?”

Wisps of blue-colored fire sparked from their fingers. “Of course not, and I’m fucking keeping it that way! Do you actually want a fucking fight or some shit?!”

“I’m not here as your enemy,” Shouta swore. “My fiancé and I have been looking into the Todoroki family, and we’re on your side. We don’t know the full picture-”

“Of course you fucking don’t! How could you?!” They almost looked ready to cry, and something about their face was desperate. “No one fucking knows! Or at least no one who’s alive and could help!”

“Maybe that was true in the past, but I swear that that is not true anymore, and there is a way to help you, all of you. I can guarantee it.”

That caused them to pause, incredulous. “How. You don’t know who he has in his damn pocket. You don’t know who’s on his fucking side. I don’t even know everyone, but I know enough to realize he could kill you tonight and make it look like an accident.”

“You mean Endeavor?” Shouta clarified, causing them to wince and scowl even darker.

“Don’t say his fucking name,” they hissed.

Shouta took a breath and nodded. “You’re correct that I don’t know everyone on his side, but I am aware of the Hero Commission’s role in covering this up.”

They paled. “Shit, they’re really gonna kill you. Fuck, they’re gonna kill us now, too!”

“I won’t let them. Ende- Sorry. The Number Two Hero is not the only one with powerful allies.”

The fronter narrowed their eyes. “What could you even do to him? You can’t arrest him; the Commission wouldn’t allow it, and he unfortunately has too many fans for that, too. You certainly can’t make him disappear like he could do to you. You’re an underground hero, and he’s a major public figure. Even bringing him to court could get you labeled as a national traitor or terrorist. Literally, what can you do to him?!”

“Everything I have to do to keep you and the rest of the Todorokis safe from him.” Shouta desperately wanted to comfort the fronter with a hug or something else just to show them there was more to their life than the violence they’d experienced. “I knew there were some dirty Heroes, but I never imagined it would go this far. It isn’t right, nor is it fair, and you don’t deserve to be forced to hide from him just to stay alive. Not to mention the three other children still living with him.”

“They’re still alive, though… right?” they asked softly.

Shouta nodded. “As far as we’ve been able to find, yes. I wouldn’t say they’re doing well, but they are alive.”

The fronter hesitated. “Do you think you’d be able to save them, at least?”

“I can save all of you,” Shouta vowed. “That includes you, Touya, Yakedo, and anyone else in your system.”

They eyed him warily, but something like hope seemed to spark faintly in their eyes. “Dabi. My name’s Dabi. …Do you have a safe house we could go to? Or somewhere private, with little risk of being spied on?”

“I can take you there. Will you accept my help, then?”

“I’m still deciding.” Dabi sighed and pressed a hand to their eyes. “I need to talk to Yakedo’s boss real quick. Will she or anyone else here be in danger because of being in such close contact with us?”

Shouta pulled out his phone. “I have some contacts who will watch the area and keep me, as well as some others, updated.”

“And how confident are you that these allies of yours can actually help?”

“I bet my life on it.” Shouta then thought for a moment. “Does Ayame-chan know that Touya is underage?”

Dabi raised an eyebrow. “We all just call it the body, and Yakedo’s been the host for the past few years, so it’d really be more accurate to say it was hers.” The sass was unnecessary.

Shouta suppressed a sigh. “Okay, does Ayame-chan know that the body is underage?”

They shrugged. “I mean, she probably was suspicious, given that she put off actually hiring Yakedo for so long. Yakedo’s gonna be the one who panics the most, really, when she finds out. Hope you’re prepared for that fall out, because I’m not fucking helping you deal with that shit.”

Shouta grimaced. “May I come with you to speak to Ayame-chan? I just want her to know that given the circumstances, no one will be charged for anything. It’s an odd situation to be sure, but given the complexity of the matter it wouldn’t make sense to do so.”

“Wait, you’re gonna tell her? Why the fuck would you do that?!”

“As someone who’s spent years caring for Yakedo who might not return for a while, she should at least know something about why Yakedo vanished. I wouldn’t want her to think another of her employees died…”

Dabi considered that. “You can come with, but you’re following my story, got it? We maintain Yakedo was of age, but left home because of the fire her father caused because of being abusive enough to try to kill her.”

Shouta paled. “Is that what-”

“Don’t fucking interrupt me. Since she now has a Hero on her side willing to help her, she’s returning home to help her mother raise her younger siblings, whom she always wanted to go back for but couldn’t because of the danger. That’s close enough to the truth, and it will explain some of Yakedo’s issues, too, that Ayame-chan shouldn’t need to ask more questions.”

“Won’t Yakedo have questions?”

“I’ll be playing Yakedo. I’ve had to do it before, and I’m not too bad at it. ‘Sides, it’ll simplify some shit if we don’t have to switch out, especially when she still doesn’t know she’s in a system. We’ll go to your safe house after.”

Chapter Text

“This is not a fucking safe house,” Dabi said, almost disgusted at the sight of Shouta’s apartment.

Shouta just shrugged, pulling his keys out. “Trust me, it’s as safe as we can get. It’s not like I have some secret warehouse; I’m only 22, kid, what’d you expect?”

“Okay, first, I’m way older than you. Second, this really just makes me trust you less. This is a goddamn apartment in downtown Tokyo. Do you not realize how easy it would be to bug this place?”

“Well, I’m mildly paranoid and sweep the apartment twice a week for bugs, so it’s at its safest right now. I checked before I left earlier, and Hizashi has been here the whole time, along with the one and only detective we’ve ever trusted with anything of this nature, Tsukauchi Naomasa, so there would not have been time for new bugs to be placed without someone noticing.”

“Great, so there’s a third fucking person I’m gonna have to explain this shit to,” Dabi sighed. “And if this shit actually succeeds, I’ll have to explain shit to Touya’s family, too. Fucking hell.”

Shouta looked at them. “You don’t consider them your family?”

“I’m literally not even human. I’m a goddamn kitsune, Eraserhead. And I’m just here to keep Touya and the others safe. This doesn’t feel safe.”

A kitsune, of course! That certainly didn’t make Shouta’s life that much more difficult. “You can leave at any time, if that makes you feel better. No one will try to stop you, and you only have to share as much as you feel comfortable sharing.”

