Chapter Text
Shouta was concerned when Todoroki didn’t call, but it had only been a few days. The students had just moved into the dorms and gotten settled. Classes didn’t even start for another day. He knew that extracting one’s self from an ongoing situation of abuse was complicated, especially with family involved. He didn’t want to push his student too hard, especially if he was just taking this time to talk with the members of his family not abusing him. His sister had seemed protective of him, though Shouta knew better than to trust outward appearances. So he held on and he waited, giving him some more time.
He had suspicions since the beginning of the year and was wishing now that he had acted. But for all the red flags he had seen, even in hindsight, he had been able to come up with logical explanations.
Todoroki was withdrawn; but he was also the son of a high-ranked hero and had been kept purposefully sheltered for safety reasons. It was on his record that he had been homeschooled, so his reserved nature and even discomfort around other people wasn’t illogical. Additionally, Shouta had met Endeavor before. The man was entirely unsociable and standoffish. It wasn’t too unexpected for his son to be similar in personality. Shouta would admit in the beginning of the year he had been concerned that Todoroki’s behavior was the same arrogant standoffishness, the kind that came from having a powerful Quirk and being told so his entire life. As the year progressed, especially after the Sports Festival, Shouta had realized the boy was shy. Midoriya, unsurprisingly, had been drawing him out of his shell. Though, Shouta had noticed that Uraraka, Iida, and Tsu’s influence could not be written off either.
Todoroki had shown up with a few odd bruises; but his father had made no secret of the fact that he was training his son and even if Shouta didn’t like the tone Endeavor had used when he heard him speak on the subject, he couldn’t deny that training had been perhaps necessary. Todoroki had a powerful Quirk. Untrained, it could have been highly dangerous to himself and others. The bruises had never looked abnormal for training, though Shouta kept an eye on them. They didn’t seem to bother Todoroki as far as he could tell, but Shouta now knew that wasn’t good enough.
The biggest red flag was the massive scar on his face. But then again, part of Todoroki’s Quirk was fire . It happened more often than people liked to think, children hurting themselves with their own Quirks. He had noticed a few scars on other students that he could guess came from their own Quirks. Even Bakugo had marks from his own explosions, likely before he figured out how to use them. Todoroki had seemed unwilling to use that part of his Quirk and it would certainly make sense if his unwillingness came from an accident with his own Quirk.
If Shouta was being honest, he had been distracted this year. It had been, in a word, eventful. Multiple attacks by the League of Villains. The black hole of attention that was Bakugo and Midoriya’s relationship. He should have pushed more, to at least check on Todoroki. Even if he had ultimately been wrong and there was nothing wrong with Todoroki’s homelife.
A knock on his office door pulled him out of his thoughts. He blinked. It was probably another teacher. Nemuri and Hizashi didn’t bother to knock.
“Come in.” He said, setting down the papers in his lap. The door opened slowly, and a certain split-haired boy stepped in tentatively. “Todoroki.” he said, pleasantly surprised. Then , he spotted the tuft of green curls poking in after him. “And Midoriya.”
“Is this a good time?” Todoroki asked hesitantly and as the smaller student behind him peeked in, Shouta realized Midoriya was holding Todoroki’s hand tightly. Todoroki glanced back at Midoriya and released his hand, with a nod. “I’ll be okay.” He promised him, indicating that he wanted to have the discussion alone. It was better for Todoroki to be alone; with the certificates Shouta held, he could take Todoroki’s statement so he planned on taking notes. That way the boy wouldn’t have to repeat it so many times. It was better if Midoriya wasn’t in the room for official purposes, so there could be no dispute whether or not his statement was influenced but Shouta would have allowed him to stay for support.
Midoriya turned, digging something out of the backpack he was carrying and pressing something green and fuzzy into Todoroki’s hand. He watched the other boy squish it experimentally, brow furrowing.
“You can squeeze it.” Midoriya explained. “And it’s nice and soft so it’s comfortable to hold!”
“Oh. Thank you, Midoriya.” Todoroki said, tilting his head at the stress ball in his hand.
“I’ll be outside if you need anything!” Midoriya said. “I brought some extra special things I like when I’m upset so come out any time if you need a moment.” He beamed at Todoroki and then leaned up on his tip toes to hug him from the side, before slipping out of the room and closing the door behind him. The split-haired teen in front of him seemed to get more nervous once Midoriya was gone, hesitating to meet Shouta’s eyes.
