*
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Chapter 27
Slowly but surely, our family began to split up.
At first, it was just a few meals together without the other side. A club that ended later, a doctor''s appointment, clothes to pick up from the dry cleaners: the reasons for not meeting became more frequent, until one day I went a whole week without seeing Rei or her children.
They had moved to the east wing of the house, just above the kitchens, while they waited for the main building to be rebuilt.
Dad and I ended up in the west wing, the place that was more of an outbuilding and housed his office, among other things.
He had decided not only to rebuild the house, but also to add on to this corner. He was going to knock down one of the back walls and enlarge it.
He showed me the plans and asked if I wanted anything in particular. I think it was his way of compensating for the mess the family had become, but I wasn''t one to turn down a gift, even if it was out of a sense of guilt.
He had already planned to build a gym and an indoor pool in addition to our two bedrooms, and I had offered to enlarge his office, but he had refused, saying it was good enough for him.
So I asked for our own kitchen, separate from the one in the east wing, and a movie theater. I had also thought about a stable, but since I expected to be faster than a horse in a while, there was no point.
The architect added his two cents by suggesting an outdoor sports field and a greenhouse. While the first idea was acceptable, my father''s response to the second was curt : neither he nor I would have any use for such a thing.
"They never stop"
I looked up at Mizuki-sensei, who was leaning against a tree with a stalk of wheat dangling from his mouth. He had found a cowboy hat from who knows where and put it carelessly on his head.
He looked like a criminal out of an old cowboy movie.
"He wants everything done before winter"
There were almost two hundred people working day and night on the site. One of them had a Quirk to muffle the sound in a limited area, so we could sleep at night without being woken up by a jigsaw at two in the morning.
"That''s the beauty of being rich. You pull out money and everything do your biding"
That may have been true in the old days, but it meant nothing in this world.
"Life is hard for us peasants"
I raised my eyebrows, unimpressed.
"Says the guy who gets paid to do nothing"
"First, don''t say I didn''t wear you down to the bone last month. Second, it''s your father who wants us to take things slowly. And since he''s the one who signs the checks, I''m not going to bother"
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
I grunted and fell back onto the damp grass.
Mizuki had become a kind of incompetent luxury babysitter. He watched me in the afternoons and did nothing but doze off while asking our servants to bring him watermelon juice.
"Ice cube"
I raised my right hand, and frozen stars shot out of it, heading straight for him. I was ashamed to say that this simple request was the most exciting thing I''d done all day.
Except for my ninja training, of course. Nothing like it to chase away the dark thoughts. And according to the Encyclopedia, I''ll soon be ready for nature training.
"Hmm, not too bad. A little irregular and the peaks aren''t perfectly even, but it''s not as bad as it was in the beginning"
They finally turned off their electric saws.
Birds singing and crickets chirping took over again.
"Hey, Mizuki"
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him raise his hat with his thumb.
"How does it feel to kill someone ?"
He grunted and let the hat slide down his nose.
"I''m not your shrink, kid"
I raised my left hand to cover the sun, letting the light pass through the space between my fingers.
Then I closed it, trapping the rays inside.
"I nearly killed my brother the other day. Before my father came, I mean"
He didn''t answer, but I knew he was listening.
"There was this weird moment when I knew I was going to do it. I wasn''t really in my body anymore. It was like... like I was not in control anymore. That I could only see myself doing it in third person"
The wind rose, brushing the blades of grass and laid them horizontally.
"... and how did you felt ?"
"Anxious"
New silence. Birds chirping. The chatter of builders taking a break.
"What do you want to do with your life ?"
"My life..."
I let my arm fall back to my side.
It was a beautiful day. The sky was pure blue, cloudless, and the air was warm.
"You mean what I''m going to do in the next few weeks ?"
He sniffed, amused.
"I''m not interested in your childish activities. I''m talking about your life, later on. When you''re a grown up"
The question was strange.
Odd, even, considering everything I''d been through.
"I don''t know"
I can''t see that far.
"I can''t see that far"
To live so long seemed absurd.
Everyone always seemed to believe they''d grow up and get old and relish the passage of life, but something deep inside me prevented me from believing it.
As if I knew I was fated to never make it.
"But if I make it, if I''m really eighteen one day, then that''s the problem of my future self"
The future was far away. Maybe even nonexistent. Today was a beautiful day. That was enough for me.
"Mizuki ?"
His breathing was regular. His chest rose and fell slowly as if he had fallen asleep.
I let myself fall back onto the grass and watched the sky. A white-winged bird passed in front of the sun, circling above the trees for a moment before disappearing into the distance, gliding toward the horizon.
Arms under my head, I closed my eyes. The sun heated my skin.
"There''s this quote I heard once", Mizuki said, "Well, I don''t really know if it''s a quote, but whatever : " Hurt people, hurt people" "
I opened my eyes.
"I''m not here to tell you if it''s right or wrong to kill someone. Sometimes I think it''s necessary, but that doesn''t mean it''s the right thing to do. It''s not like in the movies or TV shows where a guy shows up and slaughters everyone with his Alter because they killed his dog"
I smiled.
"Real life is different. There are no good guys or bad guys. There are just people who think they''re doing the right thing and trying to get by"
The sky was beautiful. Pure blue.
"No matter what you do, you''ll always be the bad guy in someone else''s story. So do as you please and don''t worry about the anything else"
Something clicked inside me.
It was as if I''d just understood a riddle whose answer had always been right in front of me.
"Do as I please¡"
The sky was beautiful.
*People who hurt, hurt/Hurt people, hurt people
Chapter 28 - Tougher
FIVE YEARS LATER
¡°Hey, you¡¯ve seen what''s going on in the courtyard ?¡±
The three boys looked up from the Pok¨¦mon cards they were trading.In front of them, dripping with sweat, stood Kajima Kazuki from Sixth B. His face was flushed, as if he''d just run up three flights of stairs.