“I was gonna do that anyway,” they deadpanned.

Shouta had to keep reminding himself that he was doing this for Touya and Yakedo and that snapping at their protector would only end badly. With a sigh, he unlocked and entered the door, announcing, “I’m home.”

“Welcome back,” Hizashi called back, stepping out of the kitchen to greet their guest. “Tsukauchi helped me make some late dinner, if you’re hungry.” He mostly said it to Shouta, but he kept glancing at Dabi who was warily curled into their jacket. “Uh, Yakedo? Are you okay?”

“‘M not Yakedo,” Dabi grumbled, toeing off their shoes at the door. “Name’s Dabi.”

Hizashi’s eyes widened. “Oh, sorry. It’s nice to meet you, Dabi. My name’s Yamada Hizashi.”

“Yeah, nice to meet you, too, or whatever.”

The blond nodded. “Um, I don’t know what you like, but we’ve got some udon, yakitori, tempura shrimp, and a few other things.”

Dabi blinked. “Yakedo loves tempura shrimp.”

“Yeah, I made it for her,” Hizashi replied with a smile.

“…Can I take some for when she fronts again?”

Hizashi laughed gently. “Of course. Actually, we were planning on inviting her to stay the night, and that invitation extends to you, if you want.”

They made a face. “Maybe. We’ll see. Where’s this detective guy you mentioned?”

Tsukauchi took that as his cue to step out from the dining area. He gave a warm smile and respectful bow. “Hello, Dabi, you said? It’s nice to meet you. I’m Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa.”

“I don’t like cops,” Dabi replied tersely.

The detective just nodded sympathetically. “I’ve been looking into Todoroki Touya’s files, and I understand he, or someone else, tried to contact the police multiple times, as well as other Pros when you all were younger. I am so sorry everyone failed you.”

They scowled. “Yeah, or they vanished under mysterious circumstances.”

“What happened to Todoroki-kun was a disgusting abuse of power, but I swear to you that that stops today. For Todoroki-kun, the rest of his family, and any others who have suffered under the corruption of those who were supposed to protect you all.”

Dabi narrowed their eyes. “I understand there’s supposed to be some sort of trump card?”

Hizashi turned to Shouta. “You didn’t tell them yet?”

“We figured it would be safer to do so in a place without any bugs or other spyware,” Shouta explained with a shrug. “Dabi, have you heard of Nezu? The principal of Yuuei High School?”

The kitsune’s jaw dropped. “Are you fucking serious? You have Nezu on our side?” They burst out laughing. “Holy shit, why didn’t you lead with that?! You fucking asshole, how the fuck did you get the God of Yuuei himself involved?!”

Hizashi paused. “The what?”

Dabi turned to him with a genuine, face-splitting grin. “That’s what the Commissioners call him. They’re fucking terrified of him! And he’s on our side?! Holy fuck, you’re actually gonna save us! Holy fuck, you’re actually gonna-” They covered their mouth, blood welling up in their eyes.

Tsukauchi stepped forward in alarm. “Dabi-san, you’re bleeding!”

They just waved him off. “It’s the closest we can get to crying now. Shit.” They lowered themselves to the floor, trembling slightly. “Is this real? How the fuck do you even get someone like Nezu on your side?”

Shouta kneeled next to them, not quite touching but close enough for comfort, hopefully. “Nezu has disagreed with the way the Commission runs things for years; he’s never spoken up about it just to maintain peaceful relations with them. As powerful as he is, there are some things he couldn’t risk until now without enough substantial proof. You, Touya, and the others are the proof he needs to engage openly with the Commission.”

“Plus, he’s been trying to get Shouta to teach for him for a while now,” Hizashi chuckled.

Dabi froze up. Shouta quickly settled the situation. “That is true, but I was going to accept his offer, anyway.” He shot a small glare at Hizashi, who returned an apologetic expression. “The Commission believes everyone only does things if they get something in return, so it would look suspicious to them if Nezu wasn’t openly gaining from this.”

“Seriously?” Dabi asked, glancing up suspiciously. “You were already gonna do it? This isn’t, like, the part where you demand something from me now, right? In exchange for all this?”

Shouta shook his head. “You’ve given enough just to get this far, Dabi. You, Touya, Yakedo, and anyone else with you.”

“Most people do only do shit if they get something in return,” the kitsune countered. “So what are you really getting out of this?”

The underground hero sighed. “I don’t know how to convince you that I’m doing this simply because it’s right and just. If I tell you it’ll ease my conscience to help, will that be enough?”

Dabi huffed a laugh. “Yakedo’s right; you’re the weirdest motherfucker I’ve ever met.” They slowly got to their feet and made their way to the dining table. “Thank you for the food,” they said before serving themself a bowl of miso soup.

Everyone tentatively took their seats, said thanks, and began to eat as well.

“Does this mean you’ll accept our help, then?” Shouta clarified.

Dabi’s smile was small but genuine, and there was a newfound hope in their eyes. “Yeah.”

Chapter Text

Hizashi still had to leave early for his shift at the radio station, but he left his location services on and promised to text every fifteen minutes, just in case. He was already a teacher at Yuuei anyway and thus protected by Nezu, but it didn’t fully ease Shouta’s nerves. Still, they all couldn’t just hole up for the next, however-many days. That would be even more suspicious if the Commission didn’t already know what they were doing.

Thankfully, Dabi accepted their offer to stay the night, as did Tsukauchi. The detective would be returning home in a few days, and promised to follow the same safety guidelines Hizashi was following. In the meantime, Tsukauchi took the pull-out couch while Dabi took the office that had been converted into a small bedroom. The kitsune had already grabbed all of their (mostly Yakedo’s) stuff before leaving the salon, and after getting settled in, Shouta slept the soundest he had in ages. It wasn’t going to be easy from now on, but at least Dabi, and by extension Yakedo and Touya, were safe.

Speaking of the young lady, though, her screams ended up being what woke Shouta. He ran to her, terrified, only to find her sitting up on the bedroll, holding the sheets to her chin in terror.

“Shouta?! What the fuck’s going on?! Where am I?!” she screeched. She and Dabi spoke in the Kansai dialect, but she pitched her voice up while Dabi did theirs much lower, and their body language was completely different.

