"You're in this school to become the next number one just like me. Helping me use my fire doesn't… help that." Todoroki shook his head.
Ben crossed his arms, and asked more melancholically. "Why are *you* so interested in becoming the number one?"
His reply was instant.
"You know why. Because of my father…" He raised his fist. "I wanted to go along with it, just to climb the ranks by using my ice!"
Ben doubtfully raised an eyebrow, as if he wanted to say: "Come on, Todoroki. That's not it."
Todoroki pursed his lips and thought about it again… thought about *her*.
"You want to be a hero, don't you? It's okay, just remember. Stay true to yourself."
His mom.
"It's…" He said. "It's because she supported it."
Dropping his gaze to the ground, his muscles relaxed.
"Because, despite all the pain he caused us… the idea of me becoming a hero made her proud."
"I won't ask who 'she' is." Ben added, but Todoroki looked up with passion. It was mild and still-weary at best, but that resolve shined brighter than any of his anger had.
"I wanted to live by what she saw. I want to help and make my mom and siblings proud, by becoming what they see… I suppose."
Ben nodded his head satisfiedly. His voice became much more animated.
"Yeah? Well, it's my aim to help anyone who needs it. Even you." He says, and channels a bit of his sarcasm back. "And, I think Midoriya *might just* be the same way."
The clouded expression on Todoroki cleared a little. Ben prayed to himself that this could clear any kind of grudge he may have.
This classmate WAS damaged, but not quite in the way that Bakugo was.
He moved to take his stance, and Todoroki noticed it.
"I don't want a repeat of that." he thought solemnly, before putting his excited tone back on. "However!.. Forgive me Todoroki, for I want to be a little selfish now."
The recommended student's eyebrows went up. Ben put a hand very close to the Omnitrix.
"I don't really care if you use your fire or anything, but rather, just for both of us to go all out for this one time."
Todoroki didn't seem to sense any incoming cruel tactics, purposefully arrogant remarks like before or even an underestimating glare…
"Feel free to take this chance to vent all you got, and show off everything you have." He said, opening his hands. "Let's see how proud we can make them right now."
Todoroki narrowed his eyes. If he was asking to be selfish, then Tennyson clearly had a motive of his own to enact this request.
However… a tiny grin formed on his face.
"Todoroki's smiling?!" Present Mic couldn't believe what he was seeing!–
"It's nothing of note." Aizawa elbowed his friend, causing him to shut up. "He might be on cameras… but he needs to have this."
"I suppose I can respond in kind, on my own terms." Todoroki widened his own stance. "It would be a decent time to do so."
"It surely would!" Tennyson responded.
Tension rang true all over the arena.
"Both parties are intimately aware of each other's techniques by now." Aizawa thought from the booth. "There is no more room left for surprises."
A silence had descended down as everyone leaned forward, feeling the incoming adrenaline and enjoyment from the two titans–!
"BEGIN!"
A massive ice wall surged!
Tennyson slammed the dial, and green light flashed. With barking, growling and howling, the wolf emerged.
"Oh, YEAH!" Slamming his own chest, the jaw bolted open–
*AWOOOOOOOOO!*
Blitzwolfer leapt over, and landed, pulling his claw back for an uppercut.
Todoroki raised his arm to block–
*Crack!*
…and the claw landed, blocked by the ice encapsulating the arm.
"Not this time."
Three spikes soared from his side. Tennyson howled again, destroying them, as a pillar slammed into his stomach!
"They lack bravado…" Aizawa said under his breath–
"The feeling of wind's upon their hearts, that's why!" Present Mic yelled.
Planting his feet, Todoroki brought up his right fist, creating a step of ice to kick the wolf upside the head!
"Ah, my sensitive ears!" Blitzwolfer stumbled. Todoroki extended his hand, opening it.
"I feel the same way… that howl is deafening." His fist closed once more. Ice encased Tennyson's feet.
He raised his limb to the sky, forcing pillars to emerge from both of his sides!
"His attacks are more precise…" The audience noted.
"Choose one." Todoroki remarked, as they both sped to him!
Blitzwolfer smirked. Opening his hands, Blitzwolfer let his claws stab into the ice!
"Nah." His jaw opened and blasted the ice around his feet.
Being able to feel his toes again, he leaped forth on four feet!
A wall of ice surged, but Blitzwolfer scaled it in one go, getting behind him!
"HA–!" He came down with a slash, ripping right through the back of his jacket.
"Ah–!"
Todoroki made both hands into fists. He planted both feet to the ground, and a pillar emerged from the ground in response from under the wolf's feet, sending him way off into the air!
Tennyson however, wasn't dazed.
"AWOOOOOOO!"
Todoroki barely rolled away from the sonic howl's impact area. His heel pressed. Two pillars shot to the sky from behind him!
Using his claws, Blitzwolfer moved mid-air and broke one of them. Then perching onto it from the side, he launched himself and shoulder-checked right through the second one–
"Hm-?!" With his mouth clamped, a whining sound escaped his mouth.
All of a sudden, Tennyson couldn't feel his tail!
"You have no leverage on that limb…"Icy mist came out of his mouth. He had caught him and hung him, right from the tail.
Blitzwolfer pouted, crossing his eyebrows. "Awww, dog treats!"
Steeling his nerves, Todoroki let loose another glacier!
Blitzwolfer brought all his limbs together. He formed a ball, before he burst into a number of Echo Echo's!
"Incredible! A midswitch!" Present Mic shouted.
"Look, Jiro! It's your form out there!" Kaminari nudged her.
Jiro scoffed. "It isn't *mine*, taser brain."
One after the other, three landed in front of Todoroki–
With unreal speed, they crossed their arms and fifteen clones emerged, making a circle around him!
*Inhale!*
The crowd covered their ears–
*Screeeeeeeeee!*
Holding in a scream of his own, Todoroki fell onto his knees. He clutched his ears, but his insides shook with the thunderous yell!
"Now. We. Are. Getting. Somewhere." Echo Echo thought.
His vision turned hazy, any kind of ice Todoroki channeled broke and shattered!
But… a twinge of fire escaped from his scar.
"Not… yet..!"
Adrenaline in his body took off. He took his right hand off and slammed it to the ground!
Spiraling from both his right arm and leg, the mist of the ice reappeared, blitzing right under to the feet of the clones.
"Crap."
"HAAAA!" With a primal scream, ice rose and encased all!