“Here, take a seat.” Shouta offered. When he was seated in front of him, it wasn’t lost on Shouta that Todoroki was almost fidgeting nervously in front of him. He had never seen the boy like this before, even in high stress combat situations. “I’m glad you came to see me.” He said softly, leaning forward on his desk. He took a notepad out and set it down to his right. He watched the boy’s eyes flick towards it nervously. “I was planning on taking notes so you don’t have to repeat things too many times. If you would rather I didn’t, then that’s fine. We can just talk for today.”
“I don’t mind.” Todoroki said, and he flicked his eyes away. “Midoriya wanted me to...to come to you a while ago.” Shouta blinked. “But it’s not just me I have to worry about.”
His family. Shouta understood. Todoroki wasn’t the only one under an abusive man’s thumb.
“I understand.” Shouta told him. He did wish that the boy had come to him earlier, but he wasn’t going to comment on it. It only mattered that he was here now . “Before we start, I want to make it clear that you will never have to go back to live with him. Especially with the UA dorm system in place now. We can deny any requests to return to the house for any length of time. The dorms stay open during holidays and you can remain here or you could potentially stay with a friend if you would like to. That is not an issue.” He assured Todoroki, and the fidgeting slowed, the split-haired boy lifting his head. Shouta continued.
“Endeavor will be removed from your visitor list and we will not inform him of that change or the reasoning behind it. If he wants to know why, the only answer he will get is that UA cannot allow him onto campus due to the nature of recent threats and his status as a high profile hero. None of this will blow back on you.”
“Thank you.” Todoroki said, and he sounded less shaky than before.
“Now, I know this is the difficult part.” Shouta said as gently as he could. “But I need you to tell me what has happened.” He watched the split-haired boy take a deep breath, squeeze the stress ball, and then he started explaining.
The picture he painted was....downright awful . It was all Shouta could do to keep his hands from shaking. The Quirk marriage, even the idea that Todoroki wasn’t...born, not to Endeavor. But created . Made as a tool. To surpass All Might.
“I have three older siblings.” Todoroki explained, and his eyes looked cold. Like he had to detach himself just to get through the horrible things he had to say. “My father considers them all to be failed attempts. Touya is my eldest sibling. I haven’t seen him since I was four or five. I remember him getting into a fight with my father and there was a big fire that night. That was the last time we saw or heard of him. My father gets angry if his name is mentioned. He never responded to any attempt to contact him and Fuyumi can’t find any record of him anywhere. We don’t know what happened to him. I don’t know how bad it was for each of them and I don’t think they would ever tell me.”
The fact that Shouta had to gloss over the implication that Todoroki Touya may or may not be dead at the hands of Endeavor to get to the rest of the abuse hurt his heart. He scribbled a note to himself; Shouta would find out what happened to him. He would not be forgotten.
Todoroki explained that his father began to train him once his Quirk came in, hitting him until he would throw up. And worse, that he wasn’t the only subject of Endeavor’s abuse. That things had always seemed to be bad for his mother but it got exponentially worse once Todoroki got his Quirk and the training started.
That was where things started to get fuzzy; he seemed resistant to talk about what exactly had happened to his mother, but finally admitted that she had a mental breakdown and had been committed to a mental institution ever since.
The following years got worse. Endless abuse and isolation.
When Todoroki nonchalantly described collapsing during training, Shouta caught his voice wavering.
“How about we take a break?” Shouta suggested. Todoroki stiffened in the chair.
“I’m fine.” he said mechanically, but his eyes looked blank.
“I’m going to make us some tea.” Shouta said gently. “How about Midoriya comes in for a little bit and you two can just relax for a few minutes?” He just got a stiff nod in response. Shouta leaned back behind his own chair and gathered the blanket he had set to the side. As he stood up from his own chair, he unfolded it and draped it around Todoroki’s shoulders. The boy didn’t say anything, but blinked up at him, confused.
Shouta wanted to reach out and offer some kind of comfort, but he knew that the people that Todoroki felt comfortable with were limited. He didn’t think he should push him, not after all he was putting him through. He placed a hand on his shoulder gently.