“Yakedo, calm down, it’s okay, I promise,” Shouta assured, kneeling by the edge of the bed. “Do you remember what we talked about yesterday?”

“What? Um, the Todoroki boy, right?” She paled. “I had a dream where I was in this beautiful mansion, and I met him, and he said the strangest things.”

So Touya knew about his condition, too. …If the dream was actually Yakedo visiting the system’s headspace.

She curled in on herself. “Is it true? This-” Yakedo took a shaky breath. “If this isn’t my body, and I’m just… Am I even real?”

Shouta carefully sat down next to her. “How much do you know about your condition?” he asked gently.

“Um…” She took a moment to think. “Just that there’s a lot of other people in my head, I guess.”

He nodded. “What you and all those other people have is called dissociative identity disorder. When Todoroki Touya was a child, he underwent a series of traumatic events that led to multiple identities forming instead of just one. This was to protect each other from the horrifying memories no child could handle by themself, as well as protection from the situations that caused those memories. All of those identities made then, and everyone who came after, is a wholly real individual. That means you are as real as everyone else in your head, as you said, and as real as me or anyone else. I know this is a lot to process, and it is probably terrifying to think that what you considered your body to not be entirely yours. But I promise you, you are real and have just as much a right to your life as anyone else.”

Yakedo stared at him for a moment, wiping thin trails of blood from her eyes and face. “It is a lot,” she admitted in a small voice. “I- I think I just need time to take everything in. …Is the Touya I met in my dream the real Touya, then? The one who owns this body?”

“I’ve spoken to another person you live with, alters or headmates, whichever you’d prefer to call them, and they said explicitly that pretty much everyone considers this body to belong to everyone. If that helps you feel better…” Shouta picked at the edge of his shirt. “Ah, but I imagine that was indeed Todoroki Touya. That place you met him in, I believe, is your shared headspace where you can meet your other headmates face to face.”

She nodded absentmindedly. They drifted back into silence. “How do I get back there? I want to talk to him again.”

“I’m not actually sure… You’ve found it a few times, though, so I’m sure you’ll end up back there again soon.” Shouta cautiously put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. “Do you want something to eat? I have some rice and eggs, if you want some omurice.”

They slowly got to their feet and Yakedo nervously wrapped her arms around herself. Shouta politely averted his eyes and began searching for a shirt for her. The hand that snatched it from Shouta’s hand, though, didn’t feel like it came from that same unsteady woman, and he risked glancing over.

Sure enough, the body language had changed to something more confident and unashamed. “What’d I miss?” the gruffer voice from the previous night asked suspiciously.

“Dabi?” Shouta confirmed. “Yakedo is just processing everything. She said she met Todoroki-kun?”

Dabi pulled on the shirt carelessly. “Yeah, he mentioned that. Anyway, I’m fucking starving. What do you have for food?”

Shouta repressed a sigh. “We can eat as we discuss everything more.”

“Works for me.”

Chapter Text

Hizashi took Dabi to meet Nezu while Shouta took his nightly patrol shift. There was no way they’d be able to go to Yuuei without arousing suspicion from the Commission, but after this they’d have solid backing from Nezu, so hopefully the Commission would be less likely to retaliate. At least now that Shouta had accepted the teaching position, he was safer from any attempts on his life that could be traced back to the HPSC.

They’d all agreed that with Nezu’s financial backing and general ability to protect the group, they would legally accuse Endeavor of child and spousal abuse and get the rest of the Todorokis permanently out from under his care, get a restraining order against the man, and if they were lucky, even knock him down a peg or two in the rankings.

Dabi had shown interest in getting Endeavor’s Hero license stripped entirely, but the Commission could never allow that to happen without some sort of public address, and even their craftiest lawyers would have trouble figuring out how to explain that without revealing how complicit they were in his crimes. So the fox spirit reluctantly agreed that this was the best plan of action.

The pair pulled up to the gates of Yuuei, where Nezu himself was patiently waiting.

“Hello Yamada-san! It’s nice to meet you, Dabi-san!” he greeted cheerfully. “I wish they were under better circumstances, but I’m happy to help you and the Todorokis. Please, come this way!”

Dabi cocked their head. “Are you a bear?” they asked. “Or like, a mouse? Are you a cat?”

“Such an inquisitive fox!” Nezu laughed, refusing to answer the question as always, much to Dabi’s increasing confusion. “Aizawa-san filled me in on your plan, and I think it’s perfectly reasonable considering the situation and who our major players are! I considered just taking Endeavor out myself, but that would be like a declaration of war to the Commission, and I’d rather we avoid that for now!”

“What the fuck?” Dabi muttered, almost in awe.

Hizashi had to fight back laughter.

Nezu continued, “However, the Commission won’t make this easy for any of us! Luckily, I know of a judge who is perfectly impartial and whose Quirk allows them to confirm truths and lies, which will be invaluable to us in the trial. The burden of proof may be on the defense’s side, but we’ll want every advantage possible! I assume Tsukauchi-san has already taken some testimonies?”

“Uh, yeah, just me so far, though,” Dabi replied. “I’m gonna try to get Touya to front next to testify.”

“Excellent! We’ll also have to get into contact with the other Todorokis, which they won’t make easy for us. As long as we’re persistent, though, we’ll get them to safety. Obviously, the Commission will want this to be a completely private trial, and I know they have an employee whose Quirk can truly bind someone to an oath, so that could cause issues in the future, but so long as we agree to their trial terms, I’ll just have to threaten to leak all of their most incriminating files to the public to get them to agree!”

Even Hizashi was still unused to how casually intense Nezu could be. “What are our chances of success, then?” he asked, only a little scared of the creature in front of him.

“Oh, very high!” Nezu replied excitedly.

“What if we also accused the Commission of child abuse and endangerment?” Dabi suddenly said, causing everyone to pause.

“What do you mean?” Nezu asked, still perfectly cheerful.

