Hybrid Heroes - Shōto Todoroki

Chapter 19: Scars Made of Flames

I'm not listening to him or his father anymore. I'm already running to my cousin and childhood friend, clinging to both of them for all my life.  I don't let go until they do, and I see that we're  all crying a bit.

"You didn't join my agency, brat," Scarlett laughs through her tears. "But I'm still so proud of you."

"I knew you'd want to see her." Endeavor says harshly. "You are the fourth-best fire-quirk holder, after all."

"Third, ya faggot!" Scarlett corrected, baring her sharp white fangs.

"Scaaaar..." the wolf man warned. "Language."

She turned to him with a sneer. "Japanese. Dumbfuck. Can't even remember the language we speak, babe?"

"I don't think that's what he meant," a girl with bright purple hair wrapped up in teddy-bear buns popped up behind the two of them. 

"Riyo! You're here!" Scarlett smiled, but it quickly faded. "An hour late!"

The girl called Riyo, laughed nervously. "Soooorryyyy...I got caught up in traffic. Jojo and Rosie are on their way too."

"Wait, wait," I point to the purple-haired girl. "Who's this?"

"I'm Riyoko Tsuyuma!" She thrusts out a hand and smiles brightly. "Nice to meet you! I'm kinda new to Pyra's agency so I'm still figuring out the kinks."

"Eh, when you hang around me you'll figure out your kinks in no time," Scarlett said, licking her lips.

"You're the worst." Sighed Dustin, the wolf hero, shaking his head.

"I'm the fucking best. Fight me, wolfie."

"I really don't see how you're related to them," Shoto walked up beside me. "She acts like Bakugou."

"I what?!" Scarlett hissed. "Say that again and I'll bite your head off, kid!"

"Pyra," Endeavor boomed.  "I didn't give this permission to you to see Lady Morningstar and my son just for this debauchery."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she dismissively waved her hand. "I can take them from here. Let's go inside." She motioned to the building behind us. I hadn't even noticed this whole time that we were in front of one of Scarlett's training facilities.

On the inside it looked like it had been sealed with magic to look five to ten times larger than on the outside. Similar to the USJ, there was a different zone for all kinds of disasters.  At the very center was a relatively small island with a large setup of wires and special harnesses for some kind of maneuver training.  But that's not what I was staring at with horrified eyes.

At the very beginning of the whole room, sat a shrine. One for someone who'd passed away. Their portrait sat propped up in the back behind a few trays of offerings and candles that burned soft blue flames. I approached the shrine, putting my hand over my mouth as I stared at the portrait of my cousin Bree.

Her bright orange hair and golden eyes gave her such a soft expression on her last portrait.

"...there was a fire..." Scarlett finally spoke, but she was glaring at the ground. "Ironic, huh?"

"...no..." I whispered, biting down on my lip. "No! That's...impossible!"

"I thought so, too..." Scarlett sighed, stepping right beside me. "Lea thinks he's to blame for the fire that killed her. It's why he stopped using his quirk." She spoke softly about her twin brother.

"But his quirk-" I tried to speak, but my words were jumbled afterwards. I couldn't stop staring at the portrait of my cousin.  "There's no way it could've been him! Anyone can start a fire!"