“Green tea okay with you?” He asked softly, and Todoroki nodded. He got up and opened the door, poking his head to the side. Midoriya was seated on the ground, notebook in his lap, backpack leaning against his leg. He scrambled, slamming it shut when he saw Shouta. “Would you like to come in for a little?” Shouta asked. “We’re taking a break.” Midoriya nodded enthusiastically and shot to his feet. Shouta opened the door wider as the green-haired boy scurried past him towards Todoroki. He plopped into the chair next to him and started unzipping his backpack.
Shouta went towards the teacher’s lounge to get them some tea, giving the two boys some time alone. He thought about what Todoroki had said while he did, mentally writing his report already. It was worse than he had expected it to be. It wasn’t just the physical aspect; the mental abuse was on a different level than he had been prepared for. Todoroki probably didn’t even know the extent of how bad it was, as it was the only thing he had ever known.
There seemed to be a few pieces missing along the way; Shouta got the feeling Todoroki didn’t give him the complete story on his mother. Which was fine for now. Their first priority was Endeavor.
When he came back, he knocked on the door lightly so as not to startle the boy before he opened it with his elbow. He smiled to himself when he walked in to Todoroki looking somewhat bewildered, a green teddy bear in his lap and Midoriya at his side. When he turned, there was a piece of chocolate sticking out of his mouth.
“Eat it.” Midoriya insisted. The boy obeyed slowly.
“Does this help?” He asked curiously, as Shouta placed the tea in front of him and retook his seat behind his desk.
“Of course it does.” The green-haired boy said. “After this we’re ordering soba.”
“We don’t have to.” Todoroki said automatically. “We can get something different if you would prefer it.”
“It’s too late, I’ve decided.” Midoriya said. A smile pulled at the corner of Todoroki’s mouth, even as the green-haired boy stood up, realizing that they were going to begin again.
“We can take a longer break if you prefer.” Shouta said. “We’re not in any rush.” Midoriya paused, but Todoroki let out a deep breath.
“No, it’s okay. I feel fine to continue.” He hesitantly picked up the teddy bear on his lap and offered it to Midoriya, who shook his head.
“No, he’s for you.” The green-haired boy told him. “He’s very nice to hug.” he added, before slipping out the door and closing it lightly behind him.
They got back on track, talking about the years of Todoroki’s life as he got closer to UA. It was better, it sounded. Both as Todoroki was more in the public eye, attending events with Endeavor and getting more skilled in his own training. Not good; Shouta still found the entire scenario to be abusive and neglectful.
“I don’t actually mind training.” Todoroki said. “Despite everything. I like it. I’m not afraid of getting hurt or losing a fight or taking a hit. I want to be a hero. It’s why I used my fire, ultimately.” Shouta believed him, even if the concept of someone overcoming abuse that severe and wanting to be a hero with that as a role model his entire life was possibly blowing his mind.
“Is there anything else you would like to tell me right now?” Shouta asked.
“No, that’s all I can think of for now.”
Shouta explained to him what UA would do next. Getting custody, getting his mother extracted from his father’s legal grip. The case that they would build and eventually prosecute Endeavor with.
“Wait.” Todoroki said and Shouta had expected this to come. “I-I don’t know if I want him prosecuted.” The boy confessed.
“What he did was abusive, neglectful, and most importantly, criminal .” Shouta said. “You deserve justice.” Frankly, Shouta was certain they could build a powerful case. Employees of the Todoroki family, housekeepers, maids, nurses. Todoroki had told him there were security cameras outside the house and some in the training room, he thought. So that Endeavor could review his training. He didn’t know where they were kept or if they had kept footage for years, but Shouta knew that at least last week’s incident would be on camera.
That didn’t mean it had to go to court. Ideally, Endeavor would take a plea deal, be stripped of his hero license, and serve time in jail. If they were feeling particularly vindictive, they could likely force him to forfeit his assets.
Shouta was feeling particularly vindictive.
“I know that what he’s been doing is wrong...” Todoroki said slowly. “And I’m not saying I think he deserves forgiveness. But All Might just retired, rather publicly. He’s the number one hero now. That matters.”
“The Hero Commission will not be able to protect him.” Shouta said. “If that is your concern. I will ensure that they cannot.”
