Chaos: Bakugou Katsuki x OC x Dabi story

Atonement

3rd person POV

It was late in the evening, but he had lost track long before the sun had set as he sat in the room which had once been the bedroom and shrine for his eldest son. Enji Todoroki sat back on his haunches with the small table beside him littered by empty plates and a stone pitcher of sake. Every year on this day it was always the same; he would feel the pit in his gut grow, the guilt and sadness eating away at him as time somehow slowed to an agonizing pace. Even now, after all these years of knowing the truth, of knowing that Touya was still alive, that he hadn't burnt to ash that day on the mountain, to some degree his son had still died. Even though he wasn't the one holding the smoking gun, he was the murderer, he was the one responsible. He dragged a worn, scarred hand down his tired face. The house was quiet, not a noise resonated in the empty home that he no longer shared with his family. It had become the last piece of his atonement, to distance himself as far as possible and let his children and wife live. A man with as many sins as he accumulated over the years needed to be held accountable, he needed to if not for his family, then for himself. They had done their part, accepting him and his attempts to make amends, forgiving him to the most they were capable of. Even Shoto working with him after he graduated UA and taking over his agency to keep it a family affair was more than what Enji had deserved. He would forever be grateful to the empathy and caring his youngest son had managed to sow regardless of how Enji had raised him.

He released a heavy sigh, filled with years of sadness and guilt, yet his heart still felt heavy. He tried to do right by all once he became number one, to be a better role model than he once had been. No matter how many good deeds, successful acts of heroism he completed he would never be able to shake this from his heart, his conscience.

The violent vibrations of his cell phone pulled Enji from his spiral of self depreciation, clearing his throat before answering.

"Yes."

"Father. I figured you would still be awake." Shoto's monotonous voice rang out from the speaker as Enji furrowed his brow in confusion.

"What's the matter, Shoto? It's not like you to call... on today that is." Hearing his own voice crack had Enji mentally scolding himself. He didn't deserve pity or sympathy, and he knew Shoto wouldn't be the one to give it to him.

"It's not a social call, by any means. I'm on my way to come pick you up and take you to the agency. A few concerning incidents have begun to unfold in the last twelve hours, each one pointing to Touya and it's getting closer to you."

"Touya?" Enji tried swallowing the lump in his throat as he stood. "What's going on?"

"There were several acts of arson on some of the low class establishments in the southern district, the burnt remains of Chuma Yakumaru and Kagero Okuta were found as well. They weren't cremated fully, which makes me believe Touya wanted us to be able to identify them quickly. And given what today is, I feel it with good reason that he's pointing at you."

Enji let his head fall back against the wall, eyes clenched shut as he attempted to push down a wave of nausea as he knew what was coming next. Shoto had shown up at the house not even a day after the unsuccessful raid of the Satsui compound in Kyoto two months ago with Bakugou in tow. They laid everything out before him very clearly; Katsuki Bakugou had every intention of opening an investigation of child trafficking and quirk marriages, and he planned on Enji Todoroki being his first suspect. He had thrown the files down before his former mentor and number one hero, cursing him into oblivion as Shoto recited the story they had been told by none other than Kenji Satsui himself. The picture of the small girl with lilac hair, the empath, who was going to be Touya's bride. The girl who would spend the rest of her existence as nothing more than his eldest son's living, breathing therapy. A young girl he had purchased from a known criminal.