Scars (TodoBakuDeku)

Failures and the Masterpiece

Touya led Keigo inside and to the infirmary. Natsuo's eyes went wide when Keigo moved allowing Touya to be seen.

"Touya? You really are alive?"

"Hey little bro," he gave an awkward wave.

He tried to get up but Sakura held him down. "Stay down Natsuo. You are injured even if not that bad."

"What the fuck happened to you?"

"Well that is a popular question tonight, isn't it?"

"Touya, I've known you for a whole five minutes and I can already tell your going to be a problem child," Shota said rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"But I'm not a child."

"Already a problem."

"Least I don't look half dead, do you even sleep?" Touya leaned towards Shota.

Keigo stepped in between Shota and Touya, "stop stalling and talk Touya...please."

"Ugh..fine," Touya dragged Keigo over to sit on an empty bed next to Shoto. He mulled things over in his mind for a minute.

"I'll just start at the beginning I guess. The story of the first born Todoroki failure."

Keigo sighed while Touya rolled his eyes, he finally got a serious look on his face.

"I was born as a product of a quirk marriage with the sole purpose of being the future number one hero and put an end to All Mights reign. Father knew he'd never beat him, so one of his children would. By the time I could walk, the training began. It didn't matter if I had no quirk yet. Stamina, stamina, stamina. All he wanted was his child to be strong. Once I was better at walking and grew up a bit the real training started. Hand to hand combat. He'd beat the shit out of me over and over again. I'd fall and if I didn't get back up he'd make me do more. I pushed myself to keep going. I wanted to be a hero, and I wanted to be number one. I wanted my father to be proud of me..."

He paused for some air, "I got his quirk, but mother's body. I wasn't fire proof. If my flames touched me I'd burn. When his flames touched me I'd burn. Controlling a powerful fire quirk with a weak body was difficult," he rubbed the scars on his wrists, gliding the fingers over the staples.

"Fuyumi was born and was deemed a failure. A girl and no signs of fire power. Then he had another son, he got Natsuo. I was about to be given up on, but Natsuo's hair wasn't red like mine, it was white. The chances of him getting a fire quirk was low. He had taken after mother. It turned out he was a failure. I wasn't allowed to see them, I wasn't allowed to see mother. I was isolated. That was until the Hero Safety Commission, whatever it's called, sent Keigo here to train with the number two hero.

"Endeavor realized that he'd have to hire someone to help control the injuries. To heal and to hide what happens during training. Even if Keigo was young, he was a promising hero and was sure to be smart. That's when Gotou was hired as the family doctor," his voice laced with venom at the mention of his name.

"Keigo was only over a couple days of the week. The other days the training was intense, the beatings got more and more rough. Gotou was told he can do whatever he wanted as long as no one finds out about the abuse."

He paused seeing all eyes on him except Sakura who was tending to Shoto, "the first time he tried to touch me, I nearly roasted him alive. After that he'd bring quirk cancelling cuffs. It wasn't long till I lost the struggle and became his fuck toy."

"Touya.." Keigo grabbed his hand, "I had no idea."

"Exactly, because he did his job as a doctor pretty damn good for a rapist. I tried to tell father but he just shrugged me off. There was no speaking while training. The cycle continued: beaten and raped. Over and over again. And then, Shoto was born. His hair half white and half red. He showed promise and sure enough he was the masterpiece. The chosen one.

"My engagement to Momo was cancelled. We only had met a couple times anyways. I felt bad because I knew I'd never love her but was willing to do what it took to make my father proud. She was to be wed to Shoto now since they were the same age.

"I was starting to get pushed aside. The training lessened but was still there. I would train until Shoto could walk. Father sent Keigo away. He has his own child to train. I begged for him to let him come back. Days with him here were a hundred times better. Everyday was a beating. The doctor continued his advances with the added drugs he injected into me. My hair started turning white. The stress had got to me.

"Shoto was going through the same struggle. I tried to lessen his training by butting in. That only lasted for so long. The 'training,'" he used air quotes, "turned to straight abuse. If I set foot in the wrong room, or got to close to anyone, I would be punished. Bloodied and beaten.

"The day I 'died' I went to father and I told him that I missed Keigo and wanted him back. He asked if I liked boys. Of course I said I liked him. He was the only one there for me. Endeavor wouldn't have a gay son. He told me I was a disgrace. He told me to leave.  He had Shoto now who just got his quirks. He said he didn't need me anymore. I could never be a hero. I was weak. I was a mistake. A lot of things were said and they got to my head. He punched me hard in the jaw and I tumbled to the floor. I ran out of the house to Sekoto Peak. I didn't want to live anymore. I lit myself on fire. It consumed me. I felt part of my jaw fall off. Then I blacked out from lack of oxygen and severely burnt skin, as you can see," he gestured to all his patches of burnt skin.

"Touya, why would you do that? You should have found me or called me."

"I'm sorry Keigo. I intended to die that day. I really did and I still wish I did that day, but someone found me. Himi took me in. She got me the help I needed. It took me a month to wake up and when I did I saw that the news had assumed I was dead. They found only a piece of my jaw amongst the flames. So I decided to start a new life. Tomu, Himi, and Kuro saved my life wether I wanted it or not. Now I have to repay the debt I owe to them. Speaking of them I should head back, they're worried sick about me I'm sure. I left in a hurry."

"You really think I'm going to let you go?" Keigo asked.

"I'm not giving you a choice. Now get these hand cuffs off of me. I explained what happened and now I wish to go home. My old family is safe and now I can go. I shouldn't have even known what happened."

"I can't do that. I don't think anyone in this room is ready to let you go again."

"So you're going to keep me handcuffed to someone? Forever? Sounds very heroic."

"Touya. Can't we talk about us?"

"What's to talk about? We were friends as kids and now we are two grown adults that don't know each other."

"That's not true Touya."

Touya's voice raised, "you don't know anything about me! I'm not the same stupid kid that wants to be a hero! I'm different now!"

His quirk started activating. Blue fire ignited around his body. The handcuffs melted off along with a silver bracelet he was wearing.

"Fuck," was all he said before a portal opened. One just like from the USJ. A blonde girl with two messy buns holding a syringe came through.

"Dabi! Your power tracker signal was lost are you okay?" She looked around, "shit."

It has been a long week. Thanks for the few of you who commented last few chapters. It motivated me. Have a good week.

-L