Fuyumi's lament
Hawks stared at the stranger, confused. Is this the person who called me here? On Touya’s phone? But what baffled him more was the use of his real name. “Uh...yeah? How do you know my name?”
“Fuyumi Todoroki.” The girl firmly held out her hand covered in soot, awaiting a proper handshake.
Hawks hesitantly accepted the handshake as he apprehended her surname. “Todoroki? As in Enji Todoroki?”
Fuyumi nodded. “I-I’m Endeavour’s daughter, yes.” She confirmed. That didn’t explain what she had to do with Hawks--why did she bring him here and how?
“Are you the one who sent that text?”
The girl fidgeted with her glasses, and that’s when he noticed her hands were shaking. Her turquoise eyes hastily scanned their surroundings. “I-I am.”
Hawks was at a loss for words. “H-how?” As far as the hero knew, Touya had no connection to a Fuyumi Todoroki. How she even got a hold of his phone was an entirely other issue.
“U-um,” Her voice wavered again, it sounded like she was holding back tears. “I just don’t know where to begin…”
Hawks wove his hand through his wild blond hair anxiously “Can you start with how you know my name? That’s something only the Commission should know-”
“--and Touya.” Fuyumi interrupted.
“What?”
“That’s how I knew...I-I shouldn’t have looked at his phone but...I know it’s wrong...I had no choice. I had to find you.” The Todoroki blabbered, tears began streaming down her rosy cheeks.
At this point, Hawks got worried. “You know Touya? That’s how you texted me to come here?! Is he ok--”
“P-please calm down,” Fuyumi said softly, “I don’t want to upset you.”
Hawks shut his mouth, but he was still on edge. This girl knows Touya. She took his phone and texted me--what is going on? Several thoughts and scenarios ran through the blond’s head before Fuyumi spoke again.
Fuyumi took a deep staggered breath. “Yes, I kne-know Touya. He’s my brother.”
“Huh?” The winged hero was truly at a loss for words. Touya’s sister? This is the sister? The one he’s mentioned before? But that would mean-- “He’s a Todoroki...Endeavour’s son?”
Fuyumi just stiffly nodded.
I’m dating the son of Endeavour? Why hadn’t Touya mentioned he was related to him all this time? He thought back to all those times he gushed about his idol hero. “I-I don’t understand…”
“I-I’m sorry,” The girl let out a muffled sob. “I-I came here to tell you something…” Her voice sounded as if it could die out at any second.
“W-what is it? Touya hasn’t been answering my texts or calls--please--is he okay?!”
Keigo’s cries only made Todoroki's state worse, causing her to land on her knees to let out a sharp wail. “H-he’s gone!”
Without realizing tears began to form in Keigo’s eyes. The words that left Fuyumi’s mouth didn’t seem to process through his mind. His knees felt weak.
“W-what do you mean gone?” His voice broke.
Fuyumi adjusted her glasses, thereupon taking some cloth from her pocket to wipe her puffy eyes. “I shouldn’t be telling you this or anyone for that matter, but it just feels wrong to keep you in the dark. You have the right to know.”
“What do you mean gone?” Hawks repeated, sounding just as broken, the pent up tears threatened to spill. He couldn’t actually grasp the concept, gone could mean so many things, right?
“D-dead,” Fuyumi broke down. “I mean he’s...dead.”
The winged hero couldn’t hold back his tears anymore and the grief soon consumed him, he let out a gut-wrenching sob at the news, burying his hands in his face. Hiding his visible upset from Touya’s sister. He shouldn’t believe everything that came out of her mouth as fact, but what Fuyumi was telling him made sense...and that was why Touya wasn’t answering at all. It had to be true.
Eventually, the winged hero found the words to speak, “H-How?”
Fuyumi sniffled, attempting to compose herself, “W-well...earlier....”
“He’s home.” The youngest Todoroki whispered. “Dad’s home.”
Touya quickly left his sister’s grasp, getting up from the bathroom floor. Fuyumi attempted to grasp at the fabric of Touya’s shirt to prevent him from doing something reckless, but the cries of Natsuo in the distance seemed to be too compelling.
“Touya don’t--” She quickly spoke, pushing herself off the floor, running after her younger sibling. Fuyumi knew the common outcome of his spouts with their father, and she knew it wouldn’t fare well for an unborn baby.