“Some shit happened and Endeavor sent us to their training facility. Must’ve been at least a thousand kids there being forced through military level exercises daily, ‘vanishing’ if they fall too far behind. Kids as young as seven , mind you, completely cut off from the rest of the world, conditioned into being perfect little child soldiers who obey without question and don’t hesitate to commit atrocities for the so-called greater good. They tortured an alter into existence before we were even forced into classes, just to see what they could ‘create.’ They deserve retribution for that , if nothing else. Right? And the kids definitely deserve to be saved! Especially-” They looked away. “If he’s still alive, we left a friend there on some pretty bad terms. Not by choice, not entirely, at least…”

Nezu contemplated that. “I might be able to shut down this program, but otherwise, I can’t do much against them without causing a civil war. At this point, my goal is to retake the HPSC the more corporate way, if only to avoid plunging who-knows-how-many innocents into poverty and ruin.” Dabi opened their mouth, but Nezu held up a hand—paw? “I agree they should pay for what they’ve done. In fact, it’s a very personal matter for me as well. However, I have to think of how this would affect the entire country and even beyond, and the risk is far too great right now. In the future, we can revisit this, but until then, I cannot argue that the lives of a few outweigh the lives of billions . Do you understand?”

The fox spirit sighed. “Yeah,” they relented. Then glancing up, “Can we go to that field over there? Souen wants to run around a bit. It’s been years since he’s been able to.”

“That’s quite alright.” Nezu was almost always smiling, but this expression was more compassionate than usual. “May I ask who Souen is?”

They bit their lip, and Hizashi noticed small sparks of blue igniting at their fingertips. “He’s a puppy. The one the Commission tortured into being. The gardens in our headspace are large, but it’s been too long since he could touch real grass and dirt. And at least here he’s safer than a normal park.”

Hizashi himself felt his heartstrings being tugged, and Nezu looked equally affected.

“Consider Souen-kun free to play as much as he wishes,” the principal said gently.

“Oh thank fuck,” Dabi sighed. “I’ve been trying to hold him back since we first saw the park, and it’s giving me the biggest fucking migraine.” They turned back to the grassy field between school buildings, heedless of Hizashi’s stunned laughter, and a grin as pure and innocent as any child’s split their face as Souen began fronting. He didn’t even glance back as he took off into a run, sprinting through the trees and shouting with joy. The puppy stumbled a bit, but he just rolled into it and around the grass, shoving his nose into the dirt.

Hizashi watched on, half bewildered and half fond, and he didn’t notice the principal had left until Nezu was already halfway to Souen. Nezu kneeled next to the puppy, and the two began to talk. They were too quiet for Hizashi to hear, even with his hearing aids turned all the way up, but they were both smiling. Souen even nuzzled into Nezu’s fur before giving him a lick, as strange as it was to see. Nezu just laughed and scratched Souen’s head, though, and soon the two returned to where Hizashi still stood. The clothes they’d lent to Dabi were pretty dirty, but there didn’t appear to be any stains or tears.

“Hello Souen,” Hizashi greeted. “My name is Yamada Hizashi. It’s nice to meet you.”

Souen bounced in place. “Nice to meet you,” he replied shyly. “Nezu-san said you’re gonna save us?”

God, Hizashi’s heart just melted. “Yeah, we are.”

Chapter Text

From there, the group could submit an abuse claim directly to the Commission with all their demands. They were predictably pissed, but acquiesced with the threat of Nezu and what he could do to them. The situation was very sensitive and unique, so Hizashi and Shouta were given permission to be the temporary guardians of the Todoroki children. Because of that, Nezu also helped Shouta and Hizashi move into a larger apartment, one a little closer to Yuuei, as well as one for a family of six (plus the system).

Touya fronted for the first time the morning of the day they were supposed to reunite.

“Um, hi,” he greeted nervously. “We haven’t actually met, yet. I’m Todoroki Touya. It’s nice to meet you.”

Shouta paused where he was putting out dishes for breakfast. “Todoroki-kun! How are you? How’ve you been? Are you okay?”

He blinked in surprise. “Oh, uh, yeah, I’m fine. Dabi’s been filling me in on everything.” He then lowered himself into a deep bow. “I apologize for impeding on your lives, but thank you so much for everything you’ve done. I swear I will repay your kindness and generosity in any way I can.”

“Todoroki-kun, you don’t have to repay us for anything,” Shouta said gently.

He straightened up, shaking his head. “You’ve done far too much for us. My headmates and my family. Anything I can do, I will.”

Shouta wanted to insist that it was unnecessary, but he recognized that look from his fiancé. The eldest Todoroki child would not back down. So, he just sighed and asked, “Would you like to help me set the table then?”

Touya nodded eagerly and began setting everything out. He was efficient in an almost worrisome way, finishing setting up in barely more than a minute, before standing almost at attention.

Shouta tried to ignore it for the time being. “Hizashi should be done with breakfast.”

“Do you want me to help bring everything out?” Touya asked quickly, already taking a step towards the kitchen.

“You don’t have- to…” Shouta couldn’t even finish before Touya was in the kitchen introducing himself to Hizashi and offering to carry servings of food to the table.

“I know Dabi doesn’t like fish, so I hope chicken is okay,” Hizashi said as the two turned the corner with plates and bowls of food.

“I don’t like fish, either,” Touya confessed with an embarrassed chuckle. “Chicken is good.”

Hizashi laughed, too. “Wonderful! I hope you enjoy it, then!”

The two men had figured a larger, traditional breakfast would be better for the coming stress of the day. There was miso soup, thin strips of grilled chicken, fresh rice, tamagoyaki, and namasu. Anything left over, Hizashi planned on turning into some sort of lunch or dinner, along with a bigger main dish for when the other three kids arrived.

The trio said their thanks and began eating. Touya paused, though, after his first bite, and held a hand to his mouth.

“Are you okay?” Hizashi quickly asked. “Is it bad? I can remake it if you need!”

The boy shook his head, droplets of blood gathering in the corners of his eyes. “It’s so good,” he choked out. “Mori-chan makes amazing food, but everything in the mansion feels a little too much like a dream. I forgot how good real food is.” He fought back a sob. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m getting so emotional about this.”

“It’s alright, Todoroki-kun,” Shouta assured softly. “It’s been a long time since you last fronted, hasn’t it?”

He nodded. “Three, almost four years. I missed it.”