¡°There are elevators, you know", laughed the blond as he saw the sweat rings on his polo shirt.
Panting, Kajima delivered his message as best he could :
¡°It''s him, he''s done it again¡±
His duty done, Kajima grabbed his Ventolin and put his lips to it. He looked like a pig with his swollen face and his noisy exhalations.
The dark-haired kid smiled, amused to see him so distraught over something that had become the norm at their school.
¡°So? It happens, like, every month¡±
It was a bit of a surprise at first, but everyone soon got used to it. Although the fights were entertaining and fun to watch if you were close to the epicenter, it was always a one-sided massacre that didn''t require you to go out of your way to find out the outcome.
¡°Every week", the third boy corrected while picking his nose.
The blond snatched the cards out of his hands.
¡°Don''t touch mine with your filthy fingers¡±
Kajima took another shot of Ventoline.
He said:
¡°It''s your brother, Kozu¡±
The blond boy turned pale.
He dropped his cards.
They scattered on the floor.
¡°My...? My...?¡±
The redhead wiped his dirty fingers on the cuff of his golf pants, then grabbed the blond by the shoulders.
¡°Hey, wake up, buddy.We can''t leave your brother alone¡±
Kozu stuttured.
¡°But... but my brother just turned fourteen¡±
The redhead and the brunette exchanged glances. Usually, he stuck to kids his own age and almost never fought older boys. If his brother was as big as he was, and he was being bullied by a ten-year-old to boot¡
They tried to cheer him up.
¡°That means he has a better chance to win. And with the three of us, we can definitely beat him¡±
Kozu muttered uncertainly
¡°You think so ?¡±
Not at all, but what else could they tell him?
They''d go by the teachers'' lounge and bring them outside with them. It would be humiliating for Kozu''s brother to be rescued from a kid, but it would be less humiliating than being beaten by that said kid.
¡°Here we go !¡±
The redhead grabbed his wrist and forced him to follow. The three boys ran down the stairs and crossed the downstairs hallway as fast as arrows.
One of the teachers opened the door, coffee in hand.
¡°Hey, where do you think you are ? No running in the halls !¡±
Kajima, late and out of breath like an boar, didn''t see her and ran into her. The scalding coffee spilled onto her blouse and pumps. She hopped from one foot to the other, hissing a series of curses.
Kajima kept running, half turning to yell at her.
¡°Sorry mam, but it''s Todoroki ! He''s done it again !¡±
¡°What ?Again ?¡±
Kajima had already opened the exit doors to the outside.
The teacher returned to the room and called her colleague.
¡°Hiroto, call Todoroki''s tutor, he''s acting up again¡±
The young professor, half buried in a pile of papers, looked up at the woman with downcast eyes.
¡°Again ?¡±
The others, behind him, exchanged a few bills and giggled.
¡°Told you he wouldn''t stop¡±
The woman rolled her eyes as she watched them.
She pulled out the American football helmet that the teachers had kept on hand since the day Todoroki broke the nose of the gym teacher who tried to stop him from disemboweling another boy. There had been so much blood that they''d had to repaint the gym floor.
¡°Yeah, again. And those idiots who let me do all the work...¡±
*
¡°Strike! Strike ! Strike ! Strike !¡±
I heard the door to the teachers'' lounge swing open, and then three different pairs of shoes crossed the hallway. The strange way one of them moved made me stop.
Shit, they took old Takajiima with them.
The teenager''s cheek was swollen and his eye puffy, as if he had grown a second forehead.
My fist landed on his face without much force, and his lip split open. His head bobbed up and down as if he had a spring for a neck.
I felt the crowd of boys open up as the shoes came closer. Two muscular arms passed under my armpits before the palms of their owners landed on the back of my skull, preventing me from moving.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
¡°That''s enough Todoroki !¡±
Takajima forced me to retreat with him.
I pretended to fight, more for the sake of appearances than out of any real conviction.
Himari, with her ridiculous wire-mesh helmet on her head, ran over to the teenager who was still lying on the ground.
¡°You broke his nose !¡±
A nose already more crooked than the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
I had just performed a public service. Where were my thanks ?
¡°Shin !¡±
A little shit barely taller than me ran to the teenager. He was sobbing as if I''d murdered him.
¡°Relax, he''s not dead¡± I smiled. ¡°Or at least not yet¡±
The floodgates opened and the blond boy turned into a living fountain. Takajima dragged me further, forcing me to turn my back on the Comedia Del Arte.
So dramatic.
Some of the boys were having fun miming the fight, the first one telegraphing a right hook and the second one slipping behind the other before hitting him (without any real force) in the back of the knee, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground.
Another group of teenagers chanted my name and threw dandelions torn from the path at Takajima. One of the flowers landed in his mouth and he promptly spat it out, a piece of petal covered of saliva landing on the horrified face of another child.
¡°To-doroki ! To-doroki ! To-doroki !¡±
This kind of contained cruelty was what I liked and hated most about this boys'' only school.
None of them hated me, even those I had sent to the infirmary several times. They enjoyed the shows and had fun with them, making bets to guess who would be next to suffer my wrath.
It was just a game to them, the highlight of the week. They never thought about why they were applauding me and just giggled like hyenas.
But I wasn''t surprised: if there was one thing I knew, it was that there is nothing more cruel than a child.
Takajima took me behind the classroom building and let me go, pushing me a little harder than necessary.
I staggered a little to satisfy him.
¡°Have you calmed down ?¡±
He looks really angry this time.
¡°It wasn¡¯t too bad¡±
So bad that I thought I would die of boredom.
¡°I was able to test the last move I learned¡±
I did an arm roll and then a right hook.
¡°Apparently you can knock someone out if you hit them in the right place. I wasn''t very successful this time, so maybe next-¡±
¡°Don''t lie to me¡±
I straightened up, my smile melting like snow in the sun. That old fart had a bullshit''ometer that allowed him to determine the rate of bullshit per minute. He''d had his eye on me since the day I breathed too hard next to him.
