Fire Within -Tododeku

The hospital room

Izuku still remembered the conversation he had with Todoroki at the hospital. They had been there for about two hours before being dismissed, which made him wonder what kind of healing powers the doctors had for such accelerated recovery. At some point, Todoroki brought up Endeavor as a topic.

"Midoriya, don't you know why Endeavor is training you?" Todoroki had asked, his eyes watching him curiously. He didn't seem to expect an answer, and when Izuku merely shook his head, waiting for Todoroki to elaborate, he did. "I've assumed that the old man wants me to dedicate myself more to the exercises since he enrolled me in the gym, and I no longer have to train with him. I don't know if he misses torturing someone, but I guess he wants to show me that I'm not irreplaceable." Todoroki said, a grimace of disgust appearing on his face, and Midoriya couldn't help but feel really surprised that Todoroki was so open. "I have a story to tell you, Midoriya."

And so he told him of sixteen years of mistreatment.

"Endeavor... my father," Todoroki started, his voice carrying the weight of years of suppressed emotions, "he's not just intense. He's... a force. When I was growing up, he was fixated on creating the perfect heir, someone who could surpass even All Might. And he decided that person would be me."
His eyes bore the scars of a painful history as he continued, "He married my mother solely for her powerful ice quirk, thinking it would complement his fire. But the way he treated her... and all of us." Todoroki's grip on the bedsheet tightened, his knuckles turning white. "He would beat me." He said.
"But it wasn't just me he hurt. My siblings, each with a different combination of quirks, were discarded like failures. We were nothing more than tools for him to achieve his twisted goals."

A haunted look lingered in Todoroki's eyes as he revealed a painful truth. "My mother couldn't take it anymore. One day, she poured boiling water over my left side, trying to erase the fire in me that reminded her of him. She was pushed to the brink of insanity, and Endeavor's ambition... it tore our family apart. So when I'm telling you Endeavor isn't a man that you want to admire... I am being serious. I don't understand how you can subject yourself to his training."

Izuku, still a child, gazed longingly at the other kids playing in the park. Laughter echoed as they enjoyed the simple joys of childhood. The sun painted a warm glow on the scene, a stark contrast to the shadows that lurked in Izuku's world.

"Dad, can I join them?" Izuku asked tentatively, his eyes hopeful.

His father's stern gaze met his. "No, Izuku. Heroes don't waste time playing. You need to focus on becoming strong. You want to be a hero, don't you?"
The weight of expectation pressed down on Izuku's small shoulders. He nodded fervently, a mix of determination and desperation in his eyes.

"Heroes don't cry either," his father added, a hint of impatience in his voice. "Toughen up, Izuku. You'll thank me later."

"My father... when I was little, he also took my training to an extreme level." He watched as Todoroki's eyes widened in surprise. "He never hit me, however... he robbed me of my childhood and trained me until I couldn't stand on my own legs, until I couldn't control my quirk and almost burnt the house once. Sometimes I would vomit, or pass out from the lack of oxygen in my body. I would burn myself by accident and keep quiet about it, because I felt he would only get angry at me. My fire is almost always blue because my father forced me to learn to keep it that intense since my childhood, but this is how it would normally look." Midoriya ignited his index finger into a warm red flame. "My father wasn't always like that. When my mom was alive, he was a normal dad... It was after her death that he decided I should be the hero he could never be." Midoriya had paused, observing his reaction. Todoroki's eyes widened in shock as Midoriya revealed the harsh reality of his childhood. The initial surprise was quickly replaced by a deep furrow in his brow, reflecting the weight of empathy he felt for his friend. Todoroki's gaze softened, and his lips, which were slightly parted in astonishment, formed into a concerned expression. The lines right above his eyebrows indicated not only the shock of the revelation but also a genuine understanding of the pain Midoriya had endured. It was a mix of concern, shock, and empathy that played across Todoroki's face. "I never had to go trough physical abuse like you did." Todoroki just noticed Midoriya's eyes were gleaming, clearly refraining from crying. " You are really strong, Todoroki. What I went through it's different, but I just wanted to share my own experience to show you that you are not alone in this." He said, his voice wavering with insecurity but also emotional from the whole conversation. "I'm sorry if I am overshadowing your experiences with my own struggles. My pain is nothing compared to-" Before he could finish his sentence, Todoroki hugged him. Their beds were close and he was fast to hug him.