Walking past Shouto, Touya spun to face his sister. “If someone doesn’t stand up to him the hell we live in will never stop.” He said firmly.
“It’s not your job to protect us! Please just let me talk to him!” Fuyumi refuted, holding onto her sibling's arm.
“Then who will, Yumi?” He snapped, “He doesn’t listen to reason and you know that.”
“B-but you’re not in the right state to go up against him this time!”
Natsuo’s sobs were still audible in the background.
“I can’t sit back. And that’s final.”
Before Fuyumi could protest further, Touya wordlessly turned around and made his way to the living room, where Enji was looking down on an injured Natsu. The small white-haired boy was on the ground, clutching his burnt knee, his soccer ball discarded on the floor.
“Hey, asshole!” Touya yelled, grabbing Enji’s attention in an instant, the adult didn’t seem too happy. “Back the fuck off!” The elder Todoroki placed himself in between his father and the crying child.
“The insolent brat was playing indoors,” Endeavour seethed, “He should know that’s unacceptable.”
“Oh, so what, you fucking burn him?” Touya snapped back, snarling at the large man. Fuyumi was at a distance from the commotion, fearing for the tempers of both her brother and father.
“Don’t talk back to me, Touya,” Enji warned, but it didn’t make the male Todoroki relent.
“Don’t abuse your children, Oldman.” He echoed. The statement seemed to have sent the Pro hero over the edge, the man grabbing Touya’s collar and shoving him to the cold hard ground.
Fuyumi cried out in panic, as the red-headed male hastily picked himself off the floor. By the time Touya lit his arms ablaze, Natsuo was on the sidelines hiding in fear. Endeavour seemed to take the action as a challenge and matched his aggression, amber flames appearing on his skin.
“Touya don’t!” Fuyumi wept, she knew well that the use of his quirk was harmful to his body, but now he was pregnant. Touya may be able to handle the setbacks of his fire to an extent, his baby couldn’t.
Her brother made eye contact with her, she could see the hostility in his eyes and she hoped he could see the worry in hers. Before Fuyumi could intervene Enji had his hands on his son once again, his hands lit up as he grabbed Touya’s shoulders and pushed him against the wall.
“I will not have you disrespect me again.” Enji’s voice boomed throughout the living room, bringing the bi-coloured Todoroki to tears as he innocently watched. Touya’s response was making sure to spit in his father’s face.
“Dad, please, stop!” The white-haired female shouted as she noticed her brother’s stomach exposed and Endeavour’s hands curled up in a fist. “You can’t do this!”
Fuyumi attempted to grip his arm to pull him away from the commotion, but she winced and pulled back when her hands met the heat of his skin. Fuyumi hissed in pain as she staggered her way to Touya, standing in front of him protectively.
“You are a failure of a daughter,” The man aggressively growled, “both of you.”
“Fuck you.” Touya spat.
“P-please!” The young woman sobbed as she dissolved into tears, “D-dad, y-you can’t hurt him!” Her arms were stretched out, blocking Endeavour’s view of the male.
“I’ll do what I want,” The hero defiantly replied, “Get out of my way, Fuyumi. This is a warning.” His arms and fists were still decorated with the danger of red and orange flames.
“No!” Fuyumi shouted, raising her voice, opposing the girl’s usual softness. “You can’t hurt him!” She repeated more fiercely.
“Yumi--”
“And why not?” Endeavour mused, “Your twin is weak and rebellious. They need some sense knocked into them.”
“Yumi--”
“B-because he’s pregnant!” Fuyumi suddenly blurted out, immediately covering her mouth with shaky hands.
“Yumi!”
Endeavour’s flames snuffed out for a moment before reappearing, the heat more brilliant than before. “What?”
“Fuyumi!”
She was suddenly snapped back into reality, the impact of what she had just said dawning on her. “I-I didn’t mean to--” Her voice wavered, the whole room had gone eerily silent.
The silence the family bathed in ended abruptly with Enji rushing forward to grab Touya, making sure to push Fuyumi out of the way. The white-haired Todoroki landed on the floors with a hard thud.
Touya was harshly pinned to the wall, he let out a noise of discomfort upon the impact. Endeavour growled at his son, shoving his face into his own as he spoke. “You’re a fucking disgrace to this family,” He spat. “You’re supposed to breed with a family with a powerful quirk, but apparently your just a fucking slut.”
“I don’t care about your fucking plans for me. It’s inhumane and you can burn in hell for all I care.” The boy weakly lifted his head, venom laced in his words.