¡°You weren''t like this before¡±
I rolled my eyes.
The comeback of the cheap psychology.
¡°I''ve always fought¡±
¡°You usually manage to keep it in gym class¡±
¡°I didn''t like his face¡±
Especially his crooked nose. So ugly.
¡°Shoto¡±
My muscles tensed.I gave him a sideway glance.
¡°Don''t use my first name¡±
¡°What happened ?¡±
I clicked my tongue and looked away.
¡°I''m not talking about little Kami going to the hospital. I''m talking about you and the week you missed school, supposedly because you were sick¡±
The smell of burnt pork rose to my nose.
¡°I was sick¡±
He sighed.
¡°Shoto...¡±
It was his teaching voice, the soft, condescending one.
I stared at the sky, indifferent to the outside world.
¡°You''re planning to enter the next MMA tournament, aren''t you ? If you keep this up...¡±
I muted him.It was halfway through his spiech that he noticed. New sigh.
¡°Why am I even bothering ?¡±
That''s what I''m wondering
*
¡°.. fifth time this month ! All parents complain!¡±
Satisfied, I closed my notebook.
It''s time for math and history. I''ll do Italian in the car.
It was the original who would be happy.
¡°I''m well aware of that, Mrs. Ushioda, and believe me, I''m doing everything in my power to...¡±
¡°Then do more !¡±
I closed my eyes and focused on the old woman''s breathing.
The old woman has a heart murmur and-oh, my.
That smell was unusual.
Old Takajima is screwing a married woman ?
I had half a dozen plans of action in my head.
Which one would be the most entertaining?
¡°If this goes on, I''ll pull my sons out of this school !¡±
The big wounded boy (the one whose love life I had saved by redoing his face) whimpered:
¡°Mom !¡±
On the left, the secretary turned on the coffee maker. The roar of the machine, coupled with the creaking chairs in the principal''s office, masked the conversation somewhat.
¡°Not mean. He must have had his reasons¡±
Clothes rustling.
¡°What would justify a broken nose, I''m listening !¡±
The coffee maker reaches its peak.
¡°...talk... close...Hero... ...End...¡±
¡°...just... this... nothing... justifies...¡±
I looked up to my left.
Kenzei was standing there, smiling, his black felt hat in his hands.
His gray hair was slicked back immaculately, as always. Crow''s feet were visible at the corners of his squinted eyes, and a million wrinkles crisscrossed his skin like the horny pages of a book that had been read over and over again.
He looked friendly and harmless, like any doting grandpa would.
Exactly why he was perfect.
¡°Kenzei¡±
He pretended to be startled.
¡°Ah, Shoto, there you are. I didn''t see you¡±
He greeted the secretary and then sat down on my right, between the front door and me, leaning exaggeratedly on his stick.
Once seated, he stifled a sigh of relief.
¡°Let me guess: because he asked for it ?¡±
¡°Hmm¡±
The office door flew open.
A blonde fury wearing a pearl necklace crossed the hallway, dragging her half-battered son behind her. His eyes met mine and he gave me the peace sign.
The principal watched them go and shook her head in disappointment.
Her eyes fell on us.
¡°I suppose... (she glanced at her secretary) that he couldn''t make it ?¡±
¡°Sorry about it¡±, said Kenzei
She sighed.
¡°Sign the hospital check and go home¡±
No sermon ? Here''s one who can''t wait to bang Takaji.
My mind conjured up an image of their two elderly bodies wrapped around each other like snakes.
I put two fingers over my mouth to keep myself from throwing up.
Kenzei tucked his fountain pen and the family checkbook into the inside pocket of his black trench coat.
¡°Let''s go home¡±
*
Author''s note :
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Otherwise, see you in the next update everyone !
Chapter 29
I crouched on a branch, my eyelids closed.
I could feel Kenzei sitting in the living room, just as I''d left him when I came three servants were still in the kitchen. The east wing was desert, except for the two idiots in their rooms.
My senses reached further into the heart of the forest. Two great, crackling energies? were battling there.
Shunshin.
The energy concentrated in my legs: half a hand signal later, and I was gone.
My soles barely grazed the branches before I was propelled into the next jump.I could hear the bark crack as I passed, a spray of wood shavings exploding on impact.
The air shook, its transparent surface shimmering like water as I crossed the invisible barrier.
The scene transformed into a battlefield.
Trees as thick as three men lay in the middle of the overturned earth, uprooted corpses. Puddles and mud had replaced the meadow of flowers. Holes the size of wells littered the plowed ground. A smell of burning rose to my nose.
I crouched at the edge of the field and scanned my surroundings for them.
A tree trunk shot through the air like a cannonball.
It crossed the improvised clearing from left to right, whipping up a gust of icy wind.
Crouched horizontally against an oak was Second Shoto.
He made half a sign.
Tiger.
He disappeared. The trunk thrown by the First hit the oak so hard that the whole clearing shook.
Clods of earth flew in all directions as the leaves of the stricken tree fell like snow. Cracks scattered across the oak''s bark as its wood rumbled to withstand the tree bent in two, its roots snapping out of the ground like whips.
And then it collapsed, the bushy part falling back onto the trunk that had attacked it.
The birds that had nested there took to the air with a flurry of wings and angry cries.
My eyes darted to the left of the field.
The Second Shoto leapt from the foliage above the First, his sword aiming dangerously at his First, crouched on a thick branch, spun on his feet, kunai in hand.
Yellow sparks flew from the blades.
The First''s arm shook, but he pushed the blade back far enough to avoid decapitation. The branch beneath his feet cracked, however, unable to support their combined weight.
The First made Ram-
Lightning exploded from the Second''s body, passing through his sword like a shock wave to strike the First.
