Third person pov

The Meme Three that came out of the ice dome were not the same as the ones who went in. They were seething, which surprised Todoroki for some reason. He had deadass told them he was actively being abused and had been his whole life, and he thought they'd just shrug and tell him they were sorry? No way. They'd be damned if they sat by and let poor Todoroki live like this. Endeavor needed to be put behind bars, and his mother needed out of that place! 

Endeavor was a confirmed piece of shit. Even if he wasn't abusing Todoroki and using him as a tool, he was still a real piece of work. Cases of domestic abuse were unfortunately common when it came to quirks. Your power dictated how your life would go, but Todoroki's was also unique. His father was at the top of every hero ranking chart out there, and he had cash to throw at his problems. That pissed them off more. 

Hitoshi had been forced to tell Bakugo to fuck off three times, the last time having to tell Kirishima when the explosive blonde realized it had something to do with replying to him verbally. Neito had been rambling about ways to commit murder the second Todoroki admitted to his dad being abusive, and Lillian had suggested a few places to hide a body. The half-and-half boy was a little taken aback, especially by Lillian. Had he been sitting next to a future serial killer this whole time? And was it really all that bad of a thing if he was?

"Time's up!" Mic announced as Todoroki began to melt the shell they'd stuck themselves in. Lillian was smiling, but it was a twitchy kind that showed how close she was to losing her shit. Todoroki felt a little awkward, glancing at Neito as the blonde absolutely fumed. Hitoshi was already muttering to himself about how fitting a third bed into his room would be tight, but they could make it work. Todoroki felt oddly as though he was a sort of stray that had somehow just been adopted.

"And with that, the second round is officially over!" Mic shrieked proudly. Lillian's team had come out on top once again, teaming up with Todoroki and using his quirk to their advantage. Lillian had given them the head start they needed, while Hitoshi had ensured people steered away from their small fortress. It was impeccable teamwork that was sure to gain the attention of many of the present pro heroes. Mic could already hear some of the ones nearby conversing about her and her teammates.

Aizawa grinned widely, eyes shining as Lillian was carefully set down. For some reason, the three looked weary, while Todoroki just awkwardly averted his gaze. What had been said in that dome of theirs? Clearly something had happened, or they'd have realized by now that they'd made it into first place. Lillian seemed distracted though, glancing at her two close friends and gesturing at a tense Todoroki. 

"Now, let's take a look at who our top four teams are!" Mic grinned. "In first place is the amazing Team Lillian!" 

Her named grabbed her attention, and she blinked, stopping whatever she was saying and turning to look at the board with wide eyes. Neito and Hitoshi blinked dumbly for a moment, eyes drifting to the band around Lillian's forehead as though they'd forgotten it was there. Todoroki was the only one who didn't have much of a reaction. If anything, he looked confused by the stunned expressions of his teammates.

"O-Oh, yeah!" Lillian sputtered, brightening. This seemed to spark some life into her two friends, who highfived before pulling Lillian into a hug. Todoroki looked like he wanted to walk away, but Lillian grabbed him by his sleeve and yanked him into it too. He immediately tensed as he was wrapped up in their group embrace, eyes going wide with surprise. Lillian smiled sweetly up at him, "Don't worry about your dad. We're going to kill him!"

"Torture first." Neito admitted sheepishly as though he'd been hiding the secret. Hitoshi nodded in agreement, releasing them. Todoroki looked vaguely dumbfounded as they began to talk about something called 'The Todoroki Protection Squad.' Internally, the half-and-half boy debated whether or not he regretted letting them in on his secret. While torturing and killing Endeavor wasn't something he was particularly against, he had no idea how to react to the sudden comradery he was being shown.

He had never told anyone about what he'd been through before. They didn't exactly know all of it, but he'd touched point on the biggest details of his past. He didn't realize someone could get so angry on his behalf. They didn't know him, yet they somehow cared. That was so mind blowing to Todoroki. Someone cared about him. They were mad at Endeavor too, and they believed him! They didn't doubt him and took him at his word. He'd feared he may be called a liar, but here they were. It was... heart warming, almost.

"In second place, Team Bakugo!" Mic announced. Bakugo wanted to be mad, but found himself pretty satisfied. At least he hadn't hid the entire time like Lillian's team had. Plus, they'd had that Icyhot bastard on their team. Not to mention that brainwashing shithead. What a damn pain. At least he hadn't lost to that shitty nerd this time around. He almost had no room to complain. His teammates hadn't been complete idiots, and they'd gotten the most points aside from the ten million band.

