At the hospital (one that's NOT burned down):
"M-Mom..."
"Sweetie? What are you—"
Todoroki pulled his mother in a tight embrace before she could finish. More and more tears welled up in his eyes and he didn't bother to wipe them as they flew off his cheeks like waterfalls.
It really is a miracle.
His mother's wounds healed immediately after consuming the neon vial Kaminari had given Todoroki the other day. At first, he didn't know if he was going to let her consume it. After all, he didn't know if it was going to work at all. But Kaminari had placed him in a test, a test of trust to see if Todoroki would think about placing his faith in a former villain. However, after hearing the guy's final recording, he knew Kaminari had no reason to lie to him, and always had good intentions. Besides, the vial felt increasingly heavier in Todoroki's pocket every day.
His mother's burn scars had disappeared within 10 seconds of consuming the liquid. She fell out of unconsciousness and lifted her eyelids with a jolt. It was then when Todoroki started to cry.
"Oh, Shoto," said his mother, stroking his back gently, "I'm so sorry. You must have been so worried."
"Mm...guh...I..." he couldn't form the right words. He felt like a little boy again, resting in the warmth of his mother's cradle as she murmured soothing words to him.
He was so happy.
So, so happy.
.............................................. (time skip yay)
Three weeks had passed since the hearing of the recording. It was time for the holding of U.A.'s annual barbeque party, although no one was really in the mood to celebrate. Besides, ever since Aizawa's little "punishment", they've been flooded with homework every single day. So when they got the official invitation, naturally, everybody was inclined to refuse.
Todoroki was still on suspension so he didn't know about the barbeque until Aizawa called his home phone. His homeroom teacher didn't give him time to decline the invite.
"Look, I know you and the class have been through a lot, and I know you're still not through with this 'punishment' I've set up for you," he said, "But you've got to learn how to calmly move on. As a hero, your mental wellbeing is just as important as, no, it is one of the most crucial things to adopt. I see that you stubborn kids haven't moved on from the Kaminari situation, and I understand that. But as your teacher, it's my responsibility to get you into the right headspace. So you're coming to this barbeque, and I won't take no for an answer. Are we clear?"
"Y-Yes sir."
"Good. Now go to sleep."
It wasn't easy, but at least Todoroki didn't get a white night this time.
The next morning, Class 1-A gathered around the back entrance of U.A., where the barbeque was being held. It was a vast space of greenery and blooming flowers. Rumours say before U.A. was built, this piece of territory used to be a giant garden, so Todoroki wasn't surprised by the beauty of the place. There were a few white benches at the side and a green hill overlooking the space. The barbeque grills were set up by the principal and homeroom teachers. Todoroki helped prepare the grills with his fire quirk, while Bakugo "tried" to do the same with his explosion but he ended up breaking the equipment. Everyone laughed at this, decreasing the tension a little bit.
Aizawa stood at the front of the class.
"Today is the one day I will allow you to let loose and enjoy yourselves," he said, "Use it to your advantage, or you will regret it. That's it. Also, don't interrupt my slumber or I'll cancel."
With that, he groggily dragged his yellow sleeping bag to the back of the building and he was out of sight. That was Aizawa Sensei for you.
"Okay, guys," said All Might, "The meat is ready! Hamburgers and Hot Dogs are your options for the day, so get in two separate lines, okay?"
Everyone exchanged a tense glance and shrugged.
"Sero, you'd better not steal all the ketchup this time," Mina elbowed Sero as they passed.
"Eh?"
"Oooh I remember that!" Hagakure chimed in, "Last year, you took three entire ketchup bottles and didn't even spare any for the rest of us!"
The rest of the class giggled more.
"Hey, I like ketchup, okay? Besides, I didn't think anyone wanted any more!" said Sero.
"Guys, take all the ketchup bottles before Sero can get to them!" called Ojiro Mashirao.
"Good call, Ojiro!" said Uraraka Ochako, her and Asui Tsuyu already heading towards the condiments table.
