Two days ago...
The hospital.

For most of his life, Shoto Todoroki had thought that it was his father who deserved a good beating and being sent to the hospital for a long time instead of his mother, who wouldn't have suffered a mental breakdown and scarred her child with boiling water if it wasn't for the years of domestic violence she went through. Now it had actually happened and the son of the Hero Number One was meeting a bandaged and bruised Endeavor in his room, he was unsure on what he should think or say. The view of the once abusive patriarch of the Todoroki's looking like an angry, beaten and injured bastard wasn't as satisfying as he used to picture in his head when he was a child. For some stupid reason, that made him feel slightly guilty, and what was worse, his expression towards his forced to rest father wasn't as naturally cold as it used to be. 

"Stop looking at me like that, will you?" Endeavor's bitterly complained, after a long minute of silence. The last thing he needed was his youngest son feeling sorry for him. "I know I look like crap."

"Yeah, you can say that again" Todoroki corroborated all natural, remembering who was the man he had come to see. "I won't stay long; we must keep working and find Shigaraki. Truth to be told, we don't have many threads to pull right now..."

Endeavor sighed. His son was already a grown up hero any father should be proud of, and even if he never got rid of the stigma of being a bad parent, he would never be the same man who made his own flesh and blood pay for the frustration of being an eternal second place in his work again.

"Hawks was here when I woke up. He told me everything about the mess the day end up being, but... I was happy to hear neither your mother, your siblings... or you, were injured" he solemnly said, as believable as he could sound in the ears of his still resentful son. 

Todoroki slightly opened his mouth to answer, but no words came to it, so he looked at this fidgeting fingers, trying to figure out what to say.

"He told me what happened to Yaoyorozu" Endeavor continued. "How is she doing?"

"Momo is fine too" Todoroki said, looking through the window. If there was something he particularly avoided talking with his father as much as he could, was his relationship with her. "I'll go see her again when we are done talking."

"We need to talk" Endeavor nodded. Despite the disappointing way he earned the place of Hero Number One after All Might's retirement, he had fulfilled his duty as such for the last eight years the best he could and tried to guide his son and the next generation. However, eight years wouldn't go easy on an already long veteran hero, and Endeavor had been suffering the effects of age and physical wear to that date. He still was able to do his job and unleash all his hellfire on the streets to keep most villains at bay, but the devastating result of the League's last movement, and more specifically, his clean loss at the hands of a new villain, had brought some harsh truth to the table. "By now you must already know what happened. I don't who was that villain or what he has to do with the League, but what concerns us is that I lost..."

"No" Todoroki replied. He was not in the mood to deal with his progenitor's pride. "What concerns us is that the League of Villains has returned stronger than ever, Eri, Mashirao, Shinsho and Professor Shield have disappeared, the citizens are more than justifiably affraid, some of my friends have been injured, and most heroes don't even know where to start..."

"I know" Endeavor knew he couldn't waste their time arguing. "But I need you to listen up."

He knew his son well enough to know that frustration, anger, doubt and resent were loudly speaking behind that mysterious and cold gaze fangirls were usually crazy about, and he didn't seem to be looking forward to hear what he had to say. But Todoroki was smart and a smart person wouldn't complain about receiving some advice in the present situation, so he would stay in the room and listen.

"It doesn't matter how well I can hide it: I am not the same hero I was when I was of your age. My flames aren't that bright, I'm not as fast, I'm not as strong, and the more I keep using my Quirk, the bigger the effort I need to make. And after Bakugou and I faced that man at UA... well..."

"You are alive" Todoroki replied. "And it's not like you are going to get permanently disabled. That's more than many heroes of your age can say."

"I know what you are thinking, Shoto" Endeavor growled. "And I would be glad to have my ass kicked by you instead too, but things are the way they are. I am a hero, like you, and it was a villain who would eventually have the pleasure to put me down, sooner or later."

"You are still the Number One."

"My position in the ranking means nothing!" Endeavor elevated his voice, surprising his son and finally inserting some emotion in his face. He certainly wasn't expecting those words from him. "To this date I have won more fights, solved more crimes and protected more people than most active heroes today, but I have never been able to inspire what a Symbol of Peace should. The true reason why I reached the top is because someone had to fill that gap after All Might retired."

Everyone remembered it. All Might retired the same way he lived his years as a hero: giving it all against the most dangerous of villains, transmitting hope to people and winning against all odds. Unfortunately, despite Endeavor's long running career and the respect he got from All Might himself, he wasn't the great All Might and it was too late for him to achieve such an epic memory.