The First arched his back, his body pierced by lightning. There was an explosion of smoke, then the Second''s blade sliced through the log the First had replaced himself with.
The Second didn''t even have time to turn around before a tanto, identical to his own, pierced his chest. A new puff of smoke.
Substitution.
The First, far from being distracted by the decoy, jumped back a good two meters. The tree he''d been standing on a second earlier shook, and the half dozen explosive tags hidden by a genjutsu came to light.
The next moment, everything exploded.
The tree burst as if a bomb had been placed inside. The upper half of the trunk was torn from its base and crashed to the ground with a thud, rolling several meters away. It smashed into some bushes, reducing them to rubble.
The lower part of the tree, anchored to the ground by its mighty roots, caught fire as if soaked in gasoline. Its bark shriveled and scorched sap flowed from it like black blood.
A dark, opaque smoke, like a wave of ink, spread over the whole area.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
I covered my mouth with my forearm and wriggled against the branch, my eyes squinting.
My eyes burned and my throat was on fire.
I can''t feel them anymore.
The forest was deathly quiet.
The black veil continued to spread across the clearing, covering the sky and the trees. The dust itself darkened.I couldn''t even see my hand next to my face.
Not even the sun could get through.
A breeze came up and soothed my irritated nose. The cloud did not dissipate.
A flaming leaf fell from the sky.
It cut through the darkness like a torch thrown into the abyss, its golden light barely illuminating the surroundings. It spun around, its edges shriveling as it fell.
It looked like the last star in a dead galaxy.
I forced myself to keep my eyes open, knowing what was about to happen.
All that remained was a burning rod. It brushed against a blade of grass.
The wind whistled.
Clang clang clang.
Yellow sparks flew from the clash of their tantos in the center of the clearing. A new hiss of air. Sparks exploded in the trees, far to the left. A split second later, they exploded to the right.
A Shoto, haloed by lightning, emerged from the darkness and flashed toward the Shoto on the left.
A kamikaze.
The left shoto jumped back. A volley of kunais shot from his right hand to meet the threat.
One of the kunais grazed the skin of Lightning Shoto. He froze skin turned white as if he had swallowed a light lightning crackling above his skin brightened with him, illuminating the darkness like a super nova at the end of its life.
The forest took on shades of gray, then white in the bright light.
Lightning Shoto''s silhouette blurred. He was nothing more than a crackling light, humanoid and unrecognizable.
The left Shoto, panicking, made a half-hand sign.
The Lightning Shoto exploded.
A ring of light erupted, consuming everything in its path.
The cloud of black smoke was pierced by radiation.
Trees were sliced at the base. Grass caught onfire.
I threw myself to the ground, covering my head with both light pierced the branch I''d been standing on a second before, reducing it to ashes.
A hole like a well opened at the top of the cloud. An oblique ray of sunlight slipped through, illuminating the devastated forest.
I turned my head to the right, where the First Shoto who had created the Lightning Clone was still lurking. He met my gaze.
Like a vengeful demon, the Second Shoto burst out of the darkness. Half of his clothes were charred, and white smoke billowed from his hair in waves.
The First turned his head to the side, his eyes wide. His hand rose, his fingers flexed, and-
And then the Second pierced his chest with a chidori.
The scream of a thousand birds echoed through the forest as the First jerked against the arm. He burst into white smoke, ending the battle.
The Second met my gaze.
He looked downright furious.
"I can expl-
I dissapeared in a puff of smoke.
"So boss, how was the-"
The clone exploded in a cloud of smoke. I wrapped a towel around my neck and wiped my hair with the only square that was still dry.
"Give your clones some autonomy", I told myself,"The more time they have to prepare, the better the fight will be"
And that soulless bastard had almost killed me with a jutsu out of his ass.
Still, it was a hell of a- Could we say it was asuicide as he tried to kill me ?
I moved closer to my desk and lifted the pages my clone was writing on.
There were three concentric circles filled with Fuinjutsu inscriptions as tight and thin as hairpins. Three large commas filled with symbols crossed them.
I hope this Sharingan doesn''t blow the brains out of the next mouse.
The Chakra Encyclopedia had once told me that I could reproduce some Dojutsus if I reached a sufficient level in it also explained that at this stage, even with my clones working day and night, I wouldn''t be able to do it for another three years.
But I couldn''t wait three years.
That''s exactly why I brute forcingmy way for my Sharingan creation.
The encyclopedia had vaguely explained how it would work, but the construction stages were , more than four months ago, I sent my clones on a mad quest.
It was possible that one day the rodent test would be passed, but that the seal would fail me completely.
But what was the difference between dying today to become stronger or dying tomorrow at the hands of a murderer?
I put the sheet back on the desk.
It was a good job, too. But I really didn''t want to see anymoremy clones today.
There was a knock at the door.
"Yes?"
My father poked his head through the crack.
His dark circles were longer than my arm.
"Have you eaten yet?"
I walked to him.
"I waited for you to come home For the movie"
"Right. The movie"
I stopped abruptly and raised my eyebrows.
"Again?"
He sighed.
"Listen Shoto, recently-" I crossed my arms.
"Yes, yes, ''recently''. You''ve been putting it off for a week"
I''d spent the week eating my meals facing the wall. Old Kenzei had wanted to "keep me company" and after his third abracadabra story about his youth, I''d set sail.
He watched me silently.
"Look, why don''t we ask them to bring the food into the theater ? We''ll start the movie, and when you fall asleep, I''ll finish it by myself"
The way things were going, that was the best I could get out of him.
"Very well"
I fidgeted in my seat, my feet barely touching the end of the chair.
"What are you doing?"
I looked up at my father, who was sitting comfortably in his seat. The chairs were all custom-made so that he could sit in any of them without ever feeling like he was being folded in half.
But even when I sat down, I didn''t even touch the tip of the seat.
"When did you have your growth spurt?"
A gleam of amusement flashed through his eyes.
