What Makes a Hero

37

"You know her..." Todoroki looked at him with hope. "she was taken by the league from the mental hospital. She didn't have any family...did they lie?"

Todoroki frowned "did she make it out like you? Is she still alive?" Todoroki desperately asked, his eyes spared with hope.

Midoriya kept his gaze away from Shoto mumbling a few words

Todoroki shook his head "what?"

Midoriya gritted his teeth "she's dead, Todoroki" Hands fell from his shoulders, and Midoriya forced himself to look up. Todoroki stood in front of him, flames flickered from his left side.

"They killed my mother. I'll fucking kill those bastards"

Midoriya shook his head feeling tears prick his eyes "the league didn't kill her" Midoriya suddenly felt sick like he was going to throw up just from remembering everything.

Her agonizing screams. All for One yelling at him. The machines beeping wildly in his ear. The hitting.

"What do you mean? What could've killed her, a hero?" Todoroki paused.

"I killed her" Midoriya choked out. He started scratching at his wrist trying to ground himself "I fucking killed her! They trusted me and I used that trust to kill her for my own selfish needs" Midoriya shook his head as adrenaline drowned out his senses, "she was fine becoming a nomu if that meant staying with me! She never thought about her own safety, so I took advantage of that and ki-"

Slap

Midoriya's breathing hitched and he stopped scratching his wrist. He slowly raised one hand to where Shoto's hand collided with his cheek. He flinched at the pain, burns. Midoriya kept his head sideways for a few seconds before slowly turning to Todoroki.

Shoto stood in front of Midoriya, his left side burning through his sleeves as they ran down his arm and stopped at his hand. He was visibly seething, seconds away from hitting him again.

Midoriya knew he had no room to feel sad, no room to cry, Todoroki is learning that his mother had been murdered by him. But he couldn't stop the stray sob that escaped his mouth or the tears that started streaming down his face.

"You killed my mom" Todoroki finally spoke "I trusted you, I opened up to you...You murdered my mother and had the audacity to try to play hero and help me from Endeavor."

Midoriya felt himself shrink under the harsh glare. If looks could kill, Midoriya would've been nothing but ash where he stood.

"Todoroki, I-I-I didn't know. They said she had no family, they all forgot about her and that's why she-"

"So you believed whatever those villains told you?" Todoroki accused "you sat there and gladly accepted the lies they told you!"

Midoriya flinched as Todoroki moved his hand to wipe away tears before they fell.

"I bet if the league had hunted down your mother and told you that she wanted to die, you'd happily kill her" Shoto shook his head "you'd kill her because that's all you know what to do"

"I did..."

Todoroki paused pressing his lips into thin lines at what the boy had just mumbled, "...what?"

"I killed my mother. Slit her throat and left her to die" Midoriya looked away. "at least that's what One for All said" he whispered the last part, unheard by the pissed boy.

Todoroki gave an empty laugh. "holy shit, Midoriya. You really are a useless nomu"

Deku braced himself for another hit, but instead, Todoroki grabbed Midnight's scarf and pulled on it. Midoriya grabbed the scarf with wide eyes and shook his head pleading for Todoroki to leave it alone.