"It doesn't matter. I learned to live with that a long time ago" Endeavor returned to the point. "What matters is that right now everyone is aware of my defeat. Yes, Bakugou lost too, but he is young and there is a brilliant future for him either way. To me, on the other hand... this is the beginning of my way to retirement."

Todoroki was at a loss of words for the second time. Every hero had to retire someday, and a workaholic like Endeavor wouldn't be an exception, but it was hard to imagine his father retired.

"Don't get me wrong; I'll be back to work as soon as I can, but I've been in the business for long enough to know when a hero's moment has passed."

"Let me get this straight" Todoroki tried to assimilate what he was hearing. "We are about to face the worst crisis in decades, we need all the heroes possible, and after all these years... you choose this precise moment to be humble and decide you are out of place?"

"This has nothing to do with humbility, kid. And it's not something I thought from one day to another" Endeavor answered. "Like I said, I'll keep working, but after the results the doctors gave me... it won't be for longer than two years. All that is left for me to do is to finish your training and your friends' until you are ready to replace me and the rest of the old generation."

"You have taught us everything, Dad. Specially me" Todoroki muttered.

"Not yet" Endeavor stated. "Now... about your girlfriend..."

"Yes" Todoroki icily said and stood up to leave. He guessed what direction their talk was about to take. "I don't forget about her either."

"If you want to go on with that relationship, I won't interfere" the last words made him stop in front of the door. "But you better remember you two are heroes, and how hard does that make to be among the greatest heroes. And the same could be said about Midoriya, Bakugou, and any other."

"This from the man who married and had four children" Todoroki would probably chuckle if he wasn't one of those four.

"I know I married your mother and had you all for the wrong reasons. But believe it or not, I don't regret having formed a family, and I have learned to value it as I must. All I am saying is that, if you really want to become a hero of All Might's level, you'd be wise to remember that there was that difference between him and me. In fact... that's something today I kind of feel sorry for him."

Times changed. And Todoroki wasn't Endeavor. That was the first thing he thought he should say to him, but he had a lot to do right now and discussing with the old man was not one of them.

"I'll take that in consideration" Todoroki chose to make it short. "Not that I care too much right now, but have you thought what would you do once you officially retired?"

Endeavor let himself fall slowly back into his hospital bed with a bittersweet expression.

"I don't really know" he responded. "But one thing is for sure: I still have being a family man as a pending subject."

Todoroki contained a smile and get out of the room to go to Momo's.

********************

July 11th, 15:15;
Hawaii Islands; The Man's archipelago.

Deku had exposed his plan to his friends after hard studying the geography of the place. When they reached the correct island according to the map, they would be divided in four groups that would each infiltrate from the four cardinal points of the island and take the posts of vigilance before the alarm could be set, and an army of villains, Nomus, crazy fighters and who knew what else was released over them.

The first obstacle they found a coastal patrol on their way, could have easily compromised their plan, but luckily they had prevented it. Someone who had made a living of hacking owed Uraraka a big favor, and now that person was able to leave a villainous path behind and carry a new life with the man she loved, she had been ready to return the hero who supported them on their way to reformation some help in return.

The US agents were unsurprisingly aware of to whom did that ship belong and by whom the workers were employed, but they didn't know the Japanese heroes who were aboard. Neither of Uraraka or her friends considered their tactic very typical of heroes, but heroes had to adapt to desperate situations and work with whatever they could. And the plan worked perfectly: the provisional hero licenses and documentation to work in the States Uraraka's contact had been able to prepare after hours of hacking fooled the agents to perfection. To them, they were Japanese Pro Heroes temporarily working in the Hawaii Islands who had been called to help the sailors after their ship had been damaged too far from the coast to be considered American jurisdiction.

While Deku and Todoroki talked with the agents in order to leave everything settled and no suspicion, the rest just acted natural and Uraraka took a moment out of the agents' sight to call her contact and tell her everything went fine and the plan could go on.

"Listen, I'm really sorry I made you do this" Uraraka also felt the need to apologize. "Like, I persuaded you to leave those habits, and some time later I ask you to do exactly that..."

"No need to feel sorry!" La Brava's endearingly cried from the other side of the phone. "You helped me according to your hero rules and now I helped you with my less conventional yet practical methods! And now Gentle and I can help each other to be happy as we keep making videos and indoctrinating the public about the true functioning of heroism! Check the number of visits and subscribers when you're back! IT'S AMAZING! AND GENTLE IS SO HAPPY!!