Tennyson barely escaped, with only one clone rolling out from the side of another.
"He's in the clear! Both fighters are back on even ground!" Present Mic yelled out.
Todoroki had to take a knee.
"Dammit…" He put his right, cold hand onto his chest. Even with his hand shivering, he felt his racing heart–
"Ready. Guys?"
He gasped, looking up to see five clones, instead of one!
"A spinning totem?" Kaminari gasped.
Two of the Echo Echo's had towered on top of each other's shoulders, as the top one held onto the feet of two others horizontally.
His foot slipped, as he tried to press it down. Ice still emerged but–
"Now!"
The top one let go of the legs, and the two clones swerved right over the attack!
"Hi." *Screeeeeeeeee!*
His hands raised briefly, but rage overtook Todoroki instead!
He furiously stomped his foot, launching the two clones into the sky and froze them in pillars!
*Phew…* Todoroki took an exhausted breath, wiping the sweat dripping from his chin–
"Hi."
He turned–
Another scream blasted him!
"Where did he come from?" He opened his eyes, groaning, before seeing another clone next to him, smiling.
"Hi." he also said. *Screeeeeeeeee!*
One after the other, multiple clones pinballed him across the arena!
"Where are they coming from?!" Sero couldn't believe his eyes.
But… Jiro had a feeling she knew.
*Sigh…* She crossed her arms. "The totem pole."
Her words got the attention of everyone, so she raised her hand. "He made that attack knowing that our eyes would be on the top guys, not the other ones."
Even as they spoke, the Echo Echo that survived the totem pole was glowing green, with more and more clones emerging out of him like a doorway!
Present Mic grabbed hold of his microphone. "Todoroki is desperately trying to get himself out of that suicide huddle!"
The recommended student raised his hand, aiming ice for one batch of them–
Another group of Tennyson clones hit him from the back, shattering the ice!
Mist rose from his side. He tried to raise his arm, but it wouldn't obey!
*Screeeeeeeeee!*
Sero raised an eyebrow. "Todoroki's… slowing down–"
"Dumbass!" Bakugo got to his feet to the surprise of all his classmates. "You're hitting your limit, icy-hot!"
"Just remember. Stay true to yourself." Todoroki's mind repeated back in reassurance as his real body got tossed around.
"You are not a prisoner of your lineage." She spoke to him again. "It's okay…"
Discreetly, a bit of his fire escaped from his left side.
"Let's see how proud we can make them right now." He repeated Tennyson's words, mumbling them to get himself that little bit more riled up!
Steam rose from his right.
With her keen eyes, Yaoyorozu noticed it first. "He's using it. Even if it is little by little, his seal is coming undone!"
"HAAAAAAAAAAA!" With a primal roar Todoroki made ice under his feet, launching himself to the other side!
The fire visibly flickered.
"Plus…" The mist fully covered his fingers, making his whole right side white!
"Abort." One of the Tennyson's screamed into the ground and got some air. Ojiro's eyebrows went up…
"Uh… Sero? I think you might have underestimated–"
"...ULTRA!"
*BOOM!*
He crashed. As if an earthquake happened, a ridge of frost heavier than concrete engulfed the ground!
"As the power collides between them, the tournament grounds tremble under them…" Present Mic nudged Eraser Head. "Right?"
Aizawa gave him one passing sardonic glare, before turning to the battle again.
"Hah… hah…" Todoroki panted. Albeit strong… steam had stopped coming from his right side, as it was now fully encased in ice.
Bakugo crossed his arms, discontent. "Like I said, wide attacks take too much."
His fingertips felt numb as he could see his skin teetering closer and closer to red. Frostbite was incoming unless he did something, there was no doubt–
"The battle's not over yet!" Present Mic shouted.
In the sky, belly first with limbs opened, Tennyson slammed the dial!
"Cannonbolt!"
Switching out for the roly poly, HE rolled down from the glacier at full speed!
Todoroki tried to get up, but his right side didn't budge!
"If he impacts him now…" Uraraka thought outloud.
"It'll be like one of my punches."
This voice… belonged to someone who had been absent from the stances.
"Midoriya!" Everyone said at the same time, as their green haired classmate had returned… with both arms in casts, a patch over his cheek and legs bandaged.
"Ribbit, looks like your surgery went well." Asui said, as Midoriya nodded and sat next to Uraraka.
"Yes…"
"You should be resting." Yaoyorozu quickly added however, he didn't falter.
"No." he shook his head, watching Tennyson roll down as Todoroki only seemed to have his ice.
"I have to see this."
Todoroki, with whatever he had left, could faintly create speed bumps. Taking another fiery breath, he waved his hand–
"Too late!"
Tennyson launched himself up from the curve Todoroki made, uncurling midair!
"Cannonbolt Body Drop: Slammer Style!"
Whistling through the air, Tennyson collided!
The recommended student felt the blow soften, thanks to him landing on his iced up right side and Cannonbolt's very short fur on the inside.
"Tripping me with speedbumps was good." His opponent spoke. "Too bad my armor already reduces friction."
Todoroki shifted his hand around. Maybe to get better leverage!
His right hand, even with no feeling left, raised… and landed on the dial.
*Ding!*
Tennyson's eyebrows went up. A bit of a yellow light illuminated between his opponent's enclosed fingers–
"Using my ice… would only serve to entrap me." Todoroki thought, not noticing it. "I can't… afford to…"
Ice escaped from his hand. It further spread over the dial!
"C-Can I get a ten count already?!" Tennyson spoke up nervously.
"Oh!.. Right, my dear!" Midnight held up her whip. "One!"
Todoroki felt his heart skip a beat. If he couldn't use his ice–
Another blaze of fire escaped. "Ow!…" Tennyson winced, feeling his fur burning…
His pupil constricted–
"Ignore them, Shoto. They live in a different world than the one I'm training you for–"
"You are not a prisoner of your lineage."
"Four!.. Five!..." Midnight continued to count.
"I also want to… be a hero." He had said. "I want to help my mom and siblings–"
But was this right?!
He soured. Something just felt out of order! Like he doesn't deserve–
"Todoroki!"Midoriya jumped to his feet. "Don't give up! Do your best!"
Yaoyorozu did so as well. "Do your best, Todoroki!"
Jiro… apprehensively raised a hand. The pinned recommended felt his stance stiffen.
"Eight!"
Flexing his muscles, he took a deep breath, the steam from earlier coming right back!
