Chapter Text
Todoroki never expected to have to deal with his father again; at least, not the abusive version of his father from his childhood.
He was past that now. He was Shouto, Pro-Hero, rank 12 and rising. He was not supposed to be vulnerable to this kind of bullshit, not now. He'd been in limited contact with his father since he graduated, making sure that he would understand that Shouto would not be a hero to please his father, and not due to his teaching methods. He would be one despite him.
And yet, as Shouto groggily looks around, with a sense of dread not yet understood, he realized he was in his father's home - in his old room, to boot. Why am I here? What happened last night?
As he went to sit up, though, his world turned sideways. Flashes, a bright light, a voice crying out.
"Shouto!!!!"
Izuku
And everything came back. Shouto remembered everything. His time at the final battle. The quirk Tomura used - seemingly randomly. His friends. His colleagues. All dead on the ground, Shouto himself also too injured to help anyone. Izuku, barely visible as a flash of light, fighting Tomura and the Nomu army himself. And losing.
IZUKU
If Shouto was more cognizant, he may have wondered more about why he's at his father's house, or why he feels so weak. But he can't think of any of that. They're unimportant. Trivial. Izuku is his only thought. He rushes towards his desk, and picks up his phone.
Something is wrong. His passcode isn't working.
My passcode's been Izuku's birthday for years, why won't it work now, damn it!
Then it catches his eye. The background photo; or, rather, the lack of one. Ever since he took his love on their first date, he's kept the movie theater photo as his lockscreen. The one constant photo that got him through long nights when Izuku was away, undercover or overseas.
Gone.
Shoto's eyes drift to the clock in the center of the lockscreen.
OH.
A relative moment of calm, before all hell breaks loose in his mind.
How is this possible? What kind of a quirk is this?! Am I alone? Is this a dream, or the afterlife?
His door has a sudden slamming noise, jolting Todoroki out of his train of thought.
"Shouto, get up, NOW. I will not have you embarrass me by being late to school."
Shouto double-checks the date on his phone.
It's tomorrow - the USJ attack. The relatively calm beginning of the end.
"I'm ready, Father." Shouto says, steeling his voice and keeping his emotions close, as the heavy steps stalk away.
His phone vibrates. A green contact bubble comes up. No photo on the contact, but he knows who it is. He picks it up before the second vibration.
"Midoriya-chan?"
"Todoroki-chan?"
Shit, is this my Izuku, or the Izuku of the past? How do I figure it out? Best to play it cool for now.
"Hey, I'm on my way to school in a moment. Did you happen to…"
"Have a very very bad dream last night?"
"Izuchan?"
"Shocchan!"
I can hear the sadness, hopefulness, absolute relief, and desperation over the phone.
"Izuchan, I thought…"
"Sho, I'm here. I'm alive. And you're here. I don't know what I'd do otherwise."
"But how?"
"I think I know, but best not to say over the phone. I'll tell you in person"
"But, everyone-"
"We're going to save them, no matter what."