Endeavour released his grip to allow his son to drop to the ground, only to use heavy force to kick Touya in the gut repeatedly. The red-haired male cried out as he threw his arms in front of his stomach.
“No! Please!” Fuyumi cried out, paralyzed with fear after witnessing the brutal exchange of words and the physical abuse Touya’s body was surely going through. Her eyes quickly wandered over to the rest of her siblings, concerned for their wellbeing as well. Both Natsuo and Shotou were still present and just as terrified.
“You two need to leave,” The elder sister firmly told them, running to their side to usher them to the front door. “Touya and dad will be fine.” Her last statement Fuyumi told with uncertainty, she’d never seen Enji so angered before, not even with training her brother in his earlier years.
“What about you?” Natsuo whispered. “You’re heading back?”
Fuyumi looked at her brothers softly, she knew as the oldest of them she had no choice but to return to protect Touya.
“Be careful Yumi-nii.” Shoto tugged at her sleeve as she turned to leave.
The white-haired Todoroki adjusted her now cracked glasses and flashed a forced smile to her youngest sibling. “Of course.”
By the time Fuyumi returned to the scene, Touya was curled into a ball, his back facing Endeavour as he cruelly interviewed him. “So? Answer me, child! Who the fuck did this to you!? Who!”
Fuyumi could see a harsh smile on her brother’s face appear with each hard blow. “Like hell, I’d tell you shit.” It seemed he was content with protecting his boyfriend, no matter the cost.
Before Fuyumi could intervene a sharp ring sounded throughout the living room, echoing across the house. It cut their father’s rant short as all three of them glanced at Touya’s discarded cellphone, tossed aside.
Fuyumi stared at the device bewildered, remembering that Touya was yet to contact his boyfriend. It wouldn’t be too far-fetched to assume that was him calling to make sure her brother was okay. The girl could recall that he had very few friends if any at all, it seemed like the only plausible option. If only either of them could pick up.
What would they do? Somehow overpower Endeavour, answer the phone and ask Touya’s boyfriend for immediate help? Fuyumi doubted that scenario. The truth was Enji was gonna walk over to that cell phone and see the one responsible for his son’s pregnancy himself.
Fuyumi winced as Touya’s automated message played, loud and clear. The Todoroki prayed to all the gods that whoever the caller was, he wouldn’t leave a message and give Endeavour the pleasure of putting the pieces together. The odds were not in her favour.
“Uh, hi! Can you call me back the second you get this? I’m really worried! Hope you’re alright! K, love you, bye.”
The short and brief voice recording ended with a deafening beep.
Love you? Love you? Fuyumi knew her brother was in deep, but not this deep. The fact that their father was in the room to witness the message was less than ideal. It wasn’t long before the man threw his cell to the ground only to crush it beneath his threatening foot. She looked desperately at her brother, who still laid on his side, clutching his stomach. Touya gulped as Endeavour turned his attention back to him and Fuyumi could sense his fear.
“I laid out all these suitors for you just so you can go out and fuck around my back?” Enji’s tone was intense, the coldness leaving chills down the girl’s spine. “I would’ve expected you to mess up once for the sake of pissing me off--but a relationship? This is inexcusable.”
Touya merely scoffed at the looming figure, despite being in such a vulnerable position. “How many times do I have to remind you that I don’t exist to carry a successful lineage? Just like how Sho doesn’t exist to be fucking abused to become greater than All Might.”
Endeavour growled. “Don’t be ridiculous. I can turn a blind eye when you start cutting your hair and getting silly piercings, but getting pregnant by some random civilian is truly disgusting.” Fuyumi couldn’t help but blankly stare as her father walked closer and closer to Todoroki on the floor. “And to make sure this does not occur again, I will carry out a punishment you won’t soon forget.”
Before Fuyumi could process the threat, Endeavour raised a flaming fist in the air, directed at Touya’s unguarded abdomen.
“NO!” She screeched at the same time as Touya, willing her body forward as a burst of blue and red ignited. The impact of the two attacks forced her back, the heat too intense for even her genetics to withstand. Smoke filled in the air as Fuyumi staggered, her eyes blinded by the smog and her glasses now destroyed.
“TOUYA!” Fuyumi shouted the whole house shook beneath her trembling feet. “TOUYA!” She called once more to no one in particular as she couldn’t make out a single thing.