With a roaring exhale, a torrent of fire erupted!
"OW!"
Cannonbolt leaped off Todoroki, allowing him to get up.
"He's good! Continue!" Midnight cracked her whip.
"And here Todoroki heats up the competition!" Present Mic jumped to his feet.
"I wanted to…"
The roly poly raised his head, just managing to pat away the fire on his stomach.
Todoroki had none of his cold and ice left, only the scorching fire.
"I'LL BE A HERO!"
His face had twisted into a pained, but wide grin!
"All right then!" Cannonbolt put one hand over his chest. "Let's make this the last one, Todoroki!"
On one side, Yaoyorozu leaned forward in anticipation.
"WATER HAZARD!"
His right hand opened to his side, as did Todoroki's left!
Present Mic jumped.
"Magnificent, my dear listeners! One last stand by both fighters, a climactic showdown!"
Todoroki's fire roared, burning away the sleeve of his shirt yet again!
A whirlpool of water, twisted and pressurized inside of Water Hazard.
"Glad you aren't afraid anymore Todoroki…" Ben couldn't help but think. "Not anymore."
"HAAAAAAAAA!" Todoroki fired forth!
Water Hazard responded.
In the middle of the arena, the wailing water of his clashed with the fiercest of flames!
Trails ripped, as both streams collided and pushed against the fighters, moving them from their positions.
"Hang in there!" Midoriya shouted, as Uraraka also jumped to his feet.
"Yeah, Todoroki!"
Ashido followed after her friend. "Give him hell!"
"Still salty that Tennyson beat you, huh." Sato raised an eyebrow beside her.
Todoroki gritted his teeth, wincing as the frost on his right arm got undone and he held his left with it!
"Rejecting *my* power… screw that! I won't cast out a part of myself, I won't be ashamed of my fire… That's just… WHO I'LL BE!" Todoroki screamed!
"I disagree that it has to be done alone." Yaoyorozu had said. "If you ever need assistance, know that I'll be here…"
"Me too." Jiro had then joined her.
He dug deep. The ashes of his shame were scattered to the appeared around his right side, cooling his overheating body, the ground crumbled!
Water Hazard skidded back. From behind his visor, his eyes widened.
"Fire is just heated air." He thought. "For it to burn so hot to push water back…"
Endeavor, even from behind his anger, seemed caught off-guard.
"I'm sorry for everything that happened, Todoroki." Water Hazard said to himself. "But with this effort you brought in… how you decided to step up…"
He nodded.
"... there might just be a hero to be made out of you."
Water Hazard lifted his left hand, and put it under his right. "For now, take solace!"
Yaoyorozu gasped, as she noticed the steam flow towards Water Hazard.
"Todoroki, something's wrong!"
"Now that your fire is out, you raised the temperature quite a few notches." Ben said, as glaciers worth of ice outright sublimated!
Todoroki kept his teeth gritted, as he looked at his opponent from past his waving dual-colored hair.
"You provided me with the ammo to win this clash. Now… lose!"
Water from his left, joined the right hand.
The ground beneath Todoroki gave way!
"Todoroki!" Midoriya stood on edge!
"NO!" Monoma from Class 1-B shouted with fists clenched. "Tennyson's loss!"
Bakugo annoyedly rolled his eyes.
Little amounts of ice manifested and broke behind his feet.
"No!…" The recommended student thought. "*This* should be the start. I've got you–"
His eyes widened, as the rushing images of his father… and the ice-cold glare of his mother took that enthusiasm away.
"Not… yet…"
His hand lowered. Tennyson's torrent of water won!
"Looks like we've got a winner for the clash–!"
Present Mic stopped in his words, as Todoroki got pushed out!
"T-t…!?" Present Mic barely resisted taking off his glasses to check if he was seeing straight! "Todoroki's out of bounds!"
The recommended student fell on one knee, as his feet crossed the line. Crowd cheered and… it still made him feel vexed–
"That was amazing."
He noticed a flash of green light, and then Tennyson's hand without the support item leant down in front of him.
"*You* were amazing." Ben couldn't help but giggle, as he got Todoroki back on his feet. "For multiple seconds there, I got goosebumps."
Todoroki nodded rather thoughtfully.
"So… you actually went ahead and used your fire anyway. How did it feel?"
Todoroki shook his head. "Good." He raised his left hand. "However, it doesn't feel right."
He opened and closed his fist, feeling melancholic–
"Well, of course."
He surprisedly turned to the winner.
"Todoroki, no one here thought that two and a half pep talks to just undo the kind of hell your past probably was." Tennyson said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I said it at the start, feel free to take this chance to vent, let go of your frustrations. It's okay that you don't bounce back at a hundred percent."
Todoroki nodded in acknowledgement.
"But I gotta admit, it sure as hell felt like you bounced back."
Ben raised his left hand and mimicked him. "I won't… be ashamed from my fire… screw that!"
He straightened back up, hands on his hips and a smirk between his lips. "Big words for the earfuls you gave us."
Todoroki's pupils constricted.
"I… presume the adrenaline got to what I had to say." he added pensively.
Ben crossed his arms.
"Really?…" Tennyson nudged him. All of their classmates at the stances, except Bakugo, were cheering. Todoroki, as he paid more attention, could hear that some of them were actually for him.
"Because if you really don't want to keep 'casting out a part of yourself anymore', I'm pretty sure it's not too late to be a classmate…or a friend."
Todoroki's eyebrows went up.
"At least." He shrugged. "If you're still interested in it."
Todoroki looked down, before turning it to the stances.
"Yaoyorozu said something similar." He found her in the crowd. "She and Jiro said something about extending their support to me, in case I ever wanted someone to consult."
"Yep." Ben said, finding her as well. "That's something, among many other things, friends do."
"Do you really think the others will feel the same way?"
Ben shrugged. "Maybe not instantly… but given time, one hundred percent."
Todoroki saw the extremely animated Ashido, startled and sheepish Koda, the frustrated glare of Bakugo, and… the dazzling light of Aoyama as the blonde looked directly at him.
He sweatdropped.
"I'll keep it in mind." He said, already feeling exhausted not from their match, but from actually seeing all the different types of people in their class.
Ben laughed. "Give me your hand."
Todoroki… tilted his head, but obliged–
Ben raised it up, getting another wave of cheers!
"Consider this a start."
"What sportsmanship!" Midnight couldn't help but swoon from her podium. "So youthful!"