"In third place is Team TetsuTetsu!" Mic said. "And in forth we have Team Midoriya! These four valiant teams will advance on to the final round!" 

Lillian took a few deep breaths, but her anger kept threatening to rise up anyway. Yeah, she'd been kidnapped. But she hadn't been beaten and forced to train until she collapsed and could go no longer! She just wanted to hug poor, socially-awkward Todoroki and assure him that they'd find a way to bring his father down. The asshole didn't deserve to be the Number Two Hero. In fact, he didn't deserve to be a hero at all. 

"No, let's take an hour lunch break before we start the afternoon festivities! See ya soon!" Mic called, before turning to Aizawa. "Hey, Eraserhead. Let's grab some food."

"I'm taking a nap." Aizawa insisted. That was only half of it. He also didn't want to wander off and have Lillian not be able to find him. He knew her eyes must be killing her by now. That, and he wanted to make sure she was alright. He'd seen quite a bit of blood dripping from her mouth earlier when she accidentally froze the crowd. He was afraid she might be disqualified for effecting the audience, but the judges had deemed it alright seeing as they weren't being harmed, and it wasn't intentional.

Todoroki bid them farewell before slinking off, muttering something about Midoriya being someone's secret love child. Neito took a few calming breaths and offered to go get food. Hitoshi offered to go with him so he wouldn't get lost, which was probably for the best all things considered. The guy got lost to his way on the bathroom once. They were at Hitoshi's house. It was the door right next to his room.

They gazed after Todoroki as he left, feeling grim. He was trusting them not to share this information with anyone, and they knew that. That's why they had so much to discuss. This wasn't something they could really sit on. He could be mad at them all they wanted for telling, but if it got him out of that situation... god dammit, it was worth it.

"I-I'm going to go find Mr. Aizawa." Lillian rubbed at her eyes, frowning. She really needed some water too. The taste of blood was nothing short of completely nauseating. It was a real pain that her quirk caused such a thing to happen. She took a few more deep breaths. She needed to calm down. Not only was she tired, but she was pissed off over what she'd learned about Todoroki's home life. Now wasn't the time to lose it, even if she wanted to cry. The final round was the most important.

They nodded to her and assured her they'd meet her in the cafeteria. She immediately rushed off to go find her homeroom teacher, hoping he hadn't left the announcer's box quite yet. Well, it might be good if he did. That meant he was probably eating lunch like everyone else, and not just snacking on a jelly packet, which most definitely wasn't enough to sustained a grown, injured man. Then again, she wasn't going to push him too hard to take care of himself. She was only his student, after all.

Lillian turned the corner and ran face first into what she thought might be a wall. A heated wall. She stumbled back in surprise, eyes going wide as she nearly fell back. A hand shot out and grabbed her by her arm, tugging her back up shortly before she was released again. For a moment, all she could do was sputter as her tired mind processed. She looked up.

By some twisted set of events, she'd (conveniently) run into Endeavor. Literally. He was far more intimidating up close, standing at a whopping six foot four or so. A grumpy expression was present on his face. That was nothing new, though. She'd never seen him smile before in any interviews, save for when he'd give a cocky sneer or smirk. Distaste welled up in her, and her expression fell flat as her rage bubbled. Her fear spiked as well, but she was so upset over what she'd just been told that it almost didn't register.

She didn't know the details. Ten to fifteen minutes wasn't long enough to go really into depth about what had happened, but she knew enough to want to choke this man out with her bare hands. She narrowed her eyes back up at him as he observed her. She felt like she was being assessed, but that was fine. He was being assessed too. Everything about him screamed dangerous. Lillian didn't feel particularly afraid of him, though. He wouldn't do anything serious here, and he had no reason to.

"You're Lillian; the girl with the time-stopping quirk. Your quirk worked well with my son's." He said simply. His voice was deep and gruff, and Lillian decided that she hated it. Her fists clenched, her eyes stinging just a little. She blinked the feeling away. She just... what gave him the right? He had power and money and could bury every shitty thing he did. And that? That was wrong!

