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CHAPTER START---
---6 AM...
Walking through the halls of his Hero Agency, Endeavor has a smirk on his face as he moves toward his office. Leaving his personal chambers after his morning workout and shower, he's excited for Shoto's arrival in a few hours.
He'd finally get to show his son exactly what kind of Hero he is. The result of a lifetime of hard work and dedication. He hopes that just maybe Shoto would be impressed and soften up to him.
Getting to the top floor Endeavor opens the door to his office, and his mood immediately sours.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he asks.
His office was absolutely massive and high-end, with two couches with a coffee table between them. His desk is off to the side with a wall behind it. And to the right of his desk was a glass wall overlooking Tokyo.
Currently, Horizon was sitting on one of the couches scrolling through his phone, head nodding along to the music being played into his visor. Sword leaning against the couch at his side.Tapping his phone a few times he puts it down and looks over at the furious Endeavor. "I was just checking my post. People are excited, I posted a picture in here to announce my internship."
Endeavor stomps over to him and glares down at Horizon, "I mean, what are you doing in my office, in my building? How did you get inside?"
"Uh...I can warp, obviously. What you think I need doors, like a peasant?"
Endeavor wants to yell at the boy, but instead, he takes a deep breath and the flames on his shoulders and face dissipate.
Without a word he moves to sit opposite Horizon and just silently stares at him, trying to figure out how to approach this situation.
"Is Shoto here already?" Endeavor asks.
"Nah he's probably just getting ready for UA, I took my Hero Costume and spent the night in Tokyo."
"You aren't supposed to have your Hero Costume outside of school under normal circumstances like that," Endeavor narrows his eyes at Horizon.
"So?"
Endeavor sighs, expecting this to be difficult but already getting sick of the attitude. "Do you want tea? Can you drink tea?" he wasn't sure what the deal was with Horizons visor.
"I can, but I don't. I'm good for now," Horizon says. "So, can we just get to the point please? You never offer students internships or work studies. Shoto is obvious because it's your kid, but why me?"
"Hmm, I appreciate that you don't like small talk," Endeavor admits. "The reason I extended an offer to you is because, I want to ask you some Questions."
"My Quirk is none of your business."
"Tch, not about that, about your parents..."
"Mmm," Horizon growls lowly and sits up. "What, you didn't learn from what happened to Shoto? Are all the Todorokis gonna need me to teach them this lesson?"
"I want to know how they succeeded where I failed," Endeavor says quickly, causing Horizon to pause for a moment then leaned back into the couch.
"Ok... you have my attention, explain yourself."
"I assume Shoto told you about...my mistakes."
"Mistakes? You mean the child neglect, child abuse, domestic abuse, Quirk marriage, Quirk breeding, all that shit?"
Endeavor looks ashamed, eyes dropping down to the table between them. "Yes, my mistakes."
"Ok, what about them?" Horizon asks casually, as if they were talking about the weather.
This confuses Endeavor, he'd expected hate and anger, not, nonchalance. "You...aren't angry?"
"Huh, why would I be angry? Not my family, not my problem. Who gives a fuck what you do in your house," Horizon shrugs.
"That...is concerning."
"It's more concerning that the #2 Hero is such a shitty dad, so you're in no position to judge anyone here."
Endeavor nods in agreement.
"And if you brought me here for family therapy, sorry but I'm not that kind of doctor. I deal in real medicine, not make-believe bullshit."
"Therapy is real."
"For real pussies is what you mean," Horizon scoffs. "If you've got problems just get over it."
Endeavor blinks a few times, taking a moment to really wrap his mind around what kind of person he was currently talking to. Not at all liking the idea of someone so powerful with this kind of mentality. But as Horizon said, he's in no situation to be judging anyone, so he just lets it go.
"I want to know how you were raised," Endeavor says in a serious voice, getting them on topic. "Shoto was born and raised to be the absolute strongest, but in raising and training him, I destroyed my family.
I allowed my ambition to burn everything and everyone around me, they all hate me, I hate me, for what I've done. For all I didn't do.
I want...I want to atone. I don't think I want them to forgive me, I don't think I can be forgiven. But I'd at least like for them all to be together, even if it is without me."