"Your height again?"
He leaned forward and took the (huge) plate the cook had prepared for him. Tonight it was assorted raw fish, something my father was very fond of.
"I''ve always been tall. Even at your age, I was a head taller than all my classmates"
But I wasn''t.
For the first time in my life, I wondered if the chakra was hindering my growth.
"Hmm"
"You should eat. Even if you don''t grow, you could compensate by building up your muscles"
He made a square with his fingertips.
I crossed my arms and started the movie. The ceiling lights went out in a second.
I could hear his laugh over the roar of the motorcycle behind the rain curtain.
By the time I deigned to look at him again, he was asleep.
Chapter 30 - Heroes Awards
Camera flashes crackled, white light seeping through the slit in the tent''s fabric.
The shadows of those posing came to us distorted, as if their bodies were nothing more than dry, angular pieces of wood.
"Turn this way !"
"Crimson Ninja, look here !"
The black tent was crowded with celebrities in gala outfits. They chatted and laughed loudly, moving from one group to another to greet each other and exchange confidences.
One of the women had a green dress with a train and feathers in the back that made her look like a peacock. She leaned forward and her feather scratched the face of another woman who sneezed. The first woman pretended not to notice.
My eyes wandered over the rainbow gathering waiting for their turn on the red carpet.
"I thought there would only be heroes"
I looked up at my father.
He was wearing a navy blue three-piece suit with a refined cut.
The jacket was like a second skin, accentuating his broad shoulders and muscular torso. Even his pants, thanks to some seamstress'' sleight of hand, lengthened his legs and made him look even taller than he already was.
A handkerchief embroidered with our family name protruded elegantly from his breast pocket.
I''d had to wear the replica of his outfit - including cufflinks emblazoned with the flame logo - except for the bow tie. My hair, longer than his, had been combed back to reveal my face.
I''d always looked like my father, but tonight I was his miniature version. And no matter how hard I''d tried to get him to confess, he''d never said anything except that it was a strange coincidence. I hadn''t missed his little smile of satisfaction.
Anyway, the whole thing was signed Hermes, so I''d given up quite easily.
"You can''t fill a hall with only top 20 heroes"
He ran two fingers over his gold watch, absent-mindedly surveying the crowd.
With his two extra heads compared to the other guests, it would have been foolish to say that his every move was discreet.
People looked at him out of the corners of their eyes, startled when they met his gaze. But it only took a second for them to look again, curious.
My father intimidated them, but they seemed to love it, in the same way teenage girls love toxic romances.
It scares you, but you keep coming back for more.
"How do you feel ?"
The crowd shouted the names of each new celebrity as they arrived on the carpet. I could hear the metal barriers scraping against the tarmac and imagined security trying to contain them.
"Okay"
Tonight was the big night, the night of my official entry into the world as Shoto Todoroki, son of Endeavor.
The chances that something worse than my last abduction would happen would only be multiplied, but life had been a risky business since the day I was born into this world.
Today or tomorrow, what''s the difference ?
My father thought I was ready, too. And I trusted him.
"Don''t forget to squint. The light burns the retina if you look at it too long"
I nodded.
A clerk in a black cap with a list and a pen called out to us.
"Mr. Endeavor, you''re up next"
The crowd of celebrities parted to let us through. Even the peacock lady released her feathers to prevent my father from getting them in his face.
Or maybe she was just afraid he''d burn them as he walked by.
The agent moved the curtain blocking the entrance to the tent, his big nose sliding out as if for fresh air.
"Countdown in three, two..."
My father took my hand in his. His eyes were reassuring.
"A few photos and off we go"
I could feel the eyes of all the other people in the room piercing my neck.
The agent called out to me:
"Don''t forget to squint, kid"
And he pulled the curtain wide open to the outside world. I had underestimated the soundproofing of the big tent.
The cacophony of screams and voices that assaulted me was such that I thought my eardrums would burst.
I was forced to temporarily reduce the quality of my hearing and vision. The contrast was so intense that I felt as if I had gone deaf and blind.
My father gently tugged on my hand to pull me to the center of the mat.
The photographers briefly paused to exchange glances over their cameras. Their eyes darted back and forth between the two of us.
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But other than looking, none of them said anything.
If I wasn''t having an existential crisis about the frailty of humanity, I might have laughed at the way they avoided my father''s gaze.
An acne-ridden boy, probably new to the scene, was seized by a burst of bravado and shouted:
"Mister Endeavor ! Mister Endeavor ! Is this your son ?"
The other journalists looked at him as if he''d just signed his death warrant. My father tightened his grip on my hand, then replied with a proud, straight face.
"Yes"
The journalists looked incredulous that he would deign to answer. It made me wonder about Endeavor''s personality and how he''d gotten to the point where a simple "yes" could move forty-somethings with trucker looking men.
Granted, my father wasn''t the nicest hero you could meet, and yes, I admit he looked like a grumpy dwarf (minus the dwarf), but he was a good man.
He was fair, impartial, and took his role as a Hero to heart.
He never wasted time posing for magazines or giving interviews, for the simple reason that he "would waste time on the things that really mattered''.
Flashes crackled again.
My father gently squeezed my hand and we were off again.
A few strides and we were on our way to the reception area.
"Welcome"
The huge glass doors opened.
The room was the height of luxury and extravagance.
Blue crystal tables shared space with cream velvet armchairs.
Fountains, presumably part of the walls, poured their water into small basins that circled the room like pipes.
Shimmering hanging plants had been suspended from the marble basins, giving the place a French village feel.
Dim lights had been hung regularly enough to brighten the place, but not enough to see with the glass ceiling that gave a bird''s eye view of the surprisingly starry sky (fake?), the atmosphere was more that of a private party than a hero''s gala.
An icy, human-sized statue sat in the center of the room. He had a fist raised to the sky and a cloak floating behind him, but his face was smooth as a baby''s skin, anonymous.