As lights flashed all over the arena, Ben felt his chest swell. The enthusiasm that emanated raised his spirits to new heights.
He was sure now. This battle… was a success.
Ben raised his left hand, and looked at the Omnitrix. The dial was still yellow, and spinning.
"The only thing left to figure out is this–" he said under his breath, as it faded back to green and the dial popped out… revealing a whole new hologram.
His eyebrows raised as did Todoroki's.
"Is that–?"
"Yeah." Ben nodded, and extended it to him. "Want the first crack at the name?"
However, Present Mic couldn't quite see it as his eyes were still on the crowds!
"REJOICE EVERYONE! ALL THE EVENTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED! The first year champion of U.A. Sports Festival is… Ben Tennyson from Class 1-A!"
The crowd roared–!
Under the arena, one of the Ectoplasm clones showed them around to the podium.
"Once Midnight gives the signal, the ground will open, and you will emerge in the center of the arena." he gestured with his head. "We will be using smoke to give an extra dramatic flair to the occasion."
"Got it!" Tennyson replied with arms crossed behind his head.
Midoriya hesitantly gave some nods, and after him… he spared one to Ectoplasm himself.
The teacher seemed satisfied. "You will be on in a couple of minutes."
He walked back, and exited the room.
Todoroki looked up to the number 2 spot on the podium, mulling it over. He could feel the shaking of Midoriya behind him, and the gaze.
But… there wasn't a single idea on how to respond. Midoriya was still wearing the casts on his arms, bandages on his legs, all because he put him in that position.
He had requested it, never thinking about the aftermath.
"Well." Tennyson broke the silence, clapping his hands and walking towards the stairs behind the podium. "They did say a few minutes."
Seeing him climb and take his place at the number one spot, Todoroki also felt the urge to move–
"Todoroki."
Midoriya had spoken up, shakily with one hand on the cast of his right arm.
He guiltily averted his gaze. "I… I'm sorry." Midoriya said.
"I shouldn't have been that harsh… e-even though I–"
"Midoriya." He elected to stop him. "Don't."
The greenette tilted his head, as Todoroki uncomfortably confronted him again.
"I understand why you did it." He said with their gaze meeting. "And you were right about one thing. Whether I like it or not… I have a lot to work on."
Midoriya felt the words make a knot in his throat. From the podium he stood on, Tennyson also didn't comment.
However, his eyes remained on Todoroki, even as he moved away. He climbed the stairs… to the number 2 spot in his podium.
"I will have to warn you however." His classmate outright shrinked as Todoroki stared down at him from the podium. "You were heavy-handed."
Lifting his gaze, he then looked up to Tennyson.
"You as well." His glance steeled. "Even if I wouldn't have listened otherwise… that attitude will get you punched next time."
Slowly, Midoriya's hand raised to the bandage on his cheek, and the burn wound behind it.
"To be fair, you *did* punch him." Tennyson said.
"I'm not talking about a match." Todoroki replied. There wasn't any joking there, they had clearly touched a nerve.
Midoriya nodded–
The alarms in the room lit up. It was time, they were going to be raised up!
"Wa-Wait!" Midoriya quickly ran up to his number 3 podium. However, before the trap door opened, he leaned forward.
"I understand, Todoroki."
Ben dialed back the smile, and nodded.
"Same here." He answered with crossed arms. "We'll work on it. Hopefully not because we'll actually need it."
Todoroki nodded. The podium then raised towards the roof of the room, emerging outside.
A cloak of smoke and confetti assaulted their eyes and the sudden wave of fireworks caught their ears off guard but none of them flinched. Today was their day.
They stood with their backs straight, hands behind their back and chin held up high!..
Or at least, that's what Ben decided to go with.
They were positioned in the center of the stadium. The news cameras and anchors were brought closer, held off just meters away from them by metal barriers, while the rest of the student body was set to stand behind them. Thankfully because of how high they were, Ben could see everyone.
"Tenya Iida actually shares the third place with Midoriya, however unfortunately he had to leave for family reasons, gotta love those familiar bonds." Midnight struck as she gave the reminder to those behind the cameras that just caught the end.
Midoriya flinched at the seductive wording, right before him and Tennyson shared a look and took a weighted breath.
It still sank like rock into their stomach. Ben crossed his arms.
"At least for some, today won't be the day of the Hero Killer… It will be the day where future heroes help illuminate the night." he thought.
There was still so much to do, but this… was at least a start.
"Now, let's break out the hardware!" Midnight raised her hand, the handcuff jingling around her wrist. "And of course, there is only one man for the job!"
"HA! HA HA HA HA!"
With his silhouette rising to the occasion and with booming laughter, All Might leaped from the roof!
"I AM HERE! TO HAND OUT–"
"All Might!" Midnight cut in. "The number 1 hero–!"
He landed on his knees, right before the three winners.
A brief silence took hold, as All Might raised his head and looked at Midnight.
"Sorry!" The teacher put her hands together. "Really cut in your parade there, didn't I…"
"Hmph!" Monoma scoffed from the sidelines, turning his head from the podium. "Now they get pampered by the number one hero…"
"Just give it a rest, Monoma." Rin rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, I'm with Scales on this one." Tetsutetsu said. "We'll get them on the next one–"
"This podium is a class 1-A bargain sale–!"
Kendo silently chopped at his neck, knocking him out. Thankfully none had really heard him.
"Now that you're here, All Might, onwards with the presentation." Midnight raised the plate with the three medals to him.
The number 1 laughed as he got onto the step of his first protage with the bronze medal in hand.
"CONGRATULATIONS, YOUNG MIDORIYA." he said. "YOUR…"
His words came to a stop as Midoriya was uncontrollably shaking.
"Young Midoriya, please stop." he whispered, which made Ben snicker.
"How can I…" Midoriya outright squeaked.
Tennyson's snicker only got louder.
"AHEM… AHEM…" All Might lifted the medal, and Midoriya took a deep breath. His protage's shaking subsided, as he then put the medal around his neck. "YOU SHOWED GREAT VALOR AND PASSION OUT THERE."
"It's… been an honor…" he creaked, as All Might then put his arms around him.
"AND THOUGH ITS POWER AND POTENTIAL THAT'S OFTEN ADVERTISED, THE STRENGTH IN ONE'S SPIRIT IS WHAT TRULY SEPARATES THE EXCEPTIONAL AND ALLOWS THEM TO GROW THIS MUCH."