They continued to eat in silence until Touya spoke up again. “How will I explain this to my family? They’re all still pretty young; Shouto can’t be older than seven…”

Hizashi put a hand on Touya’s forearm. “We’ll help however we can,” he promised with a smile.

Shouta nodded firmly in agreement.

Touya wiped his eyes with a tissue. “Thank you.”

***

The Commission and the judge allowed Naomasa to supervise the first meeting at a private, undisclosed location before Hizashi and Shouta were officially approved to take the kids home. It was more of a formality at that point, considering how private the entire situation was supposed to be, but if there were any major issues Naomasa offered to take care of the kids instead; he and his wife lived in a decent sized apartment already and didn’t have kids yet, so they were also eligible to be temporary guardians.

Another detective had taken over in Naomasa’s stead as well, so it would not create a conflict of interest. While he and the two Pros could testify, they could not partake in the case in any other way, especially after having gotten personally close to Touya and a few other members of the Hi Keitou. The entire trial would be out of the ordinary, but it would hopefully be for the best.

They had to drive to the location instead of taking the train or bus, but luckily Shouta had his license and Nezu sent them a minivan with enough space for everyone. Naomasa would drive the other Todorokis to the location, then he would return home, too. However, if he felt it would be necessary, he would take the minivan and all the kids instead.

The trio arrived right on time, Shouta and Hizashi occasionally making sure their charge was okay, especially when he started dissociating a bit. As they settled into the decently furnished office space, Dabi was fully co-conscious with Touya.

Their left hand kept sparking, causing the right one to smack it lightly while Touya muttered, “You’re gonna set something on fire, dumbass. Calm down.”

“Fucking rich, coming from you,” Dabi shot back, but otherwise the two didn’t really speak to each other out loud.

“Do you need something to drink?” Hizashi asked. “Water, tea? Coffee?”

“I need a cigarette,” one of them replied with a groan.

Shouta stared in shock. “Dabi, that is-“

They blushed. “Ah, no, it’s Touya. Who said that. Started when I was, like, fifteen? Maybe? I was the disappointing failure already; may as well complete the image.”

Shouta frowned. “I’m not giving you any nicotine.”

“Please?” he begged. “It helps me calm down! And I know you smoked with Yakedo, so don’t pull any morality kind of crap!”

Before anyone could argue, someone knocked on the door and Touya/Dabi went pale.

“All of that drug talk aside, everything will be fine,” Hizashi assured them, a comforting hand on their shoulder. “Just breathe. If you need to leave at any point, just let us know and we’ll step out for a bit. Hell, we’ll even leave if you need us to. Okay?”

“Okay,” they replied softly.

Hizashi nodded with a gentle smile, then went to open the door.

Three nervous kids stood behind the door, with white and red hair and gray and blue eyes. Between their slender faces and delicate frames, you’d have to be blind to miss the resemblance between them all. Matching almond eyes stared with identical expressions of shock and disbelief, and then the girl, Fuyumi, took one step forward.

“Ya-nii?” she asked, softer than even a mouse.

Touya’s lip trembled. “Hi Yumi,” he choked out.

The middle boy, Natsuo, let out a cry before lunging forward, landing securely in his oldest brother’s arms. Touya grunted under the weight but held tight as Natsuo began sobbing into his shoulder.

“I’m so sorry, Natsu,” Touya cried back, burying his face in the younger boy’s hair.

The youngest, Shouto, remained at the door, holding his sister’s hand. Shouta tried to not stare at the seven-year-old’s burn scar, but it was difficult. The child looked between Fuyumi and Touya, confused. “That’s Touya-nii?” he asked. “Why’s his hair black?”

Touya peeked up at him. “Yeah, it’s me, Shou. I colored my hair so Enji- Otou-sama couldn’t find me.”

“Because you’re supposed to be dead?” Shouto asked innocently.

The other siblings tensed up.

“Y-yeah,” Touya forced out. “Because I’m supposed to be dead.”

Shouto smiled then, a toothy thing still filled with innocence. “But you’re not! Unless you’re a ghost?”

Touya laughed. “I’m not a ghost, Shou. Some really nice people just helped me.”

Before he could say more, Natsuo wailed, “Why didn’t you tell us you were alive?! We- We had a funeral and- and everything! I always thought you’d come back for us, but you took so long, you jerk!” He started hitting Touya’s shoulders, still sobbing uncontrollably.

Touya held him even tighter. “I’m so, so sorry, Natsu! I wanted to so badly! But I’m here now, and I swear I’ll never leave like that again!”

Fuyumi, who’d been just standing with her jaw dropped in shock, finally took her own stumbling steps towards her brothers, gently tugging Shouto along. “Is it really you?” she asked, covering her mouth as tears began cascading down her cheeks.

Touya nodded, reaching out to her. “Yeah, it’s me, Yumi.” He pulled her into his embrace, ruffling Shouto’s hair and pulling him in, too.

The four stood there in each other’s arms, crying for a long while, muttering reassurances and apologies. Eventually their tears stopped flowing as strongly, and Touya had to assure his siblings that his bleeding eyes were okay.

The group sat down in a corner of the room, Touya against the walls so he could keep an eye out for anyone approaching, and his siblings in front of him to keep him from getting hurt again.

The adults sat down a respectful distance away and began to talk amongst themselves as well.

Natsuo, still clinging to his eldest brother’s arm, asked softly, “Where were you? Were you safe there? Will you be taking us there, too?”

Touya ruffled his hair. “That’s a complicated question, Natsu. Physically, I was in Tokyo, but mentally, I was in this really pretty mansion with a bunch of other people.”

Fuyumi furrowed her brows. “What do you mean, Nii-chan?”

Touya shifted nervously. “I’m not entirely sure how to explain this… Um, well, it’s a pretty long story, but there are other people living in here with me.” He tapped his forehead. “Some really scary stuff happened when I was a lot younger, younger than Shouto even, and we all kind of ended up developing as a, well, as a system to protect each other and keep each other safe. So, this isn’t just my body; it belongs to a few others, some girls like Fuyumi and others boys like me, and some are adults already while others are just little kids.”