“No, it’s just that...it would be bad. For everyone . If the number one hero were to be arrested. I am more aware than most how delicate the current situation is without All Might.” Todoroki said. “I was there when the Stain was arrested. Everything he spoke about, about our heroes being immoral stains on society that must be removed would be proved.”
“Whether or not it is public doesn’t change the truth.” Shouta said quietly. He knew exactly what Todoroki was saying. It was true that it would be exceptionally bad for such a power vacuum to appear so soon after the first one. There would be an effect on society and it would be for the negative.
The burden to make that decision should not be Todoroki’s.
Even if it would be bad, Shouta would always believe it was better to reveal the truth than it was to maintain a facade. Endeavor would slip up again at one point or another. The years of abuse and neglect weren’t a simple mistake or indiscretion. They have been intentional, purposeful, cruel. It was who the man was . If the truth wasn’t revealed now, it would be one day.
“It matters if people know it.” Todoroki said firmly. “I don’t think it’s fair, to be clear. But I also know that he shouldn’t be prosecuted, at least not right now. It’s enough for me, to get my family free of him.”
“You shouldn’t have to settle.” Shouta said, leaning across the desk.
“I’m not settling. This is what I want.” And he believed the split-haired teen and it made his heart hurt. Why had he ended up with all the selfless fools in his class?
They were too young to have to think about these things.
“For what it’s worth, I still believe he should be prosecuted. Excuse my language, but fuck everything else.” Todoroki let out a small noise. It took Shouta a moment to realize it was a laugh .
“What do we do if we don’t prosecute?” He asked.
Shouta explained how they would leverage the evidence they had in divorce proceedings to get his mother the most favorable settlement possible. How it would show Endeavor that they meant business but that they could still keep things sealed due to Todoroki’s status as a UA student and Endeavor’s as a hero. Shouta would hold back enough evidence to still prosecute further down the road, if Todoroki wanted to. He still wanted to get a protective order, but the teen seemed unsure. They would revisit the idea later.
He saw Todoroki begin to open his mouth, before thinking to himself.
“Okay.” He finally said. “I’m good with that.”
“Then that’s all we’re going to go over for today.” Shouta said, rising from his chair. The split-haired teen stared at him with wide eyes, but Shoulda walked around the desk, sitting against the front of it. “I can get started from here and I’ll get into contact with your sister and mother and I’ll start compiling evidence for the case as soon as possible.”
“You can do that?”
“I am, in fact, a pro hero.” Shouta said dryly. “Not just the homeroom teacher you hardly listen to.” Todoroki winced. “Don’t worry about it for now. Once the legal proceedings start, there may be a day or two you need to come in to give your story, but that’s it.”
“What about lawyers?” Todoroki asked, blinking.
“I happen to know some excellent lawyers who owe me favors and would be happy to take your case.”
“I mean, what about money ?” The boy persisted. “It’s all Endeavor’s.”
“I also happen to know a legal fund that handles the costs for civil proceedings for cases of abuse. Like your mother’s divorce.” Shouta countered. He could see Todoroki’s eyes widening even more and he could take a guess at what was happening.
Deep down, the boy hadn’t actually expected things to work out, or for things to be taken care of so cleanly. In a way, it helped that his father was in such a high ranking position. They had more to leverage against him, more for him to lose. Shouta expected the man to want this to be taken care of as cleanly and quickly as possible.
And as soon as Shouta sat down in front of him and got to shove his face into that file, he would know that they meant business.
He wouldn’t deny he was looking forward to that moment.
“That’s it?” Todoroki said.
“That’s it.” Shouta confirmed. He reached out and touched Todoroki’s shoulder, squeezing it. “It’s over. You’re safe.”
Todoroki’s hands shook.
“We’ll talk more later, how we’re going to take care of you .” Shouta said softly. Like finding him a good counselor and making sure he had access to the rest of his family as a support system. “But I think you’ve done enough today.”
“O-okay.” Shouta bent down next to him, so that he was at Todoroki’s knee, forcing the boy to make eye contact with him.
“What you’re doing is difficult. You might not feel like it, but it is brave. You should be proud of yourself.”
“It really doesn’t feel like it.” Todoroki hugged the teddy bear Midoriya had left behind to his chest, his chin resting on the top of the plush head.
“I know.” Shouta said gently. “But it is.”