He whispered next to his ear, and put his hand around his mic. "I should know… I was also quirkless."
Midoriya felt himself frozen stiff. "Wh-Wha–?!"
"HA! HA HA!" All Might laughed boastfully. "YOU STILL HAVE MUCH TRAINING LEFT AHEAD, HOWEVER THIS WAS STILL A GOOD STEP FORWARD."
He moved on.
"Y-Yes…" Midoriya muttered in response, still processing the information. "Yes, sir."
"So… SO many people around me were once powerless!" he thought, even though in reality, it was only three or four people.
All Might picked up the silver medal.
"YOUNG TODOROKI, CONGRATULATIONS!" He put the medal around his neck. "I… I'M ASSUMING THERE WAS A GOOD REASON FOR YOU TO BE RELUCTANT IN USING YOUR FIRE."
Todoroki's glare stayed on the ground. "Yes. Midoriya… and then a bunch of others worked to open my eyes today. But, then, I still doubted myself."
He met the black abyss that was All Might's eyes.
"I want to be the kind of hero you are, but… my path wasn't as clear as I thought it was." He said. "And if I want to chart it again, I will have a lot of thinking waiting for me."
His expression softened, and the winded lines under his eyes became obvious for the first time.
"At least though… I think I now know where it needs to begin."
He nodded and just like with Young Midoriya, All Might carefully embraced Todoroki.
"I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT LOOK ON YOUR FACE BEFORE." He patted him on the back. "I WON'T ASK YOU FOR DETAILS. HOWEVER, KNOW THAT I BELIEVE IN YOU. I'M SURE YOU'LL WORK THINGS OUT JUST FINE."
"I've heard of that one…" Todoroki said. "Thank you."
All Might nodded again, and reached for the final medal.
"AND THERE WAS ONLY ONE."
Tennyson cracked a proud smile just like usual. "Yep, quite the big one too." He quipped.
All Might held up the golden medal.
"I'VE BEEN VERY IMPRESSED WITH YOUR PERFORMANCE."
"I sure hope so." Tennyson said, lowering his voice. "We trained together."
"YOU HAVE HAD A VERY APPLICABLE QUIRK, THAT'S TRUE." He held up his hand. "HOWEVER IT WAS THE WAY YOU PRESENTED YOURSELF UP THERE THAT TURNED THE MOST HEADS." He said. "YOU UNDERSTOOD THAT THE CURRENT TOP HEROES DON'T JUST REPRESENT THE PEAK OF STRENGTH, SPEED, OR TACTICAL PROWESS. BUT THEY REPRESENT THE PEAK OF SPIRIT."
He also embraced him.
"JUST LIKE YOUNG MIDORIYA, YOU DEMONSTRATED THE UNSHAKABLE QUALITY OF A HERO, DISPLAYED RESOURCEFULNESS IN TIMES OF OVERCONFIDENCE."
Tennyson's chest puffed up even more, but…
"Is it really overconfidence if I still win?" he tilted his head.
All Might snapped his fingers, and Ben looked away in response. "Right, right. Proving your point."
"CONTINUE LIKE THIS, AND WE'LL WATCH YOUR CAREER WITH GREAT INTEREST!"
He gave an unfaltering nod. "I'll try not to disappoint."
All Might nodded. "I IMAGINE IT WON'T BE 'TOO HARD' FOR YOU?"
It was Tennyson's turn to raise a hand, and snap fingers to him.
A laughter escaped between his teeth before he got ready to turn to the cameras–
"Oh, speaking of which!"
The number one stopped in his tracks, as Tennyson seemingly brought up his watch and cycled through his holograms. "Do you remember when you and Mr. Aizawa told me to report on my quirk? When I need to? Well…"
Tennyson bit his tongue, as he took off his hand. All Might couldn't believe his eyes. There was yet another hologram, that which he didn't recognize, displayed on the device!
"UHHH…"
"Todoroki said he might have a name for him by tomorrow." Tennyson sheepishly added.
He shook his head. For crying out loud, as if the regular difficulties of teaching weren't enough!
"We'll talk about that afterwards." He whispered nervously. "For now please don't use him, especially before telling Mr. Aizawa about it."
Tennyson thankfully gave him a diligent nod, and so he turned to the cameras, which started flashing again on command.
"HERE THEY ARE, THE WINNERS OF THIS YEAR'S SPORTS FESTIVAL."
All Might put his hands on his hips.
"BUT LISTEN CLOSELY! ANY OF YOU FIRST YEARS COULD'VE ENDED UP STANDING ON THESE PODIUMS!"
Bakugo's glare hardened, burning on all three that had made it. If someone had told him this was going to be the outcome, this freaking result… even if it was a joke, he wouldn't let them walk away unscathed.
Yaoyorozu also took in the sights, feeling equally disheartened. However, she shook her head and directed her mind to current events.
"THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE DONE TODAY! YOU'VE CHALLENGED, LEARNED, AND SHOWED THE METTLE OF FUTURE HEROES!"
He looked back at Tennyson as he said the last part. He had to hand it to the kid, the speech he gave was very easy to reference back.
"I ALSO THINK THIS GENERATION IS SHAPING UP TO BE THE BEST ONE YET!" He raised a finger to the sky. "SO, SAY IT WITH ME NOW! EVERYONE DID–"
"Plus Ultra!" The crowd easily sliced through it, and…
"What?! That was the perfect time for a plus ultra, All Might!"
"I KNOW!.." He waved his hands as now he stood nervously before a booing crowd. "B-BUT EVERYONE DID SUCH A GOOD JOB!"
Inside a bar at Kamino City however, there were quite the crowd who disagreed, looking at the screen with nothing but pure contempt.
"A good job, huh…" Shigaraki rolled his eyes as he sat on a stool, putting down his drink. "What a joke."
Enoch left his arms crossed behind his back, squinting. Winston fidgeted uncomfortably with notes in his hand, as the Forever Ninja repositioned himself to better protect his clients.
Stain's hands opened and closed with fury. His glare hardened.
"Flaunting quirks over the cameras." he wandered around before the screens, taking a deep breath… but also sneering. "It's a distasteful hobby they've come to adopt."
His back turned to the screens that said audio only, as well as Shigaraki and Kurogiri–
"Huh." The frog started from his table, eyes still on the wires inside the small device in front of him.
"For once, I find myself agreeing with someone from this lot." He shook his head. "Such a collective of power was assembled only for an athletic event… What nonsensical priorities."