Fuyumi covered her mouth again, tears welling up once more. “Like a family? Because we couldn’t protect you?” she asked, heartbroken. “Oh god, Touya, I’m so-“

“It’s not your fault, Yumi,” Touya interrupted, clinging to her. “We were all just kids; it’s not your fault.”

“These, um, other people,” Natsuo started nervously, “are they nice? Do they use your body a lot? Does it hurt?”

“No, no, it doesn’t hurt. We all take turns as needed. For example, a really nice lady named Yakedo kept us hidden and safe in Tokyo for the past few years. She’s just getting used to the idea of us all sharing, too, but she’s a good person. There’s someone else named Dabi, but they’re actually a kitsune who protects us all ‘cause they’re really strong and brave. Everyone is nice, if shy, and there are two others who aren't human. There used to be some meaner people who kinda hated me and the others, but they combined? Or something like that? And Netsu’s nicer than them.”

Shouto perked up. “Does that mean I have even more siblings?” he asked in awe.

Touya chuckled. “Not all of them are related to me, but some are, so I’m sure they’re your family, too.”

“Wait, how does that work?” Natsuo demanded.

Touya laughed more and kept explaining as best he could, as the other kids kept asking more and more questions.

The trio of adults, who had admittedly been eavesdropping while pretending to talk to each other, smiled.

“I trust you guys with them,” Naomasa said confidently, standing up to leave. “Alright kids, these two gentlemen have been taking care of your brother for the past few days, and they’ve been getting ready to take care of you, too, until something more permanent comes up. They’re Heroes, but they’re good people, and they’re gonna make sure your father never hurts you again, okay?”

“So, no more training?” Shouto asked.

Fuyumi pulled their youngest into a protective hug.

“No more training,” Naomasa confirmed.

Touya nodded, too. “These are actual heroes, guys, and they’re gonna finally save us.”

Chapter Text

Before the trials could officially begin, everyone had to give their official affidavits and the Hi Keitou had to be officially diagnosed by a licensed therapist.

Her name was Ryouki Suketami, and while she was yet another Pro Hero, she worked independently from the Commission and specialized in PTSD, DID, and other identity disorders. The only reason she became a Hero, actually, was like their judge, so she could legally use her Quirk: Calm.

She was maybe in her thirties, with dark skin that really set off her bright emerald eyes. Her hair was kept in an Afro, and her smile was as soothing as her Quirk.

Technically, all the Todorokis would see her so she could clear them for courtroom interrogations and so her professional diagnoses could be shared on the stand. While the burden of proof landed on the defense in Japan, they needed to be prepared for all the Commission’s dirty tricks that could make them lose their case.

“Hello, Touya-san,” she greeted pleasantly. “Is that who I’m speaking to currently?”

The boy nodded. “Yeah, and Dabi. They like being co-con with me.”

Ryouki-sensei nodded. “It's good to meet you both, then. I understand that you’ve been self-diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder for a while. Is that right? What makes you so sure that’s the correct diagnosis?” She asked neutrally instead of accusatory like Dabi had feared she would.

Touya started tapping his fingers against his thigh and biting his lips. “When we were wards of the Commission, they assigned another kid to diagnose us, as a test to see how perceptive he was. They already knew about it after triggering the formation of one alter, a puppy named Souen. Dabi and a few others already had some idea of us all being totally separate people, but we didn’t have the words for it until that student shared his findings with us, and it explained the loss of time, how I sometimes felt like everything was happening from under water, and how sometimes I did things without controlling myself. Since then, we’ve worked on maintaining strong relationships so we could learn how to switch at will and talk to each other even when we weren’t co-con. We share dreams a lot of times in this mansion. That’s our shared headspace, and Dabi and a few others have confirmed that they hold very traumatic memories from when we were toddlers. So everything kind of just matches up, I guess.”

She nodded. “You’re close with your headmates, then? That’s very good! Normally, that’s the primary focus of my patients’ work. Can you tell me a little about everyone, please?”

Touya nodded, relaxing some. “Um, there’s me, Touya. I’m seventeen, a boy, and a human. Dabi is somewhere in the seven-hundreds, and they’re a kitsune. Hibana and Hanabi are twins, boy and girl, and they’re only four. Noyaki is twenty-two, I think? Yes, his birthday passed in December, and he’s sort of like a gatekeeper, and the most organized out of everyone.” He chuckled a bit. “Nukumori is kind of like a second mom, and she says it’s rude to ask a lady’s age, but I think she’s as old as my first mom, Rei. Shiryou is a ghost, so he’s been thirteen for a while. Then there’s Souen, who’s forever a puppy, specifically a shiba inu, and Netsu is, I think it’s called integration, of two alters who were both introjects of our abusers. Mainly Enji and Rei.”

Ryouki-sensei paused her notes. “Rei-san abused you, too?”

“It wasn’t her fault,” Touya quickly defended. “When we were younger, our hair was red, so we looked a lot like Enji, and she would sometimes mistake us for him. She did start neglecting us after, though, which was her choice, but it was probably for the best, anyway.”

“Touya,” she said gently, “you don’t have to justify anything you went through. That includes this.”

Touya just looked away uncomfortably.

Ryouki-sensei gave a small sigh. “It’s alright. You can continue, now.”

He nodded. “Ikotsu came after we almost died. He’s terrified of most things, and I don’t think he’s as fully formed as the rest of us. I believe that’s called a fragment alter? He’s not a bad kid, but he’s volatile, especially when he thinks we’re about to die. I don’t think he doesn’t like me very much because in the inner world I still have red hair, so I look kind of like Enji, but he’s really gentle with the twins. He- He’s not evil or anything like that, though! I promise!”

“No, of course not,” Ryouki-sensei agreed. “Is there anyone else?”

Touya nodded. “Yakedo is the newest, I think. She was the host for a few years, actually. I think she’s in her twenties since she had a job doing sex work. Pink salon, I’m pretty sure.”

“Did she know she was part of a system?”

“No, she only found out recently when Aizawa-san confronted her about everything. She’s still pretty shaken up about it all, but she’s adjusting, and she’s really sweet to the twins. They kind of adopt everyone as a parent or sibling.” He smiled fondly.

She nodded. “That’s good. Well, you’re certainly confident in your diagnosis, and you have no reason to lie, but I would like to talk with Dabi, now, if that’s alright. You said they’ve been co-con with you this entire time?”