Presumably to keep the surprise of who would get the next number 1 spot, although that was not really a surprise at all.
"Can I have your phon-"
A clerk stood by the entrance, a plastic box in one hand and a post-it note ready for annotation in the other. He swallowed loudly.
My father glared at him, but his face remained perfectly smooth.
The clerk shrank back into himself.
My father''s eyes darkened.
Wait, is that why he always looks so angry in public? Because people are scared when they see him ?
The clerk stammered, his face flushed.
"Good evening, Mr. Endeavor, good to see you.I didn''t recognize you in this costume, since you usually wear a different one.I mean, the one you wear as a hero is fine, but this one is better.I mean, I prefer it, but maybe you don''t, and I think I should shut up and stop assuming things that don''t make sense, because"
He tightened his grip and took a breath. A long one.
I waited for the rest, amused.
"Can I have your cell phones ?"
"No"
And we left him there. I watched over my shoulder as his mouth opened and closed like a fish.
He didn''t even try to catch us up.
A waiter in a tuxedo walked by and offered us a drink.
My father eyed the cloudy contents suspiciously, then declined.
"So, where''s our table?"
A few guests were already seated, but most of the tables were empty. My father led me to the stage.
"We have to-"
"What a lucky coincidence to meet my dear brother here!"
A woman with white curls and gray eyes appeared out of nowhere and blocked our way. She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and glared at my father with contempt.
"Emilia" He sounded surprised "What are you doing here ?"
She laughed, the river of diamonds around her neck jiggling.
"Finally, Enji ! You sound like you''re not happy to see me !"
"That''s the case"
Emilia''s upper lip curled over her teeth.
A storm was building up in her eyes.
Much fiercer than Rei.
She turned her attention to me. Her mouth opened and her eyes softened.
"My little Shoto. If only you knew how happy I am to see you..."
.I moved closer to my father, half hiding behind his arm.
"Daddy, she''s scaring me..."
He understood exactly what I was getting at and pushed me even farther behind him.
"You heard him. Move out of our way"
Emilia glared at him, then crouched down to my level.
"You don''t need to be afraid of me, Shoto. I''m your aunt, your mother''s sister. We''ve met before, you know ? But you were little, like this" She raised her hand to her knee "You must have forgotten me by now"
Liar.
"What''s it like living with just your dad?He''s not too mean to you?You''d tell me if he was, wouldn''t you ? Since I''m your aunt..."
I felt my father tense up.
"What are you insinuating ?"
"Do you miss your brother and sister ? Would you like to see them ? We could arrange it. You could see your mom too. You love your mom very much, don''t you ?"
I looked up at my father. A vein throbbed fiercely at his neck.
"Don''t make me repeat myself"
When she saw that I didn''t answer her, Emilia reluctantly stood up. She dusted off her skirt.
"You can''t keep him away from his family forever, Enji. Sooner or later, he will ask"
"I am his family"
The burst of voices, barely louder than the surrounding chatter, had the misfortune to occur when the pianist paused for a moment.
Heads turned and the chatter lost volume. Everyone seemed to be very interested in seeing Number 2 air his dirty laundry in public.
"How dare you !"
Emilia took a step forward, flushed with anger.
My father wouldn''t budge.
"I forbid you to come here and tell your-"
"Relax, Mr. Hero. We''re just family here, so why make a scene ?"
A blond man with a broad build slid in between my father and the madwoman on duty. He wasn''t nearly as tall as my old man, but he had no trouble looking him in the eye.
I had trouble making out his accent.
Spanish ? Italian maybe ?
He looked around at the more or less discreet group of people watching eyes returned to my father and he gave him an icy smile.
"Take your wife and get out of here, Andrei"
The blond man smiled and then took a step forward, coming dangerously close to my father.
"Or what ?"
The tension rose a notch.
They stared at each other.
I didn''t miss the clenched fist the blond man had hidden in his pocket.
But my father knew better than to make the mistake of striking first. On the other hand, no one could blame him for sending his attacker to the hospital.
Emilia tugged her husband''s sleeve.
"Per favore sono qui per fare una scenata"
His fist slackened. He continued the staring duel for a few moments, for the sake of form, then took a step back.
He put an arm around his wife, but his gaze was still on my father.
"Contrary to what you may think, I didn''t come here to cause a scandal," Emilia said.
She sighed.
"I wanted to talk to you about Rei. How she feels"
"I suppose she doesn''t know that you and your husband ambushed me?"
A bitter line twisted around Emilia''s mouth.
"You don''t know what you''ve done to her by taking away another of her children"
My father clenched his jaw.
"Her and I have an agreement. Don''t make me believe that you don''t know"
Emilia spat, again angrily :
"She''s suffering, Enji! Terribly!"
He didn''t even blink.
"Go away"
Emilia glared at him.
She rummaged through her micro-bag and pulled out a post-it note, scribbling on shoved the paper into the heart pocket of my suit.
"Our address, if you ever need anything"
Without looking back, they made their way through the crowd of curious onlookers to a platinum-haired, blue-eyed boy about my age. He looked at me curiously, his hands in his pockets - mirroring my own behavior - and I was surprised at how much we looked like each other.
The same posture, the same bored expression, and the same haircut.
Emilia took his hand, and the small family walked away, disappearing into the the crowd.
The gossipers gathered around us dispersed, glancing at us occasionally and murmuring in low voices.
I pulled the post-it out of my pocket.
It went up in flames in a second.
"Did you burn it ?"
I looked up at my father, who never took his eyes off Emilia and her husband until he could no longer see them.
I absentmindedly dusted the remains off my jacket.
"Until ashes"
Chapter 31
Our table was centrally located, only a couple of feet from the stage.
Two seats labeled "Endeavor" and "Plus" faced us. My father pulled out his chair and froze.
I followed his gaze to the chair next to it. It was identical to the others.