Stain's eyes widened ever so slightly–
"It's a means to rally the public against you." Winston said, escaping from behind the Forever Ninja and looking at the frog… and then Shigaraki. "They've made that very clear–"
"And do they think the world will stand still in the meantime?" The frog asked. "I reckon there are places better suited for their abilities even in a three hundred meter radius from the institute."
Stain nodded in agreement, with the power going into his hands increasing–
"Even this so-called number 1 doesn't seem to fare much better. With his presence, he's only encouraging this foolishness." The frog added, and it caused Stain's eyes to narrow right back down.
"Lowly practices for lowly creatures." The frog mumbled, as he continued tying red to red, and blue to blue. "Tell me something else that surprises you, human." He said, eyes still on the device but his tone clearly directed to Winston. "Maybe *I* could be the one to figure it out for you again."
Winston's blood rushed to his head with his journal in hand. He stomped towards the creature. "What would you know, frog!–"
The Forever Ninja jumped and got in front of him, raising a hand. Its programming was in full effect.
"Hmph." the frog said, eyeing up the android. "Not too much apparently."
Shigaraki laughed, and leaned forward to Kurogiri.
"What are you thinking?" The bartender asked with a hushed tone.
"He's a nuisance." Shigaraki said, very much frustrated as he eyed up the frog grabbing a small circular piece of glass, and planted it on his device.
Kurogiri tilted his head. "Then why are you–"
"Because I like seeing Gold Face disgruntled."
Kurogiri changed his sights to Enoch. The man looked the same as he had before… but with a much more intense aura–
*Ring ring ring!* *Ring ring ring!*
Enoch put his hand next to his helmet. "Yes my liege, how may I..."
His voice lowered, as he moved and sat at one of the worn-out couches.
"Heh…" Shigaraki snickered, as the frog continued to speak to Winston.
"And the name isn't frog…" He said. "The title you're looking for is Albedo–"
Shigaraki felt the aura of the Hero Killer behind him… and so he grabbed his drink before turning around on his stool.
"What do you want?" Shigaraki asked.
"I would like to say that if you brought me here with the hope of using my fury to make an impulsive decision… I'm afraid you have been barking up the wrong tree." Stain said.
His head raised as, with one hand on his dagger, his bloodshot eyes narrowed on the young adult.
"Before I join you, tell me… What's your goal?"
"Uh… not really the snacks, so maybe the merch stands?"
Ben crossed his arms behind his head, as now that the events were over, Yaoyorozu had rallied everyone to enjoy the festival because of her promise to Uraraka.
Though, almost half the class weren't feeling too festive since their class president was unable to join. Not to mention Bakugo immediately left after the ceremony, dropping their numbers further down to 18.
Putting a hand over his mouth, Ben burped and then put the hand on his grumbling stomach.
"I feel like my stomach is on a roller-coaster." he said weakly.
"Well–" Jiro appeared next to him. "With the way you've been flipping through the air, I'm not surprised."
"I was transformed though! And I wasn't feeling like this in the award ceremony…" Ben pouted.
"On the bright side, the school's giving us the next two days off." Shoji said.
Tokoyami raised his head confidently with his arms crossed. "Plenty of time to gather our strength for challenges ahead." He declared, as Dark Shadow came out of him.
"Yep, and also plenty of time to get that Ending E you've been putting off–"
"Dark Shadow, be silent…" Tokoyami responded, tensing up.
The shadowy ghoul just laughed in response.
"So, you're gonna stick to playing some games." Ashido asked with hands behind her back.
"More like catching up."
"Silence!" Tokoyami demanded again from Dark Shadow. "Or I'll make sure your labor is extra arduous!"
Ashido smiled at the conflicting duo.
"Uh-huh." she said, before her racoon-like eyes dashed. "What about you, Ojiro?"
The tailed martial artist put his hands on his hips. "Train, most likely." he laughed with one hand behind his head.
Todoroki stayed silent. With hands in his pocket, he had chosen to walk behind in the crowd, not quite… feeling ready to join in just yet.
He however, did notice Tennyson, the two others whom he declared war to, and Kirishima form their own little group.
Todoroki looked away, and continued to stay behind.
We're going to have the next two days off." Kirishima repeated as he got hyped. They were gonna nail this guy who hurt Iida's bro!
Tennyson nodded as well. That was going to be so clutch. He just had a feeling about it.
"Should we assemble early tomorrow, over a video conference?" Yaoyorozu asked. "Perhaps at nine in the morning to distribute tasks?"
Everyone accepted without questions, even if Midoriya seemed to hesitate.
Kirishima pursed his lip. Seeing his green-haired friend with the cast over his right hand and bandages but still enthusiastic to help...
Tennyson and Yaoyorozu were looking at him too, and so the look on the greenette's face intensified.
"I'll be there, for sure." he said.
By every sense of the word, it amazed Kirishima.
"Okay, nine it is." Tennyson declared, before turning back casually, breaking away from the group. "Hey, Todoroki!"
He took the recommended student's attention.
"Do you see any good vendors around?" he asked. "I kind of forgot to pay attention."
"No." The answer was rather blunt.
"Come on, Todoroki!" Ashido joined them. "Surely you'd like something to remember this day by. You got second!"
"I intended to get first." Todoroki answered.
Kirishima couldn't help but smirk at them… missing the girl that passed by their group.
A girl with black hair and green eyes, wearing a gothic getup and a bead necklace with a cross at its center.
"Oh, speaking of which!" Ben raised his arm. "Check this, you guys."
He hit the rims, and the dial popped out.
The girl in the goth get-up side-eyed them.
Ben showed the hologram, and Jiro immediately sighed.
"Oh, there is just no way…"
"YOU GOT ANOTHER ONE!" Ashido yelled., almost offended.
"Okay. Now that's unfair." Sero deadpanned.
The shine from the green dial of Tennyson's watch… it caught the goth girl's attention but seeing the straps, and then the teen's face… Her eyes widened with recognition!
As the distance between them opened, she turned around and started following them, before she matched the timing of her steps with theirs.
Narrowing her eyes, she let her ears perk up, trying to listen in on them.
"What are you gonna name this Monsieur?" Aoyama asked.
"Can I name him this time, Tennyson?" Sato followed up.
"Well…" Tennyson said, putting down the watch. "If we're following the Echo Echo rule, the first say is Todoroki's."