Touya shrugged. “More or less.”

“What does that feel like for you?”

He thought about it for a moment. “Kind of like I’m hearing voices, kind of like I’m possessed? Sometimes they do something I didn’t want them to, but it’s not like from under water when I’m more dissociated. It’s kind of like we’re trying to fit in the same jacket together, but it’s not uncomfortable. Just odd.”

Ryouki-sensei nodded again and made another note. “Alright then. Thank you, Touya-kun. It was nice to meet you. Now, if Dabi is also comfortable with it, I would like to speak with them, please.”

Dabi fully came to the front, and after they spoke, a few others popped out quickly to say hi or let her know more about their condition. Overall, it was a good meeting, and Ryouki-sensei confirmed their diagnosis before confirming they were fit to stand trial.

She met with the other kids after, but decided that Shouto was both too young and too recently traumatized to go to court. Nezu, since the Commission refused to accept him as a witness, volunteered to watch him at the Aizawa-Yamada house while everyone else went to a small, private courthouse for the trial.

Rei had been informed about the proceedings, but her own therapist, Kouyuu Chiryou, refused to let her be a witness, since her mental health was still shaky. She’d been allowed to send in her own testimony, though, and Ryouki-sensei opened a discussion with Kouyuu-sensei about letting Rei see her children after the trial was over, much to the children’s excitement.

All of that was just the easy part, though. The trial itself ended up being a nightmare for the entire prosecution, and the Commission’s defense attorney did not hold back in his invasive and aggressive questioning, even with the Todoroki kids. The judge had to step in multiple times to keep him from fully triggering breakdowns in each of them, but especially Touya and the Hi Keitou. It wasn’t as though the Commission thought they could win once the trial began — they knew they could never from the moment court was even mentioned — but they wanted to do everything they could to make the victims regret standing trial.

They were gracious enough to keep Endeavor out of view while the prosecution pleaded their case, but the Commission had another witness they wanted to use before bringing the Hero in, too.

Chapter Text

Hawks was fourteen years old and the Commission’s golden child. There had been some hiccups in his training early on, but he had overcome those challenges eventually. As the youngest graduate in the Commission’s generalized training program’s history, Hawks had inspired an entire next level of personalized training to ready him for his Hero debut the moment he turned eighteen. He was their shining example that even the son of a Villain could become a Pro Hero if they just worked hard enough for it.

Unbeknownst to the Commission, though, was that Hawks was rarely mentally present for his training. Yes, he performed perfectly in combat situations and could charm the pants off even the most stubborn trainers, but it was all muscle memory at that point. Dodge here, strike there, smile like that, behave like this. He went about his days like he was swimming in molasses, though it hardly affected his performance.

Maybe the Commission did know that his mind was never fully present, but if they did, they didn’t care; he still functioned as their perfect soldier, after all. However, he would need to learn to be more mentally there for things like PR stunts and interviews, and a private trial was the perfect place to learn and practice with no mistakes making it back to the Commission.

Hawks struggled to surface from the syrup that kept him from the front of his own mind (why did “fronting” sound familiar?) so he could convincingly relay his scripted answers back to his handler.

“Remember, you must maintain eye contact with either the defense attorney or the judge the entire time,” Austringer (Hero name; Hawks didn’t know her birth name) informed him. “Why is that?”

“Eye contact is a sign of trustworthiness and honesty,” Hawks recited dutifully. “As there is no jury, I need only convince the judge that what I’m saying is fact; the defense attorney already knows how I will answer, so he is slightly less important to pay attention to. Showing attentiveness is important to stay present in the moment, though.”

Austringer smiled. “And what of the prosecutor?”

Hawks returned the expression, happy to have made his handler proud. “The prosecutor will attempt to mislead and discredit me. He will attempt to make me more emotional so that I slip up or misspeak, so it is crucial that I maintain a calm disposition. Some emotion is allowed, though, as upset witnesses can appear more honest and vulnerable, which is crucial to swaying a judge or jury. However, it must be kept under control so that I remain in control of myself.”

“Very good. Let’s go over some of our attorney’s questions now.”

Austringer was Hawks’ fifth handler, and his favorite. She gave him positive feedback and criticism without brutal punishment, so he loved working with her. His first handler had been too much of a perfectionist, according to the President, after he asked why he couldn’t remember his previous handlers well. The President informed him that those handlers hadn’t been good matches for him, and their flawed instructions would have contradicted each other, causing him to be confused and inefficient as their operative. His second handler had been too lenient, and his third had constantly changing standards. The fourth had been a good, firm hand for him until he grew too soft and became compromised. Apparently, he’d had a family the Commission didn’t know about, and Hawks reminded the man of one of his sons.

“We’re not a family; we’re a company,” the President explained patiently. “It was completely unprofessional for him to treat you like his son, just as it would have been wrong if he’d treated his son like an agent. We were disheartened to see him go, but it was for the best.”

Austringer, though, was perfect. She didn’t overstep her bounds by being too harsh or too gentle, and her expectations were crystal clear. Really, Hawks couldn’t ask for a better handler, and he even found it easier to be present around her, especially compared to his more severe teachers and trainers.

With her approval, he set out for the witness’ stand, keeping his eyes focused on the judge and attorney. He heard a gasp and soft muttering from the “victim’s” side (how could anyone be a victim of the Commission or Heroes? They existed to protect everyone!), but he ignored it as he was sworn in. Not even his feathers twitched as a small ruckus occurred just out of his field of vision, and he only distantly processed the judge requesting the prosecution settle down. He had a mission, and he refused to fail.

The defense attorney smiled and began asking his questions, starting with who Hawks was and his relationship to the prosecution. Hawks didn’t even know who the prosecution was—everyone had been tight-lipped about their identity—but Austringer assured him this was the truth.

“We met under the training program for prospective Heroes, funded by the Hero Public Safety Commission. In fact, we were roommates. They appeared normal at first, but as time went on, they began acting strangely and making me nervous. Their behavior would change randomly and without reason, and it was a scary thing to witness. I knew little about their home life—we were encouraged to keep home and work separate—but they mentioned one time how they tried to hurt their baby brother, and that honestly terrified me. I didn’t feel safe around them, and I was grateful when they finally left.” Hawks made sure to blink a normal amount as he looked into the attorney’s and judge’s eyes, pushing emotions into his expression at the proper moments and making himself appear the uncertain, skittish kid he’d been tasked to play.