"Wh-That's not fair, you can't do that! Waaaait!" Sero ran after them, and at this point everyone was already rolling over with laughter, as if the Kaminari incident had never existed in the first place. For only a moment, Todoroki felt like the tension he felt earlier had dissipated to nothingness as he watched his friends fight over the condiments with wide grins on their faces.
Todoroki, Bakugo, and Midoriya were still technically on suspension so they had to sit away from the group when eating, close to the teachers' field of vision. No one knew what to say, careful not to break the ice too suddenly. Until:
"Maybe...maybe it's better for things to end this way," said Midoriya.
Todoroki looked up at him.
"Think about it. Even if Kaminari really had returned to the hero mindset, that doesn't mean his memories from his villain life wouldn't haunt him. Everything he had done in the past, it would all catch up to him. His mind would be tortured by those memories everyday, and he would have had to suffer under his sins for the rest of his life."
A cool wind danced through the summer air. Todoroki shivered, but from the breeze or Midoriya's statement, he could never know.
"He set himself free," continued Midoriya.
"Well, too bad the guy is dead now. I was eager to beat up that son of a bitch once I fought him again," Bakugo groaned as he aggressively chewed on his harmburger, "Would've tried to teach him another lesson or two."
Midoriya let out a nervous laugh. Then, he looked up, and his eyes grew soft.
"You know, Kacchan, you should try to be happier, too," he said with a grin.
"What was that, nerd?"
"Well, we're all trying to forget the past here," he looked towards Todoroki, "So maybe it's time for you to relax as well." Suddenly, Todoroki realized what Midoriya had already spotted, so he nodded his head eagerly.
Bakugo scoffed.
"Tch, no way," he said, "I'm not gonna become all happy-go-lucky like you fuckers now that that traitor's gone. I'm still—" He stopped in his tracks as Midoriya pointed behind his shoulder.
The blond turned around. And his eyes widened.
Through two double glass doors, there was Sero, and Mina, supporting a redhead covered in bandages, struggling to take a step forward. Sero caught Bakugo's eye, and enthusiastically pointed towards the redhead. Mina did the same.
Bakugo couldn't believe his eyes.
"Shitty...hair..." he stammered. He was shaking, overwhelmed with emotion.
Todoroki gave him a grin.
"Go," he said, nudging the blond's shoulder, "He'll be thrilled to see you."
Bakugo slowly stood up and walked towards the injured redhead. When Kirishima saw the blond heading his way, his eyes lit up rapidly.
"KATSUKI—ow!" Kirishima called as he tried to wave with his left hand. His red hair was down and he was still wearing the pale blue hospital uniform. Basically every inch of his body was covered in bandages, except for his face. When Bakugo caught up to face him, Kirishima's smile widened.
"Yo!" he said cheerfully, "Mina and Sero filled me in on everything that happened while I was out. Man, I missed out on a lot, didn't I? Haha, so unmanly of me to pass out like that. Can you imagine? Being unconscious sucks, dude, I can't do anything, not even walk, or work out, or blink or...eat meat! Anyway, sorry for causing so much troubl—"
Bakugo threw a punch at Kirishima's head. Mina and Sero gasped.
"Owwwww!" cried Kirishima.
"DUDE!" exclaimed Sero, "HE JUST GOT OUT OF THE HOSPITAL, ARE YOU CRAZY?"
Bakugo pushed Mina and Sero away and pinched Kirishima's cheeks forcefully.
"I can't believe you, you fuckin' idiot! Don't just show up out of nowhere and expect me to forgive you after passing out for almost a month! Everything's been so fucked up without you. Do you know how much I—" He paused. Then, pulled the redhead in an embrace, "Fuckin' shitty hair...God...don't ever leave me again, you hear that? Or I'll kill you. I'll kill you for real..." He buried his face in Kirishima's shoulder and held onto him tight. Mina squealed with delight. Kirishima blushed, but smiled, and slowly stroked Bakugo's back.