Everyone looked at the second dual-haired teen simultaneously.
"I will make sure to think about it." Todoroki said–
*Bzz! *Bzz!*
She stopped as her instincts picked up something. It was small, considerably silent… but still an echoing, irritating, electrical-sounding laughter.
She looked at one of the mirror's on one of the merch stands.
*Bzz!*
Behind the tires of one of the food vendors, there were two of these small creatures with glowing yellow eyes and a battery-like look to them.
*Bz!* *Bz!*
The girl noted one of them to be pointing at the same group that she was eyeing up. Then, the hands of the small batteries started to glow with static noises. Regardless of everything, they remained too small to be picked up by anyone else… Her teeth gritted.
*Bzzzzzzz!*
It fired!..
..Only for two blades to emerge from her, blocking the electrical shot.
"Bzzt?"
Not flinching at all, the girl's eyes slowly opened more, as a second set of them emerged from her other knuckle with hostility–
Wide-eyed, the electrical creatures bolted…
"Bzz! Bzz!"
… as in they turned into literal lightning bolts and flew away. Confusedly she watched after them, before hearing a disruption from the group!
Hearing the jolt, Kirishima looked back.
"Kiri? Something wrong?" Ashido said.
He was stupefied, as there seemed to be no one there.
"Oh, no…" Kirishima stammered, turning and looking for a second longer. "I just thought I heard something."
"Room 126." The receptionist looked up from her computer.
Iida gave her a firm bow. His hair was still messy from his fight, and there were lines formed under his eyes, but he was resolute and worried.
"Thank you." Instantly, he bolted to the stairway.
"Please don't run in the hallways!"
"Son!" His father tried to reach out, however, Iida didn't hear them.
With his school jacket in hand, he skipped past the elevator and ran up stairs.
"Tensei…" A hand of his clutched the railing.
He saw the sign for the rooms 100 to 130, and immediately went through. A row of rooms came before him.
"Tensei!" Iida said, looking both ways anxiously.
"Tenya…"
He got to see her mom. A short lady with navy blue hair and glasses, wearing a light blue cardigan, white shirt and a black penskirt, who looked just as worried as he was.
"Mom!" He ran by her, and saw the doctor he was talking to.
They looked to be a turquoise dinosaur-like person with a large round-nose and a row of dark-blue spines along his head, wearing a white lab coat with his ID and a blue shirt and pants under it along with gray boots, holding a clipboard.
"I'm sorry for barging in." Iida said, first looking at his mother. "How is Tensei doing, sir?"
Upon seeing him, the doctor's mouth stammered to open. A glimmer manifested around his pupils, as he lowered his chin and averted his gaze.
"He… isn't well." He brought the clipboard together. "Blood loss, a concussion, lacerations ranging in depth around 20% his whole body..."
The doctor's voice grew even more solemn. He looked through the window of the room, seeing the shadow of the body laying at the bed, behind a white semi-transparent curtain and muffled beeping from the machines.
"And if that wasn't enough…" He said, sighing and taking another look at the clipboard. "That *isn't* the worst of it. One of his lungs is pierced and… X-ray showed us six fractures, two of which are concentrated on the spine."
He showed them the clipboard. The mother and the younger son's breath hitched.
"The attacker, whoever he was…" He said with boundless vitriol between his teeth. "Even though he missed all vital organs, nicked the thoracic section of his spine, causing damage to vertebrates T3 and T4."
His arms crossed.
"An hour ago, we brought him into surgery and patched the area, however– "
"What's… his condition?" Iida's mother asked.
"Umm… W-Well, He's resting now, stable." The doctor stammered, and flipped over the page. "We've given him sedatives and uhh… his surgery to close the puncture wound was finished just an hour ago."
The mother looked like she was losing more and more willpower, however he continued.
"We will be monitoring him for any changes–"
"Can…" Iida's whole body shook. He looked up to the doctor with the edge of his eyes slanted down. "Could we please see him?"
The doctor pursed his lips. "Uh… Iid–"
"Tenya, you heard… you heard his condition." His mom attempted to declare, tears appearing and streaming down from behind the glasses. From the corner of their ears, they heard Iida's father arrive by way of the elevator.
"Let's just…" His father also put a hand on his other shoulder. "Stay calm, and wait for the experts–"
Their attempts to pull him back only made him go forward.
"I'm sorry…" Iida brushed past them, and grabbed the handle!
The doctor saw what he was doing, but didn't resist. Her mother on the other hand pulled on his shoulder. "Tenya, keep your voice down and wear a mask at least."
However, the door opened and Iida froze where he stood.
Covered with gauzes, and a large patch over his pectorals where the sword had gone through, his brother laid with tubes going into both of his arms, electrodes on his chest, and an oxygen mask over his mouth.
"Tensei…"
The big brother's lifeless eyes faintly opened.
"Little… brother…?"
His mother collapsed upon the sight, and letting his father catch her, Iida approached the bed, tightly gripping the railings. "Tensei… you're gonna be fine…"
As much sorrow as there was in his voice, there was also a confused bundled feeling.
The doctor lowered his head. He had seen plenty of anger and scarring…
"I'll give you a moment…" he said as his muscles were tensed, and his head lowered, barely avoiding stomping as he walked away.
Raising his head to the side, he then saw his office.
"Hmph." He slid the door and got inside. Tossing the clipboard to the table, he reached to his face… and took off the ID Mask.
"Phew…" he said as in a blue flash of light, Kevin appeared, wearing the white coat of the doctor!
He smelled the ID mask. "Gotta wash that sometime."
Putting the mask in his back pocket, he took off the coat and opened the cabinet in the room. There was the real doctor, unconscious… and drooling.
"Here." He tossed the coat to his face. "Next time you're gonna deny people patient info, put that panic button in your table a little closer–"
"So, that's where you were?"
Kevin's eyes widened. He slammed the cabinet door, and looked outside. There was Gwen, floating one one of her panels with her fighting outfit on, arms crossed.
"How did you find me?" He opened the window.
Gwen floated down with the platform, and hopped into the office.
"I'm pretty sure you know."
Kevin sighed.
"You teleported back and cross-referenced the medical centers based on closeness."
"This one stood out as the best equipped." She got off her platform and hopped into the office. "There was no way other heroes were gonna let one of their own stay and get treated at some subpar place."
Kevin nodded, and she saw the pain he was trying to hold back.
Her voice softened.
"How is he?"