"What''s going on ? What is it ? What''s wrong ?"
"Sit down"
He gestured to his chair.
My eyes darted back and forth between the two of them, and then I finally gave in, though I was still a little taken aback by his behavior.
He sat to my left, where the little ''Plus'' card hung.
"What the hell was that ?"
"The chair looked wobbly. I didn''t want it to collapse when I sat on it"
As if I''d believe that.
"I was talking about what you and Rei''s sister did earlier. What agreement did you make with my other progenitor ?"
He frowned.
"She''s still your mother, the one who carried you in her womb for nine months. Don''t be disrespectful"
"I''m very respectful"
Because that''s what you want.
"But she''s not my mother"
He stared at me for a long time. Then poured himself a glass of water.
"Even before... our family split up, you stopped calling her ''Mom. Don''t think I didn''t notice"
I watched the pianist get back in the saddle.
"You told her I was smart. That I''d remember everything. But she didn''t listen"
Mistakenly, everyone thought my father was a heartless being who felt nothing.
He didn''t express his emotions on his face or by changing the tone of his voice. Everything came through his eyes and the way he looked at you with them.
The look of concern in his eyes didn''t fool me.
"Do you really remember...?"
"I do"
From the day I was born.
"Do you have nightmares ?"
"I used to", And then I added, to reassure him, "But not since a long time"
I had other things to gnaw on than a pyromaniac kid.
He nodded slowly, trying to absorb everything I''d just said. I felt a little sick.
"So, this deal? What''s it all about ?"
He took a few sips, then moistened his lips.
"We decided to-"
"Endeavor-sama, if I had expected to see you here !"
A man in costume - probably a hero in uniform - came to the table. A scythe larger than himself hung from his back, and a mask covered the lower part of his face. He looked like a ninja, albeit one on the verge of retirement.
On his arm was a beautiful woman wearing an emerald-colored sari with a veil.
The old man has good taste.
My father stood up and scraped his chair on the floor.
"Good evening"
He shook the hero''s hand and nodded to his wife.
"As someone who so often avoids such ceremonies, I wonder what could have changed your mind ?"
The old man smiled and his eyes crinkled into crescents. He turned his gaze to me.
"Pleased to meet you, boy"
He shook my hand and the couple sat down at the other end of the table.
There was only one seat vacant, to my right. There was no other ''guest'' chair next to it.
The old hero sighed, then gazed fondly at the scenery.
"So many memories! To think that not so long ago I was the one everyone was waiting for..."
The woman laughed and covered her mouth with her hand.
"That was over fifteen years ago"
"Ah, already. Time flies. Being number 1 was no picnic"
I tilted my head, my horrified eyes landing on the chair to my right.
"Fortunately, we can count on youngsters like Endeavor to pick up the slack"
Don''t tell me-
"The cavalry arrives like everyone else : through the door !"
All Might suddenly appeared in the middle of the room, fists on hips. The light from the ceiling lamps bounced off his blond hair, casting a golden halo around his face.
I wondered if he hadn''t stopped by earlier to prepare for his arrival and find the perfect place to land.
Celebrities - now groupies - flocked to him.
"Come on, come on, there''s plenty of the Mighty Man for everyone"
I shot a look of accusation at my father.
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He ignored me superbly, pretending to admire the walls.
"Well, if it isn''t my good friend Endeavor"
All Might, all his autographs signed in a flash, joined our table.
I''ve never heard anyone with such a heavy step.
He greeted the couple, who looked incredibly amused. Then his eyes turned to me and he gave me a smile so dazzling I almost went blind.
In fact, it''s a blessing if I can''tsee anymore his molded crotch jiggle like that.
I promised myself I''d wash my eyes out with bleach when I got home.
"And could this charming boy be your son ?"
He put a hand on my father''s shoulder. The temperature soared. The old man''s wife fanned herself with a towel.
My father pushed his hand away without so much as a glance.
All Might laughed awkardly.
"Haha, Endeavor, you are always so funny my friend !"
"I''m not your friend"
All Might ignored him and sat back, his fluorescent eyes resting on me. He must have decided that I was the less dangerous of the two Todoroki.
Wrongly so.
"And what''s your name, boy ?"
"...Shoto"
"What a great name! Tell me, how old are you? Eight? Nine? When I was your age, I was a hero fan. I guess with a father like yours you want to be one too, don''t you?
He sent a knowing wink to my father.
The latter ignored him superbly, all his attention riveted on our centerpiece. All Might coughed to hide his embarrassment.
"Would you like an autograph?"
"No"
"I think I can do something with the napkin and-oh"
If the mood was already a little awkward, it was now right down to the wire.
Our resident couple exchanged glances, then pretended to have a private conversation.
All Might tried to save face, but his smile was half frozen.
"Haha... you really are your father''s son..."
The evening promised to be long.
"For the hero who solved the most cases this year : Endeavor !"
For the umpteenth time that night, my father stood up to receive his trophy. The audience applauded politely as he picked up the golden statuette.
He bowed slightly.
"Thank you"
Then he left the stage and returned to our table. He placed the trophy next to my chair among all the others.
"How much?"
I quickly scanned the prizes piled at my feet.
"Nine"
The ceremony''s mistress returned to the podium and announced the next prize :
"The hero who, once again, won the hearts of the public all over the country : All Might !"
Even he could no longer feign surprise when he heard himself called. He trotted up to the stage, his disgusting suit molding every square inch of his buttocks.
I think I''m going to throw up.
The way my old man was staring at the ceiling, he must have been thinking the same thing.
All Might gave another speech, as long and boring as all the previous ones. As for where he got his inspiration¡
The audience listened politely, but the general attention had waned since the fourth monologue.
The mistress of ceremonies beckoned him to stop.
"Oh, sorry !" He turned to the audience "Thank you again for your support and confidence !"
He bowed ninety degrees and returned to his seat, under everyone''s applause.