Fuyumi could tell the living room was consumed in the flames of Endeavour’s hell flame and Touya’s cerulean blue. The screams of her brother’s agony that pierced her ears hurt the most, more than the stings of the smoke and more than the heat of the fire.
The girl attempted to rescue her twin, entering the flames despite the risk, yet it wasn’t long before she felt her body being dragged away from the complete carnage. Fuyumi glanced and saw her father hoist her body in his tense arms, he was carrying her towards the outdoors, and further away from Touya’s cries for help.
“S-STOP!” She wailed, kicking and flaring her legs in an attempt for release. Her father’s grip persisted and Fuyumi could only stare back at the house in horror as it lit ablaze. “LET ME GO! LET ME GO! TOUYA! HE’S STILL IN THERE! I NEED TO SAVE HIM!” The white-haired girl pleaded, even as she was on the front lawn of the residence.
Enji dropped her to the grass and Fuyumi took that as an opportunity to sprint back towards the wreck, but it was already no use. It was clear the second a support beam fell and blocked the house’s entrance.
“FUYUMI!” He shouted sternly, calling her attention. Her eyes were filled with tears but she didn’t care, nor did she care for causing a scene midday while their house caught on fire.
“YOU!” Fuyumi shouted, matching her father’s loud tone. “YOU KILLED HIM! Y-YOU KILLED HIM!” She was ready to tackle her piece of shit dad at that moment when she realized the presence of her other siblings.
“Yumi?” Natsuo called out. Her voice faltered once seeing her two brothers on the lawn looking distraught and confused.
“The press should be here any minute.” Endeavour brought back his voice to a normal tone as if nothing had happened prior. Soot and ash-covered his features, but other than the odd burn mark on his clothing he was fine. “Touya lost control of his own quirk. This was an accident.”
Bullshit, bullshit. Fuyumi wanted to reply, badly. But the cries of her younger brothers snapped her out of her anger. She had to comfort them.
“Where's Touya-nii?” Shoto asked wobbly, tugging at the fabric of his sister’s charred clothing. Natsuo followed suit with the same question.
“Gone,” She replied in a distant daze, her cloudy stare fixed upon the flaming Todoroki residence. “He’s gone.”
When Fuyumi finished recalling her side of the story she observed Hawks. The Number three hero’s expression was sullen, his face obscured by his hands but the Todoroki could tell he was grieving. She knew he was processing the information she just unloaded on him, and Fuyumi felt bad. She recalled that Touya said Hawks was a rather huge fan of their father. She could tell that wasn’t the case anymore.
“H-he was...pregnant?” Hawks choked out a lowly sob. A tinge of guilt surged through Fuyumi, not only did the hero have to process the loss of his boyfriend but his unborn child. “He never got a chance to tell me…”
“I’m sorry, Hawks--”
“Keigo, please.”
“Keigo, he was going to. He was going to tell you. If only I had stepped in sooner--”
“No, no it’s not your fault,” The blond assured, his voice just as filled with sadness as hers, “It’s that bastard fault...God...I had no idea…” He buried his face in his hands once more.
“He didn’t want to ruin your perception of your favourite hero...”
“Fuck that! I don’t care--I just can’t believe I ever looked up to him.”
Fuyumi knew Hawks felt some sort of shame in idolizing Number 2, but that was all part of Endeavour’s perfectly crafted image. No one was supposed to know of his true nature closed behind doors, only the family he leaves behind to suffer. Fuyumi always thought it was best for her and her siblings to forgive his behaviour in order to live in false bliss, but now she wasn’t so sure she could look past Endeavour’s actions. The training was supposed to be beneficial, fights usually ended peacefully, but Fuyumi was blinded. Now she could see clearly that Endeavour meant that last blow to kill Touya. It made her regret arguing with her brother prior, he was right all along, their father was truly a monster with no hope for redemption.
Keigo lifted his head so his saddened golden eyes could meet Fuyumi. “That doesn’t explain how you know my name, or why you came here in the first place.”
Fuyumi nodded. There was more to the story, after all.
It was not long before emergency services and media arrived on the scene that Fuyumi left to investigate. Her brothers were with their father as he fed the news a ridiculous sob story. According to Endeavour the house fire was the result of his delinquent son who allowed his quirk to rage out of control. The fire was an accident. Touya’s death was ruled as a suicide. Fuyumi almost laughed at the statement. If only the public knew about the baby her brother was hoping to live for. But of course, Enji had to twist everything to fit his liking, and now Japan took pity on the hero that murdered his blood.