"Okay, okay" Uraraka smiled at the happiness she was hearing. "Just remember..."

"I know, I know!" La Brava solemnly declared. "We did this in case of exceptional need!"

"That's right. But seriously, we owe you for this. To be fair, in this situation I understand better the need to help others out of the law..."

"You owe us nothing. Deku and you were always nice to us, even as enemies" La Brava meant it and Uraraka knew it. "Besides... we women in love must help each other!"

Uraraka slightly blushed and sweetly smiled one more time before saying goodbye to La Brava. She totally didn't regret having helped her reintegrate into society. That was another thing a heroes like Deku and her had always set an example for and she practiced the best she could with La Brava: not even villains must be left behind and be deprived from a second chance. And apparently not even in that situation was safe from the teasing about her wedding, but for once that helped her to chill and remember there was a big prize waiting for Deku and her once they were victorious.

Nevertheless, now the League of Villains on its prime was near and must be faced, and they were hardly ten of them to do so until some reinforces could arrive. She wondered if even the one she loved equally as a hero and a man, with all his power, natural goodness, intelligence and moral authority could bring some hope for people like Shigaraki and his gang.

July 10th, 16:00.

East of The Man's Island.

********************

??: "Are... are you sure about this? I don't know how am I supposed to be useful to you in particular..."

??: "Would you tell us what is your plan now, man? I mean... I don't remember one single time in all these years when you voluntarily wanted to team up with him among all people..."

??: "Shut up now! I'm telling you, I have a plan and yes, he is the one we need!

??: "Well... I am moved by your confidence, but..."

??: "Silence! The other two things we need are coming!"

***************

The gates of the bunker opened and four men with the same black gear with the red and black mask logo on the chest and the face-covering helmet that composed The Man's henchmen's uniform came into the vigilance post. Two of them had met the others in the middle of the jungle when they were carrying an unconscious intruder to the post and reported that a hero had finally reached the island. Luckily, it was one of small stature and with a low level of power attack, so they had managed to capture him.

"Sir" one of the henchmen reported to their superior, who was standing there in front of another five frozen henchmen, while others kept working on their panels and computerized tables and their recently met comrades left the unconscious hero on the ground. "The heroes are here; these two just found and knocked out one of them. We have identified him as the Pro Hero Grape Juice. And he was wearing this" he let two big green grenade like bracelets fall into the ground.

"Hey! Isn't that the little weirdo against whom even some female supervillains end up asking a restraining order?" one of the henchmen asked between laughs.

"That one" the first answered, containing his own chuckle.

"Silence everyone" the captain reprimanded. "This is serious. We must report immediately to... HEY YOU! What are you doing there...!?"

Too late: the panel for the communications was uglily destroyed by one of the just arrived, whose hardened arms and torso had torn to pieces the black uniform, revealing a hero's costume. The closest henchmen tried to attack him, but the other one easily surprised them and put half of them down by using his Explosion Quirk, while the other one quickly joined the attack and subdued the rest before anyone could send the alarm.

"Hmpth... I hate it when it is so easy..." Bakugou complained as he took off the helmet and costume he, like Kirishima, had used to trick the guards and penetrate into the vigilance post.

"Mineta!" Kirishima had come closer to the pervert hero and quickly patted his face trying to reanimate him, who was starting to wake up in pain. "Are you all right? Well... you know what I mean..."

Mineta ached and slowly reincorporated from the ground. Kirishima knew his head would be killing him for the next minutes so he helped him to stand on his feet.

"Wha... what happened?" a dizzy Mineta babbled, doing his best not to fall down again.

"My plan worked, Grape Head. We're in" Bakugou meanly smirked. "And for once, we owe you that."

"That wasn't cool or manly at all, Bakugou" Kirishima reprimanded his friend, even knowing how useless it would be. "There was no need to do that. Look at his eye: he almost doesn't need his mask anymore."

"Give me a break, Shitty Hair" Bakugou replied without a care. "We had to make it believable! And it worked, right? End of the story."

"But... how could we enter and defeat all these guys?" Mineta cried as he tried to understand. "I remember we reduced two henchmen we found in the jungle, you took their uniforms so you could infiltrate... then I asked how could what role was I going to play on Bakugou's plan... then he grinned, and then..." Mineta immediately remembered, in shock, the reason behind his headache and the huge bruise on his face.