"Do not say things like that!" Todoroki almost shouted, tone serious but voice breaking. "Maybe your father never laid a hand on you, but what you went through is nothing a father should do to their own child. Do not diminish your story or compare your pain like that! It's not fair to anybody."

In the embrace, Todoroki held onto Midoriya tightly, and Midoriya, overwhelmed by the mixture of emotions and the comfort of a friend, let his tears flow freely. Todoroki's eyes had unshed tears, reflecting the deep impact of the revelations on both of them. The hug had served as a silent understanding between them, a shared acknowledgment of the pain each had endured and a source of comfort in knowing they were not alone in their struggles.
Midoriya remembered, and he quickly thought of something else to avoid crying. He had apologized to Todoroki for assuming he wouldn't understand and had told him he had been worried about the way Endeavor might treat his family if this is how he treated an entire stranger, and Todoroki had also apologized for assuming he was an Endeavor fan in the first place.

*

Izuku thought, now it seemed that this could mean the start of a friendship, all misunderstandings cleared out.

They had gone to visit Uraraka before parting ways.

She laid in bed, her face and head covered in bandages, but otherwise, she seemed healthy, judging by the absence of bandages, Todoroki had assumed.

"Uraraka... can you hear us?" Midoriya asked in an unsure tone. He didn't seem certain that she was conscious, despite the Symbol of Peace assuring them that thankfully she was.

"Of course! Midoriya, is that you? You're the first person from the class to visit me!" She said, seemingly delighted. Midoriya felt a pang of annoyance knowing that no one else had come, but then he remembered that she had been there for the same amount of time as them.

"Uraraka, how are you feeling?" Todoroki asked, concerned, entering the room with balloons that she couldn't see due to the bandages.

"Todoroki! You came too!" Uraraka seemed incredibly happy just to know that both of them were there. "All Might told me he would tell you how grateful I am for saving my life, but it's even better to be able to tell you in person." She tried to sit up in bed, but both insisted that she didn't need to and should rest. "That's what my parents also insisted on! But I already want to go home and then be able to go to UA! This diagnosis has kept me bedridden for too many hours." She spoke rapidly, waving her arms around to emphasize some of her words.

Midoriya and Todoroki exchanged glances, silently communicating their relief that she was in good spirits despite her injuries.

"Uraraka, you need to focus on getting better first," Todoroki advised, his concern evident. "You don't want to rush things and risk any complications."
She pouted playfully, "Todoroki, you sound like Recovery Girl and my parents combined. I get it, but I miss being on my feet."

Midoriya chuckled, "I can relate. When I was in the hospital, all I wanted to do was get back to training. But you need to take the time to heal properly."
Todoroki nodded in agreement, "He's right. You don't want to end up back here because you pushed yourself too hard."

Uraraka sighed dramatically, "Fine, fine. I'll be a good patient and rest. But promise me you'll both fill me in on what happened. All Might said it was a big deal, and I hate feeling left out."

"Absolutely," Midoriya reassured her. "We'll tell you everything. And once you're back on your feet, we can all train together again."

"That sounds like a plan," Todoroki added with a small smile. "But for now, focus on getting better. We'll be here for you."

"Uraraka! I heard about your condition, and I came as fast as I could!" Surprising the three of them, Iida stood on the door. "Are you ok? Do you feel any pain? Midoriya and Todoroki, my deep apologies for not saluting you! I need to know how you are doing as well, but it's good to see you back on your feet!" He spoke as excitedly as Uraraka, expressing himself through the movements of his arms as well in exaggerated manners.

Uraraka gave a thumbs up, Todoroki's small smile becoming more noticeable and Midoriya's too.

The four continued to chat, their conversation weaving between lighthearted banter and genuine concern for Uraraka's well-being. In that hospital room, a bond between them strengthened, forged through shared experiences and a commitment to support each other through thick and thin.