PHOENIX: A Pro Hero Toya Todoroki AU

Chapter 6: Flames (October 16, 2117)

I hear Shoto screaming in agonizing pain as I watch helplessly. My dream is in the third person; I am detached from my body, but the person that is 'me' looks rather different from reality. I'm watching myself kill my family, and I look like I'm enjoying it. Everyone also looks much older. Shoto sports a hero suit, and Natsuo and Fuyumi are wearing college apparel. My two ice-quirk siblings are in our house, while Shoto and 'I' stand outside in the front yard.

"TOYA, STOP! PLEASE!" Shoto screams as I set our house on fire, with Natsuo and Fuyumi helplessly shrieking inside. I can see them screaming in the second floor window as they burn to death within seconds. Their skin melts, revealing their skeletons positioned in terror in the window before their bones turn to ash and blow away in the wind. On the ground, Shoto's right side is completely burned and disfigured, presumably my doing. The person, who apparently is me, has black tips in his white hair, wears a long, tattered black leather coat, my normal white T-shirt and leather pants. The most striking difference that sets him apart from me is his skin. Almost his entire body looks charred, and the damaged skin is held to the normal skin by what looks like crude surgical staples. The tattered flesh sits below his eyes, sweeps his entire lower jawline all the way to the middle of his chest, and down both of his arms almost halfway up his palms. This version of me...has nothing but anger and spite in his heart.

"YA REAP WHAT YA SOW, ENJI TODOROKI!" The figure screams maniacally, and I struggle to intervene. My consciousness is forced to watch my siblings die at 'my' own hands. Shoto struggles to lift himself off of the lawn, pleading with the monster to look inside his heart, but 'I' pick him up and grab him. I see my father approaching the scene, a hopeless expression crossing his face.

"WATCH AS YOUR FAILED EXPERIMENT DESTROYS YOUR PUPPET MASTERPIECE!" The broken Toya screams as he suddenly pulls Shoto into a hug before igniting them both in a brilliant blaze. I watch in horror as my youngest brother screams in agony, while my maniacal laughter fills the air, and we both burn to death...

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"AAAAGGHHHHHHHHH!"

I'm jolted from my twisted nightmarish Hell to the sound of Keigo screaming in pain. My eyes snap open, and, instantly, the smell of something burning fills my nose. I realize that I'm alone in our bed. The room is pitch dark, except for my glowing blue form and a fading blue shape across the room. I push myself up, and my hand presses into a pile of ashes. My heart plummets as my eyes adjust, and my ears pick up Keigo's faint sobs.

"K-Keigo?" I stammer, worried out of my mind. I rub my eyes with my ashy, stinging hands as I squint through the darkness. My only answer is ragged panting. That's when I make the terrible connection. The fading blue shape across the room... is what remains of Keigo's beautiful wings. I start hyperventilating and instantly start pulling at my hair.

"OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD KEIGO I'M SO SORRY. I-I'M SO SORRY!" I blubber as my chest tightens and tears start flowing before I can stop them.

"I-it's fine, man. I know you didn't mean...to..." Keigo wheezes as the blue glow slowly fades. Half of his feathers have been singed to nothing more than ashes. I can't believe I hurt him. I hurt the one person in this world that I care about the most. He winces and shakes his wings; gray snow flies everywhere. I feel my heart breaking as I see my mother's face from the night I attacked Shoto.

'Why must you be so destructive, Toya? All you bring to yourself is destruction.'

I break down and start uncontrollably crying as exasperated, desperate sighs force themselves out of me.

"Toya, it's alright. It was an accident," Keigo grunts as he wipes his tears, stands up, and walks back towards our joined beds. I immediately begin backing away up against the headboard.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME, TAKAMI!" I blubber, holding my hands in front of my face. "You're just going to get hurt. I'm going to hurt you. Like I hurt myself. I burn everything I fucking touch!" I feel like I'm going to pass out with my hyperventilating. Keigo slows his approach but doesn't stop walking towards me. I curl up into a ball and put my head down on my knees so I'm staring at the sheets, avoiding all eye contact.

"Please....please stay away. Just move your bed back to the other side of the room. Please. I don't. I don't wanna hurt you," I sniffle, my entire body shaking with terror. I feel him sit down on my bed in front of me and hear the springs squeak. My whole body hurts from using my Quirk in my sleep, and I can still feel it trying to crawl free from my skin. It takes everything in me to not let it slip out. I feel like my insides are on fire.

"Toya... Look at me."

I shake my head and dig my nails into my burns. I deserve to feel this pain. He doesn't.

"Toya Todoroki, I'm fucking talking to you!"

I slowly lift my head up, expecting to see rage and betrayal on his face, but his eyes are full of love. I carefully sit up straight, my knees still pulled to my chest, and wipe my nose on my sleeve.

"What...You need to go to the nurse. You shouldn't still be here. This is my fault. I burn everyth-" Before I can finish my sentence he kisses me, and I feel numb. I keep my eyes open while he keeps his closed, and I look at his wings. They're half the size they were when we went to bed, and they smell like smoke. When he pulls away, he reaches up with his hand and wipes away my tears, causing me to cry even more. How can he still treat me like this after what I've done?

"I love you, Todoroki. I mean that. Don't worry about it. My feathers grow back. You didn't ruin me or anything. It just caught me off guard is all. It was a total accident. For real. Just calm down," He moves to give me a hug, and I flinch away.

"I...I don't want you to get hurt again. I don't wanna hurt you," I stammer, but he just gives me a sad smile.

"I trust you with my life , hot stuff. Like I said, they grow back. You didn't even get me that bad. I've had worse," he chuckles, and I slowly stop shaking. He brushes the ashes out of our bed and crawls back in before patting the spot beside him. Rigidly, I gradually sink back beneath the covers. He moves to hold me, but I stop him.

"Y...You trust me?" I whisper, and Keigo nods.

"Toya, the real issue is that you need to trust you. Have faith in yourself. You're gonna be the greatest hero ever, well, second to me," He snickers, and I roll my eyes before taking a deep breath.

"I want to hold you tonight. You've held me every night. Now it's my turn to protect you."

Keigo is silent for a moment before he turns around on his side, his back to me. I close my eyes and breathe deeply, calming down the blaze within me. After a few seconds, the burning feeling inside me subsides, and I awkwardly shuffle towards Keigo. His wings still smell smoky, and he folds them in so I can spoon him. Shaking, I lift my right arm and gingerly wrap it around his waist, pulling him close to me. I carefully slide my left arm under my pillow and rest my chin on top of Keigo's head. He sighs before snuggling up against me, and a wave of peace washes over me. My heart thuds in my chest at a ridiculous pace, and I pull him as close as our bodies allow.

'I refuse to allow myself to hurt him again. I will get my Quirk under control. For his sake. I have no choice. I don't care that my body is weak. I will make it stronger.'

"I promise. I'll never hurt you again."