"Bedridden." he responded, putting a hand over his neck. "They think there is a chance he might bounce back, but… it's real slim."
His eyes stared into her green ones, before they hardened.
"Too slim…" he softly pushed her away.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
Kevin put his hands on the window sill, and took a leap down, letting himself hang out from the edge.
"To make a drop and dash to the morgue." he absorbed the stone. "First to get to my car–"
He dropped down to make a three-point landing, but was stopped by a pink panel.
"Kevin." Gwen said, descending to him with a much more serious expression. However, he didn't have any sympathy left.
"Stay out of my way, Gwen." he said. "I…" Kevin lost his grip. "I'm warning you."
She felt the waver in his voice.
"I know what it's like to think with your fists, Kevin. That's what Ben likes to do."
"Oh, don't worry." Kevin said, anger coming over his tone.
The panel finished lowering down to the ground, and Kevin jumped off, landing on the ground. He walked away. "Unlike him, I'll be thorough–"
Gwen floated in front of him.
"That's not what I meant–"
"What do you want me to do, replace Tensei at his home or something? Console the family?!"
"No." she responded. "BUT I'd like to think you have other ways to help him out!"
Kevin opened his mouth, only to stutter–
"That's why you said they'll get him stabilized, and complained about Earth technology, right?" Gwen pressed, crossing her arms. "Because you know there's something better?"
He grumbled, clearly apprehensive about doing that.
"You have to get your priorities in order…" she said, as she also looked up to the office they came out of.
His cousin was going to have to deal with the fallout now…
"That's the only way any of us are going to get through this."
The Next Day
Early next morning, when the birds were still chirping about, Todoroki had gotten a move-on.
Wearing a dark-blue jacket, white shirt, black pants, and putting on a small bag, he started to put on his teal-colored shoes on the entryway.
"Shoto?" His big sister, Fuyumi, alarmedly came to him. "Where are you going?"
At that moment, a weight pressed on his chest. He felt his resolve be challenged.
"To do what I need to get through this." he thought, before bluntly replying to her. "The hospital."
"R-Really?" She said, scared. "You… You can't just… *visit* her though. Not without telling dad, right?"
"Whatever." He opened the door. The last person that was going to stop him was his father.
"But why now?" she continued to press. "Why now, after all this time?"
He didn't even open his mouth. With his scowl, Todoroki stepped outside, and looked back at her.
"I'll be back."
Walking past their front gate and getting on the idle street, he started to make his way to the train station. When he did eventually concede and pulled out his phone, only two particular pieces of news seemed to be in everyone's mouth.
The Hero Killer… and him–
"You should have seen them, mom!" A kid exclaimed as he passed by him with his parent. "Bam! Flash! And then he transformed again!"
The mother gave a sympathetic smile. "Sounds like you had a good time."
Todoroki bowed his head. It had, admittedly, filled him with envy to see someone already have something he longed for.
All because of one man's delusions, he was robbed of that childhood and she was cheated out of her sanity.
"I can't take it anymore. Every day, those children seem like him a-and… his left side… it's unbearable, I don't want to see it." She had said to the phone.
It didn't take long for Todoroki to arrive at the main rural parts of the city, and cross the overpass.
"All I can see is his father. I can't raise him anymore… I want to run away."
A turbulent chill had descended, and the so-called man of the family had no intention to light a flame that would bring them closer.
Warding off any past ghosts that dared haunt his house, was secondary to raising the ace he always wanted.
"Ever since that day, I thought my presence would only cause my mom more grief…" he actively thought, as the train didn't take long to arrive. "...so I never visited."
After getting off and walking a little while, Todoroki got to see the hospital standing in front of him.
"But I never thought how alone… and isolated it would leave her."
The receptionist looked dumbfounded upon hearing his name. Was it from him being the son of the number 2 hero, or the sports festival, or the fact that this would be his first visit… he was unsure. But he didn't care.
He had thought of not using his fire as a revolt, only now to realize that by himself not lighting a flame, with the power he also held… he had only become just as complacent.
"We're always going to be bound to each other. By blood… by our history with my father…"
"Room 315." the receptionist nervously said as he then thanked her, coldly as it may be, and moved to the elevator.
It was fully empty, but right as it was about to close, a man waved for him to hold the door. Todoroki… ended up obliging.
"Thanks, you're a life-saver." the man said as he got inside and pressed the button.
Now that he got a closer look though, this man… he was a teen just like him, a year older at most.
The teen then ended up recognizing him! He asked if he could get a picture. Todoroki nodded, and allowed him.
Because he was done. By letting the world phase out from around him, letting his wings close like a robe and hood, the problem itself had only delayed. It was time to face it.
"That's why, if I'm ever going to use this body and these powers to become a hero… I need to see her."
The doors opened, and he walked out.
"If I'm going to give it everything I have…"
He arrived at the door. Room 315, Todoroki Rei.
His breath hitched, as from the small window, he could see her looking outside at the bright sky, like a moth to the flame. She looked so serene, that his right hand hesitated from going to the handle to open it.
His eyes closed, as he took a deep breath.
"But honey… you want to be a hero, don't you? It's okay, just remember. Stay true to yourself."
They opened back up, as he reached with his left… and slid it open.
"If I'm going to become the hero I want to be, I need to see her, and talk to her…"
He took his first step inside, as the sun shined onto his downcast eyes, and his mouth which was frowning.
"There is so much we need to talk about."
He closed the door, and made the ice in his breath that he made sure to harbor since… way longer than he could remember, vanish.
"Hello, mom."
Her head tilted upwards, as she turned on the stool she was sitting on, and… their eyes met.
Todoroki knew this turbulent cold, this chill that was in his family would never go away.
It would live on no doubt, it was too ingrained not to but… he could at least make sure its hold over them could be broken.
It could be put behind them, exist separately, and…
"Yeah." Tennyson had nodded, as he showed off the new hologram on his support item. It looked like a hooded moth on its hind-legs. "Want the first crack at the name?"
… his eyes steeled. He could do much more good without it.
But seeing her fully turn, still stunned as her mind couldn't seem to fully comprehend his presence, his heart ached.
Her mouth was open slightly, but the expression on her face remained soft… and melancholic.
Todoroki pursed his lips, and… took in that long-lost fondness. "I'll rescue her from this place first, no matter what." he declared.
Putting one foot forward ahead of the other, he approached her mom.
"That's my first step in getting back on track…" He thought. "It's what I have to do."