Chapter Text
In the week between Christmas and the New year, things were pretty quiet. It was still logistically difficult for the teens and Eri to wander around outside of the school for fear of being recognized by the public and concerns regarding the HPSC, so they mostly stayed on campus. It almost felt like it had when AFO was squaring off against Nedzu, like there was this invisible presence lurking just behind them that they couldn’t stop.
But they weren’t alone, they could sneak over to the apartments to hang out with Touya and sometimes Keigo and Rumi. Fuyumi and Natsuo came over a lot, as did their friends and partners on occasion. Himiko was also around a lot, sometimes with Mei, and there were also all the students who preferred to spend the holiday break at the school for whatever reason.
There was a lot to distract themselves with, but that didn’t change the weight that had settled over the family once again. Not all of it had to do with the HPSC though. Endeavor’s criminal trial was the first Tuesday of the year.
The (soon to be former) hero had been Japan’s second highest (publicly) ranked hero for years, and in the top ten for even longer. His criminal trial was making waves both for the fact he was having one at all and for what all the charges he was facing were, with eyes world wide tuning in to watch.
There was barely an occupied room in Musutafu the day of the trial that didn’t have some sort of live stream pulled up, to the point that anyone trying to use their phones on data mode instead of WiFi could barely do anything the usage was so heavy.
Everyone available on campus just piled into the largest conference room- it had the best projector set up as well as the most space and Nedzu temporarily had the table replaced with plenty of comfy chairs, couches, beanbags, and blankets. Also snacks. So many snacks. It was bound to be an emotional day, but they’d get through it together in what comfort they could.
(Also, all hail Nedzu for his cleaning bots, because Natsuo started a recurring theme of most of them throwing popcorn at Endeavor’s projected figure on the wall when the sad excuse of a pro first appeared.)
The HPSC had petitioned to have their peon able to stand trial in a suit instead of the prison uniform, as was typically custom, due to his status and the potential bias the prison uniform could cause and that had been allowed, but he still had to keep the quirk suppressing cuffs (especially with his behavior his previous time in court). Seeing him in the jumpsuit would have been extremely enjoyable, but just the cuffs and without his iconic flaming facial hair was still incredibly cathartic.
Keigo had Touya settled on his lap in the corner of one of the couches with his wings wrapped around him both to comfort him and to give him a place to hide if he needed. Touya’s nightmares had gotten worse after he and his siblings had sent everything public, which he’d expected and if he could go back in time he’d go public all over again, but all of this was still hard for him to deal with. Keigo never let him wake up from those nightmares alone, and he wasn’t going to let him go through this alone either.
Shoto was shoved between Fuyumi and Natsuo (Izuku may or may not have had a slight argument with them over who got to sit next to Shoto, a little bit serious about it but mostly because he was hoping someone ‘fighting’ over him would make Shoto smile), and Eri scrambled up onto his lap to cuddle with him that way. Izuku, since he ‘lost’ the argument, pulled a chair up to the back of the couch so he could lean over the edge to squeeze Shoto's shoulders.
It also gave him the ability to jump in and out of a sitting position quickly so he became the de fact Drinks And Snacks Grabber for all of the siblings plus Keigo.
It was a long trial. Honestly, if it had been anyone else it probably would have taken place over several days, but since it was Endeavor there were so many people watching and the tension was ratcheted up so high within the city itself that they just cleared the judge’s schedule for the day and had the whole thing done in one go.
Piece after piece after piece of evidence was brought up, some from the siblings and some from D’Artagnan’s ever so helpful donation. That was an unexpected and rough moment for Izuku, because it well and truly was the death of D’Artagnan when the defense asked outright if he was one of their sources. For a heart stopping second he thought he was going to be full on named by the defense- Endeavor knew D'Artagnan was Izuku after all- but the prosecution shut that down real fucking fast.
Uncle Nao for the win.
The last thing any of them needed was that kind of target on Izuku’s back. There was always the chance Endeavor could just say it out loud either in court or to a reporter or something, especially if he lost the case, but that was a panic attack Izuku would save for another day.
Still, it was a weird experience to mourn the fact that D’Artagnan was now officially known to have been caught in some form or fashion. None of his contacts would ever trust him again, to have such a large chapter of his life so abruptly and unexpectedly closed was jarring, especially while he was supposed to be supporting his siblings instead of dealing with his own emotions.
After several long hours, the lengthy list of charges was officially read out and one by one the judge found Todoroki Enji guilty.
Guilty.
Guilty.
Guilty.
Guilty
Guilty.
It continued on for several minutes, the now finally disgraced and former pro hero’s face turning first gobsmacked, then bright cherry red in anger, and finally deathly pale as the judge kept going and he realized just how bad the sentencing would be.
For what he’d done, he was looking at Tartarus. It was, to put it lightly, not a place any hero wanted to find themselves, especially someone who put as many people there as he did. That was a him issue though, no one in the conference room at UA cared.
They were too busy celebrating, the older adults grinning and high fiving or fist bumping each other, the younger ones just cheering and screaming their hearts out. Shoto and Fuyumi were wrapped in a hug, crying tears of joy while Natsuo somehow pulled Izuku over the edge of the couch and they were both rolling around on the ground laughing hysterically.
Touya was completely obscured by Keigo’s wings so he could ride out the tension that had locked his thin frame up during the lead in to the charges being read out warring with the intense relief and disbelief now wracking through him. As soon as that had passed enough for him to be able to move he was trying to escape Keigo’s hold so he could hug his siblings so close he thought his arms might fall off from the strain of it.
On the tv, the judge continued with the actual details of the sentence, but it didn’t matter. Endeavor would be in jail until he died; they never had to fear him again. That’s all that mattered.
Of course, the HPSC saw the verdict in a very different light.