He placed his trophy among the others, to the side.
This last one makes eleven.
I thought about accidentally breaking one.
The evening went on in the same way: All Might trying to start a discussion with my father, my father ignoring him, and the two of them taking all the trophies to the point where our table was transformed into the Oscar Garden.
I pretended to go get ice cream to slip out.
I entered a kitchen which resembled a battleground.
Everyone was running in all directions, orders were being shouted over each other, and waiters with arms full of dishes were rushing toward the reception area, bypassing me as if I were a nonexistent pole.
"Find me the damn spices and season this dish properly, Johnny! You, take these dishes to table 32. And now... what are you doing here, kid?"
A balding, sweaty forty-something stood in front of me, a stack of dishes to be washed under his elbow. His skin was so clammy that it formed a beard of sweat.
"How did you get in here ?"
"I''d like some ice cream"
He looked me up and down, his eyes lingering for a second longer on my watch.
"¡ damn spoiled rotten kids," he muttered, then louder: "We must have some in the back. If I give you some, you won''t come back, you hear ?"
He called to an empty-handed waiter who was leaving the kitchen.
"You there! Where do you think you''re going ?"
The waiter gasped, visibly surprised to be caught in slacking off.
He stuttered.
"Me ?"
He was blond, with a thin line of eyeliner at the corner of his cornea. In addition to the white shirt and bow tie, he wore a black turtleneck underneath.
I had a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.
"Yes, ''y-you" the man I assumed to be the manager sneered.
The blond man gave the double doors a look that I could almost describe as languorous. He shuffled over to us, his hands in his pockets.
The manager stared at him from head to toe.
"What ? Another kid? How did you get hired here, my boy?"
The blond shrugged, and that''s when I saw them.
Wings. Red.
"Well, let''s just say I ambushed one of your employees in the backyard, then neutralized him and stole his clothes and badge, all because I wanted to meet my idol behind those doors"
The manager blinked.
And then a big hearty laugh, like a coughing fit, shook him from top to bottom.
He wiped his dripping face with his hairy forearm, then rested his huge hand on the teenager''s
shoulder.
"Very funny, boy. Now, take the kid here and get him some ice cream from the refrigerators in the back"
The future Hawks gave me an annoyed glare.
"And hop to it ! We still have a lot to do tonight !"
The manager grabbed a clean bowl and spoon and almost threw them into my hands. He left us to go yell at someone else.
" Johnny! If you ever season a dish any different than what I said, I swear to God-"
"Come with me"
I followed Hawks to the refrigerators, studying his figure from behind. I would have given him fifteen, maybe sixteen, but no more.
"Well done. For the manager"
He looked over his shoulder at me.
"Hmm ?"
"Tell him the truth, knowing he wouldn''t believe you"
He looked at me again, much longer this time.
"And what''s that ? Are you going to tell him ?"
He opened the door to the huge refrigerator and waved me inside.
My eyes wandered over the various tubs of ice cream lined up on the shelves.
"What if I do ?"
He closed the door behind him and leaned against it with his arms crossed.
"Then we have a problem"
I brushed a shelf with my fingertip and gave Hawks a quick glance.
Steam escaped his lips.
His eyes had that cold glint that almost made me doubt that I was really looking at future number two.
I remembered Hawks as this nice guy who was a die-hard Endeavor fan, not this disturbing teenager who acted like he wanted to snap my neck and hide my body behind the ice packs.
But wasn''t he supposed to be trained by the Hero Commission ?
Young as he was, I was probably dealing with his most unstable version.
"Is it a threat ?"
"Do you feel threatened ?"
I laughed.
I opened the chocolate cream and started to help myself.
"Why would I be ? I''m the one with power here"
His gaze was amused.
"Oh? Would you allow me, oh great master, to know why ?"
I held up two fingers.
"Two reasons"
I shook my index finger.
"First, you didn''t have the decency to check my Quirk as I''m a child"
The already low temperature plummeted.
In a split second, frost covered the entire room. Pots, shelves and walls were frozen under a thin layer of ice.
Hawks lost his smile. He flapped his wings and flew away from the door, hovering a few inches above the floor
"Second, I''m not some nameless servant you can ''neutralize'' at will. My father is in the next room. Perhaps you''ve heard of him ? His name is Enji"
His confusion delighted me.
"But perhaps you know him better..."
I felt a familiar energy pass through the kitchen doors.
" ...as Endeavor ?"
His wings dropped. He fell heavily to the ground, crestfallen.
"You... you mean...?"
He turned wide eyes looked at me with a mixture of horror and amazement. There was a knock at the door.
"Shoto? You''re in there?"
Hawks looked like he was about to cry.
I walked past the boy, my left hand suddenly hot. As soon as I touched the handle, the excess ice on it melted like water.
"Dad, hi"
He looked at me warily, then back at the puddles on the ground.
"What''s all this ?"
"Oh, this ?"
I put my spoon in my mouth and grabbed Hawks, pulling him unceremoniously toward my father.
"His name is...I have no idea, but he''s the one who helped me find my ice cream. Apparently he''s a big fan of yours, in a pillow-with-your-head-printed-on-it kind of way, you know ?"
My dad gave me an unimpressed look.
"He wanted your autograph, by the way"
My father looked at him for the first time, clearly unimpressed that he had found a die-hard fan in a refrigerator.
Hawks blushed violently.
My father sighed, then grabbed a notepad and pen from a passing waiter. He scribbled a few words on it, then handed it back.
Hawks bowed ninety degrees.
"Thank you ! Thank you so much !"
Even after we left the refrigerator, leaving the door wide open, Hawks continued to thank him profusely.
I looked over my shoulder and saw him clutching the notebook to his heart.
I looked up at my father.
"Dad"
"Hmm?"
"Did you use my departure as an excuse to avoid All Might?"
He pretended not to hear me.
Chapter 32 - A.T.