"Very touching I'm sure," Horizon rolls his eyes beneath the visor. "Why the sudden change of heart?"
"You."
"Me?"
"When I saw you defeat Shoto, when I heard about your Quirk. I realized it was all a pointless ambition of mine. And when I thought Shoto died...I didn't know what to do. I'd never felt so...so powerless. I wanted nothing more than to get a second chance, to fix everything I did to my family. And then you put him back together, and I got my second chance."
Horizon chuckles at that, causing Endeavor to glare at him. "Sorry, sorry. It's just that...I beat Shoto so bad you got character development," another chorus of chuckles.
"Can you help me or not!" Endeavor yells, flames erupting on him again, now pissed off. "Your parents trained you to be powerful, yet you always speak of them with love, how?"
"Alright alright," Horizon raises his hands in surrender. "But I need something from you."
"Huh?"
"Work studies, at your agency."
Endeavor calms down, now more professional as they discuss business. "Hmm, my Hero Agency is the most successful in Japan, working here you'd likely be able to make more money than anywhere else, even as a student."
"Don't care about the money. A standard contract is fine," Horizon says. "I've got more money than I know what to do with already. I just need to work at the best agency, under the best hero. Most of my work will be independent after I learn how you operate."
Endeavor raises a brow at that. "Shouldn't you be trying to get All Might to teach you?"
"I need someone skillful, not a meathead that's just born strong. You're my gold standard for Pro Heroes, you're the only option for me."
Endeavor smiles at that, hearing someone actually acknowledge his skill and hard work instead of just gawking at All Might's raw power. "Alright, but you'll need to get your Provisional License first, so the contract will have to wait until next year."
"June actually," Horizon says. "I'll be taking the exam early, everyone else has to wait a bit longer."
"Hmm, I see, you've got yourself a deal," Endeavor leans forward and shakes his hand.
This was everything Horizon needed. A spot in a well-connected agency that gets a lot of big cases, he'd get Hero Network access from Nezu, then he can start resolving incidents and solving cases solo after he figures out how Endeavor operates and adapts his style.
"Ok," Horizon starts, and Endeavor focuses on not missing a single word. "From what I understand you basically made a kid and forced him to be a hero and it destroyed your family. I don't know how to fix it, but a major difference that my parents did is that they didn't force me to do anything."
"What?"
"When my Quirk first manifested, we thought it was a dud, a completely useless Quirk. I was crying, and my dad offered to teach me medicine. He knew I was hoping for a Quirk like his so I could help out in the clinic.
I asked him to teach me, so all the stress and studying I had to deal with, it was all my choice.
A few weeks later I asked mom to teach me how to take care of myself, to be an adventurer like her. I wanted to help her out one day, so she began teaching me.
I could have just decided to do nothing and be nothing...maybe things would have turned out better that way.
But I chose to learn from them. They would have loved me either way. From the moment I was born I was already perfect in their eyes, because I'm their son, and that will always be enough. True unconditional love, I'll never get that anywhere else.
But I chose to live a life of hard work and pain, I chose to learn everything they knew and take it to heights unimagined. I chose to become Horizon. It was all my choice.
You removed the option for anyone in your family to choose, you forced your dream onto them. How could they ever not hate you for that?
Obviously, there is a lot more to it than that, but this is just the main difference I see, because I imagine many of the harsh, painful lessons my parents taught me, were a lot worse than what you did. Partly because they knew I could just heal myself. But I asked for it so that's on me.
But I'd imagine it helped a lot that, well...I'm not a pussy," he shrugs. "Anyway, that's my take on it."
"I see," Endeavor rubs his chin, deep in thought. "I have much to think about. As for your internship. I'll have to leave you in the care of my head sidekick Burnin, Shoto needs help controlling his fire so that's what I'll be focusing on with him for a while. We won't be leaving the gym here, you and Burnin will operate as usual for this agency."
"Sounds perfect."
"Good, I'll have Burnin show you to your room later...and teach you to use doors. Don't just warp into rooms like you did earlier."
"People who can warp, should warp. I don't tell you not to have those ridiculous flames on your shoulder and face...serious, a flame mustache, really?"
"My Quirk use isn't illegal, and my flames don't look ridiculous!"
END CHAPTER---