"It's okay, Katsuki," he soothed, "You've been really brave."
"Sh-Shut up," Bakugo whimpered.
Watching the scene, Todoroki and Midoriya exchanged a look and smiled. In the end, everyone deserves something like a happily ever after. Even for someone like Bakugo.
"Midoriya, I think I know what I'll be doing after I graduate third-year," said Todoroki. Midoriya threw him a curious look as he took a bite out of his hot dog.
"Yeah?"
"I'm...I'll work at my father's hero agency and take his place when he retires," he said, "Once I'm the chief of the business, I'm going to train top heroes, and...go on a hunt for villains." He sat up with confidence, "But the goal won't be to eradicate them, nor kill them. If possible, I could maybe change their ways...convert their perspectives. After confronting my brother and Kaminari, I realize that villains are villains because they weren't raised to be guided in the right direction. I want to find that light and bring them back on the correct path." He clenched his fist, "Or something like that. I don't really have it all figured out now but..."
Midoriya smiled.
"It's a good goal, Todoroki." he responded.
Todoroki scratched his chin and let out a nervous chuckle.
"I'm sure you have plenty of time to revise your plan though," said Midoriya, "I mean, your father doesn't seem like he's gonna drop his position anytime soon."
"Well, I can forge a resignation form anytime," he said with a shrug.
"Genius!"
The two boys burst into laughter, clutching their stomachs to keep themselves upward. It wasn't even that funny, but perhaps it was time for them to finally give in to the sadness and "let loose", as Aizawa had said. Todoroki couldn't remember the last time his heart was filled with this much joy, and his cheeks hurt from the sudden face change.
"Oh boy," said Midoriya, wiping a tear from his eye, "But don't expect me to fall behind just because you're all confident now. I won't lose to you, Todoroki," he said triumphantly.
"Of course," agreed Todoroki, "I won't lose to you either."
Midoriya raised a fist and they fist-bumped, and for a second...just for a second...Todoroki thought he saw Kaminari further in the distance, smiling softly at them.
Todoroki couldn't stop smiling as he watched his classmates dig in. Bakugo Katsuki's mood had especially improved significantly since Kirishima regained consciousness. Todoroki spotted the two of them seated at a faraway bench, Bakugo aggressively feeding Kirishima the barbeque meat with his chopsticks. Whenever Kirishima turned away, Bakugo managed a small grin. Meanwhile, Uraraka, Mina, Ojiro, Hagakure were playing catch with the ketchup bottle, with Sero trying to grab it as they passed it to each other in midair. The barbeque was enough to fill in the empty atmosphere with pleasure and happiness.
He heard a cough from behind him. Seconds later, Jirou Kyoka was standing by his side. She was wearing a light purple tank top with a picture of a rock band, The Rolling Stones. Her eyes were no longer filled with sorrow, and overall, her health seemed to have improved a lot. She might have even been plumper than usual, but Todoroki knew the consequences of talking to a girl about her weight, so he didn't mention it.
"Hi," she said.
"You're not still mad at me, are you?" Todoroki asked, cautiously taking a few steps away. He remembered how scary the girl could be when she was in rage mode. Although, Fuyumi was probably scarier. Thankfully, Jirou laughed and shook her head.
"No," she answered, "Actually, I came here to thank you...again." Todoroki raised an eyebrow.
"For...?"
"For saving my life back there on the roof, dunce" she reminded him, lightly punching him on the arm, "When...when that knife was pressed against my neck, I was scared out of my mind. I thought I was a goner. But before he could get to me, you appeared like, you know, one of those stealthy superheroes on TV." Todoroki noticed that she didn't mention Kaminari's name, but he didn't bring that up. It was probably too painful to say out loud again.
"Actually, Bakugo should be the one you're thanking, not me," he said with a grin, "If he hadn't texted me for help, I wouldn't have showed up in the first place."