The attorney beamed at him, and Hawks cheered internally at the praise. There were a few more questions before the prosecutor took his turn. The other man looked at Hawks with- Was that pity? Why would he pity Hawks?

His tone was gentle and consoling as he spoke, so maybe Hawks had just done an especially convincing job of appearing young and nervous. “Are you sure you’d prefer to be called Hawks here? Don’t you want to go by your real name?”

That was not allowed, but Hawks couldn’t just say that. “I’m sure. Thank you.”

The prosecutor frowned but continued. “I couldn’t help but notice that you didn’t once use my client’s name—any name, really—even though you claimed to have known them. Do you remember their name?”

Hawks paused for only a second. “Of course I do,” he lied.

“Can you tell me their name?”

“Is that relevant?” Hawks countered, fighting to not show his nerves.

The prosecutor shrugged. “I suppose not, but would you recognize it if I said it?”

“I remember their name,” Hawks insisted.

“Their Hero name or their real name?”

Hawks opened his mouth but didn’t know how to respond. He risked glancing towards the defense attorney, but the man was busy sending the prosecutor a death glare.

The prosecutor took Hawks’ silence as a no. “Their Hero name was Blueflame. Do you remember this?”

That name caused a spike of pain in the center of Hawks’ brain. Maybe in his amygdala? “I-”

“Do you remember a boy called Blueflame?” the prosecutor pressed, each question causing a new pain to appear. “Do you remember telling him your real name?” That wasn’t allowed. Why would Hawks tell anyone that? “Do you remember him telling you that his name was Touya?”

“ Look at me, goddamn it! ” someone screamed, and Hawks’ eyes found the source of the noise before he could stop himself.

A pair of piercing blue eyes framed by pale lashes met his, and Hawks’ head felt like it was splitting in two. Their hair was black, but Hawks thought it should be red with patches of white. Burn grafts stuck to the skin on their neck and face, and something in Hawks said it was because their Quirk hurt them. A single tear escaped down their cheek, and Hawks felt more than heard himself ask, “Touya?”

Images and feelings he’d suppressed rushed through his skull, and he thought—or spoke? “They said you were dead. I thought you were dead. You- You were dead; how are you here? What- What are you doing here? What’s happening? Are you really Touya?”

Suddenly, Austringer stepped in front of Kei- Hawks ! He was Hawks! He was Keigo? No-

Austringer smiled at him, and her silver eyes seemed to glow. “Hawks, you need to calm down. You’re acting emotionally compromised, and that’s no good,” she said lightly. “What do we do when we’re acting emotionally compromised?”

Keigo- Hawks stumbled over his words as he replied, “Compartmentalize. If the upsetting thoughts are not important to the mission, shove them away until they are. Never forget the mission.” His frantic heart began to calm down, and he felt his distress slip away. “Your focus should always be on the mission.”

She smiled proudly, and Hawks returned the expression. “Very good. You’ve done your job here. Let’s debrief with the President now.”

Austringer left the same way Hawks had come in, and he followed her obediently, ignoring the world around him; it didn’t matter anymore if his mission was complete. If he’d looked over, though, he would have seen a familiar boy sobbing on the floor, and he would have realized that his own cheeks were damp with tears.

Back at the President’s office, Austringer took charge of the debrief. “You’re very lucky I got to him in time,” Austringer said, voice flat. “I won’t pretend I understand why you allowed this, but if I were you, I’d be grateful this stunt didn’t undo almost ten years' worth of time, money, and resources.”

The President eyed her coolly. “As if we would allow something like this to truly set us back. I had the utmost confidence in you and our work. Was that misplaced?”

Austringer backed down. “No, ma’am. I apologize.”

“Accepted.” She turned her gaze to Hawks. “You performed decently enough, Hawks, but we expected perfection.”

He fell to his knees and pressed his forehead to the floor. “I apologize for my imperfection. You will not be disappointed again,” he swore.

The President simply hummed before dismissing them.

As Austringer accompanied Hawks to his barracks, he never felt further away from reality.

Chapter Text

In Chapter 13, Endeavor would've taken the stand, and Dabi would have been the one fronting the entire time. Based on what little I know of the current manga arcs and how that's been received, I think I would have Endeavor genuinely take responsibility for the suffering he's caused his family and graciously accept his punishments of becoming #100 Hero and getting a restraining order placed against him. He would apologize (as stiffly and emotionally constipated as possible ofc uwu) but it would open the door to him possibly being able to meet his family again in the future. I think they could forgive him eventually, as they are all still much younger and spent much less time in an abusive situation, but for now they will not forgive.

Chapter Text

On the final day of trial, we get that restraining order and everything else, everyone agrees to some nondisclosure stuff, and the kids realize that they don't know what will happen to them next (aside from court mandated therapy for everyone, including Endeavor). Shouta and Hizashi offer to foster them until either Rei is well enough to take care of them again or they all age out of the system, whichever comes first. In reality, the couple will eventually adopt the kids <3

Chapter Text

This chapter is just focusing on everyone getting to know each other again, especially the Hi Keitou and the other todosibs, and there's some angst bc trauma and night terrors, but it's overall fluffy and domestic as they all start healing.

Chapter Text

This is the erasermic wedding chapter!!! It's super cute and happy, and Shouto smiles for the first time since his scarring, and everything is good <3

Chapter Text

The last chapter of this instalment is actually a timeskip. The Hi Keitou work as teachers at Yuuei, specifically teaching morals; Natsuo has his gf in college; Fuyumi is a grade-school teacher; Shouto (now identifying as genderfluid) is getting ready to start Yuuei (the Hi Keitou isn't thrilled about that, but they're supportive); Rei is well enough to have weekly visits from her kids but still can't take care of them herself; erasermic is married. The family has group therapy once a month (the Hi Keitou has weekly therapy sessions; everyone else is biweekly) and they've all just come a long way on their healing journeys <3

Hawks is still a prisoner of the Commission, though