Chapter 9 - Important lessons about Quirks

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When the other older boys saw Gen fall to the ground because of my punch to his stomach, they were more surprised than ever in their short lives. 

I took a step back, letting Gen fall awestruck to his knees on the ground.

"Last chance. Leave or suffer the consequences," I warned with a serious look on my face and my right fist still showing.

They exchanged glances, assessing the situation and finally decided to retreat. With expressions of frustration, they turned their backs and ran away. However, one of them was brave enough and went back to get Gen and help him walk. 

Watching them walk away, I sighed with relief at not having to knock the others out.

"You're paying us for this, brat!" One of them shouted.

"I hope they've learned their lesson," I muttered to myself, aware that relationships with children could be tricky. 

For their part, my friends climbed the small gap in the forest that I had made them slide down a short time before and looked confused as they saw the bullies running away.

Saito looked at their backs, still surprised, and asked me:

"Yudi, what did you do?"

"I don't think I've ever seen them run that fast." Another of them said.

"I just showed them a bit of the law of the strongest," I replied.

After that fight, everything changed, at least when it came to my trips to the park. 

The boys my age, instead of fearing me as before, began to admire me deeply, and of course they couldn't keep this admiration to themselves, so they told my mother everything.

"Then, Mrs. Todoroki, when the knives came towards us, Gen made a vushhh with his hand and patummmm, a wall of ice rose up!"

My mother, Fuyumi Todoroki, listened to the story with an expression of fright mixed with concern. In a way, she was proud that I had made friends and also defended them, but she definitely couldn't congratulate me on beating up other children.

Besides, she didn't even know that I had awakened my Quirk and was treating this case as the awakening of that, especially since I had created a wall of ice, a family Quirk. Well, that was never my intention, because I intended to somehow show them at once that I was capable of using various elements and not just ice. 

Anyway, Fuyumi surprisingly listened to my friends to the end and after finding out who Gen's parents and the others were, she finally ended the conversation, saying in an angry tone to me that we needed to go.

*

The next day was a bit strange. My mother didn't talk to me about my Quirk, she just reminded me before I went to pre-school that I shouldn't use my Quirk without permission and that later, when I arrived, she and my father would have a serious talk with me.

So, when I finally got home, I knew that a not-so-nice conversation awaited me, only I didn't expect who I would find inside my apartment.

As I opened the front door, I was greeted by the comforting smell of food my mother was preparing in the kitchen, but that was strange, my mother was right next to me, so who could be home? 

My father was terrible in the kitchen and there were two other auras inside the apartment that I had never seen before.

As I entered, I quickly realized that a different atmosphere hung in the air, and I could feel an intense and unusual aura. My mother, Fuyumi, looked at me, smiled and said:

"I hope he doesn't scare you."

With an expression that oscillated between concern and determination, I took a few more steps and saw that my father, Hiroki, was sitting on the sofa in the living room. However, there were two people sitting on the sofa opposite him, a man and a woman. 

The woman had white hair like my mother's, a serene, almost sad look and a calm smile. I immediately knew who she was, because I recognized her from the family pictures, she was Rei Todoroki.

On the other hand, the man next to Rei Todoroki was the one with the intense aura that I could feel before. The fire that burned on his face, forming his beard, was a constant reminder of why he held the position of number one hero, and now, in that room, I could only feel the tension in the air. He was Enji Todoroki, better known as Endeavor.

My father looked at me with a weak smile, as if pitying me for being in such a situation, and said: 

"Yudi, we need to talk..." he began, looking me in the eye. "And your mother thought it would be good to include people who are very important to her in this. These are..."

"Yudi," began Endeavor, his intense voice overpowering my father's calm voice as he stood up, "I heard that you had a little 'argument' in the park yesterday and that it awakened your Quirk at last. You took longer than most Todoroki."

I swallowed. I mean, was my supposed delay in awakening my Quirk the reason for this whole 'scene'? I'd never seen my grandfathers before and this was what the first time would be like? 

"Hey, Enji. That's not all we're here to talk about," said Rei calmly, making Endeavor sit down. "Hello, Yudi. It's been a while, hasn't it? I don't think you even remember me, hehe. That scary man and I are your mother's parents, which means we're your grandparents. We're sorry we didn't come to visit you before, but we've only just come back from somewhere far away."

From a very young age, I knew that the Todoroki had split up across the world shortly after the war against the villains. They felt they needed to redeem themselves.

My two uncles were in the United States, and my grandparents were in Africa, helping out socially there to soften the bad image that, for some reason that I still didn't know, had been created for society about the Todoroki.

I approached and sat down on the sofa where my father was, keeping my gaze steady. My grandparents were surprised for a moment by my posture.

'Fuyumi had said that he was quite smart for his age, but I didn't think he would accept all this without question,' thought Rei Todoroki.

Endeavor, on the other hand, remained expressionless, as if he were holding back. 

"Anyway, dear Yudi, I heard that you used ice to protect your friends. Is that true?" My grandmother asked softly, her concerned tone contrasting with Endeavor's sternness.

I nodded, reluctant to look them in the eye so as not to show too much confidence. It was important for adults that a child showed obedience. 

"Yes, it's true. I didn't think, I just acted to protect the people who were in danger."

Endeavor let out a heavy sigh, as if he was finally restrained. "Protecting is important, and we can't say you did wrong, but using your Quirk doesn't mean you're better than anyone else, nor should it be a way for you to hurt others. We talked to the parents of the boys who fought with you and given what they told us, we believe there were many other ways you could have stopped them without hurting them. Do you understand, Yudi?"

"Yes..."

My mother put her hand over mine, offering silent comfort as she sat down. "We understand that you wanted to do the right thing, Yudi, but there are better ways of dealing with situations. I was nearby, it would have been enough to shout for me. Be aware of what you can do and the consequences of your actions."

The conversation continued for some time, with advice and warnings being given. Endeavor made it clear that, as his grandson, I carried the responsibility of being a worthy heir to the Todoroki surname and how being one of them would be like a burden I would carry forever.