Once the commotion settled down and the flames were buried, Fuyumi slipped past reporters to enter the now charred home. It was the front of the house that took the brunt of the disaster, the living room barely recognizable. Tears came to her eyes once she noticed the eerie silence and she knew Touya was truly gone. His only remains being the ash sprawled against the floor. And an open cellphone.
Curiously Fuyumi approached the device, the screen was cracked and the phone itself covered in black, but other than that it seemed untouched. She wondered how the phone could survive a stomp from Endeavour’s foot and the fire itself.
She made her choice then and there. The girl knew full well that it was her responsibility to contact Touya’s boyfriend, who else would? She couldn’t imagine the pain of never knowing what happened to a lost lover, and that’s what this boyfriend would get. Touya’s death wouldn’t be publicized, Fuyumi knew that.
Fuyumi scrolled through her brother’s shortlist of contacts, noticing a recent missed call from a “Keigo Takami”. She was sure it was him. Next came the part of deciding how to break the news. Fuyumi had no clue who this Takami person was, so her only avenue was texting the number back about the situation. That option felt a bit cold and mean, but what choice did she have?
Her breathing hitched when her eyes caught sight of the contact picture, and she was met with a familiar face. There was no doubt that was a picture of the current Number five hero, Hawks. Was that Keigo Takami? Was her brother really dating a hero? It seemed unlikely until Fuyumi thought back to the moments where Touya told her he couldn’t know about his family name. And then it made sense.
The Winged hero was known to work closely with Endeavour, admire him even. Her brother’s reluctance to tell him he was dating a Todoroki seemed to fit the narrative.
Fuyumi noticed another thing, that the phone still worked. It was a miracle. And she knew exactly how to go about contacting Keigo. She only hoped it wasn’t too cruel.
303-1208, Minoshima
Fuyumi slipped the device into her pocket and turned to leave. The address she sent was a part of Japan she knew wouldn’t be busy. By the time she stepped out of the house, it was almost evening. The morning her and Touya spent seemed forever ago. She almost couldn’t fathom how her life could flip in a few hours.
“Where are you heading to, father?” She questioned once seeing Enji ready to leave the property, the media frenzy dying down. It was odd that her father wouldn’t want to have his own privacy.
He turned stiffly to her, perhaps wary of his daughter who witnessed his true colours. Fuyumi didn’t look too much into his distrusting look. “To my agency, of course, why?”
Fuyumi couldn’t help but scoff. “Really? So soon after your son's death? What not take time to grieve like the rest of us.”
Endeavour glanced around as if to make sure no more reporters were lurking about to hear the conversation. “Don’t be foolish, Fuyumi. I have work to do. I’m the Number two hero.”
“You’re being foolish!” Fuyumi protested. “Why can't you see that?”
“I have important business to--”
“I’m leaving too.”
“What?”
“Not with you, of course,” Fuyumi restated. “But I need to get away from here.” She needed a way to Takami Keigo.
“What about your brothers? You should look after them.”
No, you should look after them. Fuyumi scowled in her mind. “Natsuo is fourteen, he’s surely capable of taking care of Shoto.” She looked back at her brothers from a distance. Natsuo was clearly upset about the situation and stuck around the youngest Todoroki, who was too innocent to understand.
Endeavour squinted at her. “Watch yourself.”
“...and that brings us to the present.” Hawks finished for her. He was at a loss for words as tears rolled down his cheeks. “Oh God, he’s really gone…”
“...I’m sorry you had to find out this way,” Fuyumi replied, almost whispering. She didn’t know if keeping the Winged hero in the dark was any better.
“Thanks for telling me, really.” He looked at her seriously, his eyes still brimmed with red. “Even if...even if it’s fucking shitty news, I’m glad I was told. So thank you.”
Fuyumi nodded, “Of course. You had a right to know.”
Hawks got up, readying himself to leave the grim space. He paused and turned back to Todoroki. “Please, let me have your number.”
Fuyumi looked back at the hero confused.
“Ah, no not like that!” The blond quickly recovered. “It’d give me peace of mind to stay in touch. You were close to Touya. We can find solace in each other? Hopefully…”
The white-haired girl smiled, for the first time in what seemed like forever. “I’d like that, Keigo.”