"I'm sorry, Mineta" Kirishima rubbed the back of his head as he removed the rest of the uniform and let full sight to his Red Riot costume. "If I had known he was planning his plan was to make you look like a knocked out prisoner..."

"... Mina would likely have asked me to let him do" he internally admitted... well, whatever was done, was done.

"Now" Bakugou went to check one of the pannels of the room. "Let's see if the rest can catch up."

"Sweet mother of fan service..." Mineta managed to say after pressing some buttons from another panel and the big screen in front of him showed a live recording of a Hawaiian beach, where full legions of women in bikini from all parts of the world splashed on the water, played volleyball or simply sunbathed on the sand. His face looked so creepy it had nothing to envy from any psychopathic villain they had faced before. "I think I found a window to Heaven itself..."

"Would you just focus?" Kirishima frowned after Bakugou and him hit Mineta on the back of his head and turned off the screen, much to Mineta's discontent. "Come on, try to contact with the other three groups while we check the place, and report."

"Party-poopers" Mineta resentfully thought, as he rubbed the back of his head to recover from the smacks he just received. "And you wonder why some say you two look like an actual gay couple?"

Mineta connected his communicator and tried to contact Todoroki and Deku, but he wasn't successful. They must have found some difficultly on their way.

Meanwhile, in the North of the island...

The rest of the group had landed on the part of the island they had all agreed, and Todoroki and Deku were the last ones remaining on the ship before penetrating from the North, but it seemed they hadn't managed to go fully unnoticed, since a Nomu had come to receive them before they could come any closer.

The new Nomu was considerably big: it basically consisted of a kraken-like monster whose dark tentacles were holding the entire ship before they could see it coming. For the first minutes, they focused on keeping the sailors safe from the Nomu, whose tentacles were rapidly covered in sharp spikes that would make any direct physical attack difficult. They had to move fast or the creature would drag the ship into the water, taking the lives of the civilians in the process. Luckily, they weren't new at thinking fast.

Todoroki protected them inside a ring of fire that would keep those tentacles away, while Deku performed the other part of the plan from under the water. The red and white haired hero waited; it could come from anywhere. And it finally did.

Deku emerged like a torpedo and used One For All to float various feet away from the surface... attracting the beast, whose hideous big teethed head was finally revealed.

"Come on, I am ready" Todoroki thought in serenity.

Deku let himself fall and dodged the Nomu before it could catch him between its teeth, but once he was behind he used Black Whip to pull the big mouth backwards and keep it open, giving his friend enough time to impale the beast with a pointing piece of ice from the mouth to the head. They hurriedly used their respective Quirks to remove the tentacles and make sure the ship and the sailors were okay so they could finally leave.

"I copy, Grape Juice" Deku finally answered. "Sorry, we had some problems but everything is solved now. Let's just hope they didn't detect us already."

It was a villain's private island, so of course they would eventually notice heroes had arrived and were evading their security measures, but things should be easier as long as they counted with the surprise factor.

"Hold on, Eri" he thought. "We are here to save you."

End of chapter 33.

I finally updated. I am so sorry. It's been a month, I know, but this part of the story is so full of chaos it is hard to know if the structure is correct. I have also been busy recently, but I have missed you, Watties, like A LOT! You won't believe I would forget about you, will you?

I have been working in Honest Fiction's Pub and my artbook too, and I really wanted to keep writing this. I was a bit out of shape, but I hope you enjoyed some of this new chapter: some Endeavor and Shoto bonding development, some reference to Gentle Criminal and La Brava (maybe too much Made In Disney), a bit of comedic relief featuring Mineta (you deserve that, grape guy, after what you said to Eri in Season 4 when she went to UA), and the shortest action sequence I have written to date (it's true it looks a bit lazy, but I was tired of keeping you waiting).

In case you are wondering (most likely not) I'll have to make up some villains working for The Man. They will basically follow the same scheme that those from the movies, if you know what I mean🙈🙈...

In any case, I hope you are doing great wherever you are, and I send my regards and support to any of you who may be having a particularly bad time during this crisis.

I will update as soon as studying and home duties allow me, but I really hope that's very soon. It's been almost a year since I started this fanfic and I want to end it on a high note as soon as possible.

This is Honest Fiction and I am always glad to write and make at least a few people enjoy it. If you like it, don't forget to visit Honest Fiction's Pub in my profile, where we will discuss any current subject while I serve food and drinks in the form of emojis!

See you soon and good luck to those who may be writing for any Wattpad awards!

Goodbye🙉🙉🙉🙉!!