"I see," Jirou smiled, "Then will you give him a hug for me when you get the chance?"
"Uh, sure."
She wrapped her arms around Todoroki's back, but it wasn't like the last time in front of the class. This time, she was smiling, and the embrace was full of gratitude and hope. He hugged her back. Jirou let out a pleasant laugh, which was really nice to hear considering what she's been through these past days, no, this whole year.
When they pulled back, Todoroki felt a hard slap on his shoulder.
"So, which one is it?" Jirou asked with a witty grin.
"Uhh, I beg your pardon?"
She rolled her eyes as if she thought it would be obvious by now.
"Momo or Midoriya, you idiot. Who are you going to shoot your shot for?" she asked.
Todoroki recoiled with a look of horror on his face.
"Sh-Shoot my shot? I don't think guns are legal in Japan, Jirou."
"You...geez, you really are dense," Jirou chuckled while fiddling with her earphone jacks, "Look, my love life was a total failure, as you can tell, but I see a spark for you, Todoroki. Midoriya and Momo, even a toddler can tell they're both into you. So just talk to one of them. But if you wait, your chances of love will slip away, and then you'll most likely die alone for the rest of your life." She smirked, "Just saying."
Todoroki turned to look at the crowd again.
Midoriya was munching on another hot dog, chatting with Iida and Uraraka at the same time. When he made eye contact with Todoroki, he waved cheerfully, accidentally dropping his food on the floor. Iida started scolding him and Midoriya scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.
Yaoyorozu was sitting under one of the trees, quietly reading a novel with earbuds in. Her raven black hair dancing through the wind made her look extra gorgeous. When she noticed that Todoroki was staring at her, she blushed and threw him a wide smile.
"It's like you said," said Jirou, "Miracles don't just happen. You create them for yourselves."
"Yeah," said Todoroki.
"Give it some thought, pretty boy," said Jirou, putting her hands in her jean pockets before walking back into the crowd. He watched as Jirou Kyoka disappeared into the mass of people. When he was left alone, Todoroki began to laugh. Man, it felt good to be happy.
A miracle, huh.
Somehow, that word always caught up to him ever since it escaped from his brother's lips. There was just something about it that made him want to push forward. To go Plus Ultra. His eyes darted from Yaoyorozu to Midoriya, watching them. Jirou was right. If there was one thing he needed, it was his very own miracle. He couldn't get one if he didn't...what was the weird expression Jirou used? Right, shoot his shot. Maybe things won't work out, maybe they will. However, in the end, the effort will always be worth it.
But...who should I choose? thought Todoroki, Someone who's always been by my side. Someone who won't ever think about hurting me or someone else. Someone who can stand their ground. Someone...who can easily show me the light through my darkest nights.
Well then...
That person...
It's gotta be...
Todoroki managed a warm smile and approached that special someone, waiting for him.
"Hey," he said.
HAHAHAHAHA YOU'LL NEVER KNOW WHO TODOROKI ENDS UP WITH. I shall let you make the decision. Go wild, idk.
ahhh sadly this IS the final chapter of the story (but I may write an epilogue soon). Honestly I had so much fun with this story, even though it took me like a year to write haha. I initially had the idea to write this 'cause I was super obsessed with the Traitor theory and it was so cool to think that it could have been Kaminari Denki, the "dumb goofball" of the class. I'm still super curious to know who the traitor is, and even if it's not Kaminari...well, we'll always have the amazing power of fanfics like this one sooo.
It's so fun to play around with these characters (and ships) and the story might have been complicated at times but it was still really fun to write! Also, I loved reading everyone's awesome, supportive comments. XD I'm gonna miss those a lot.
Oh right, I still need to do the Fun Fact of the chapter.
Fun Fact: YOU are an amazing person. :)
Okay, that's it. There's your final fun fact.
Thank you to everyone who somehow made it this far.
Go beyond, Plus Ultra!