She couldn't tell if she wanted to cry or scream at him until he went away. She just felt so... so many emotions at the moment. Abuse was a big deal, and him being a pro hero made it even more so. It raised questions about his dead son, Touya. If the media knew the truth about Endeavor, the system they had in place for heroes would be shaken. The world would be forced to check over everyone in a place of power to ensure they weren't corrupted. It would be hard but... not a bad thing, she didn't think.

"Yeah." She muttered, trying to move past him. She couldn't lose it on him now. Not only did she not want to get in trouble, but she didn't want Endeavor to see them coming when they kicked him to the ground. She didn't know how they were going to do it. They'd need a lot of help, that's for sure. But they had the UA staff on their side. Mr. Aizawa would do anything for his students, and Mic would believe her! Nezu would surely look into it if she brought the concern up as well.

"That kid of mine." Endeavor spoke again, stopping her in her tracks. "What do you think of him?"

"What do you mean?" She asked, turning back around. He was looking at her, his arms folded across his chest and his eyes calculating. Momentarily, simply walking away crossed her mind. All she had to do was turn around and keep going. If he dared touch her, she could simply scream. Or freeze the guy and make a run for it. He was powerful and wouldn't be easy to contain, but the head start would be enough if the exhaustion didn't take her out first. Her quirk was already so worn.

"It's a simple question, girl. What do you think of him?" He asked, his voice short and snappy. Lillian's temper began to boil all over again as she glared up at him. She felt her ponytail brush the back of her neck oddly, but ignored it. Endeavor's brows raised curiously.

"I think Todoroki is a great guy, and we were lucky to have him on our team." She grit out, her eyes stinging harshly. Endeavor seemed to consider this, eyeing her carefully as though he were expecting something. She glared right back at him. Freezing him wasn't legal. He might make a fuss over it if she tried, but could he prove anything if he did? She didn't see any cameras pointing in this direction. A good and a bad thing. If she'd noticed, he had too. 

"You seem upset." Endeavor finally noted, sounding a bit amused as he smirked at her. Lillian's head cocked. Was this a joke to him?

"It's just shocking how someone as great as Todoroki could possibly have such a shitty father, that's all." Lillian bit out before she could much stop herself. She took great satisfaction in the way his amusement dropped off his face, though her heart rate did shoot off at the speed of light. The scowl he offered was intimidating, but her rage felt almost blinding at this point. It overwhelmed her fear at the moment. Abuse was something she hated. To think... to know a hero people looked up to... god, it was infuriating! Disgusting! How could people like him exist, and what had Todoroki done to deserve it?!

"What did you just say to me?" Endeavor hissed out. 

"You seem upset." Lillian mocked, knowing she was digging herself into a hole. Endeavor's flames spiked, his eyes going wide at her blunt display of disrespect towards someone with such high standing in society. To Lillian, he was no better than the dirt under her feet. She felt tears sting at her eyes as her heart thudded in her ears. What was she doing? "Just... leave me alone, and leave Todoroki alone too."

"You better watch yourself, girl." Endeavor's eyes narrowed. What did she know, and how did she know it? He'd never taken into consideration that his son may tell someone of the hardships he went through at home, even if they were all for a greater cause. This brat was apparently Eraserhead's daughter if the eyes and hair were anything to go by, but dammit, what did she know?! What did Eraserhead know? What did the school? 

"Oh please, you wouldn't hit a kid." She spat, before giving a small yet dramatic gasp. "Oh, wait! You already have!" 

And with that she turned on her heel and stomped off and up the stairs, grinding her teeth together as she resisted the urge to freeze the pro in his tracks and throw his petrified body down a few flights of these steep steps. He glared after her, jaw set. Lillian didn't give a shit. Was the hero society really so corrupted that people like that could make it to the Number Two spot, all because of a quirk?! No wonder there were villains trying to kill off heroes! If Endeavor was a piece of shit, who's to say there weren't others just like him?!

Lillian's temper diffused more as she climbed more, suddenly realizing how tired she was. And how fucked she was, too. She'd just mouthed off to the Number Two hero about something she had around ten minutes worth of information on. It not only hadn't been her business, but the threatening manner with which he reacted to her hostility showed that she'd definitely landed on his bad side.

"I-I'm so dead." Lillian whispered to herself, rubbing at her eyes as she peeked through the open door of the announcer's booth. Mic and Mr. Aizawa were seated inside, chatting idly about the competition. Though Mr. Aizawa was more grunting than giving verbal responses, which was nothing new. She took a few more deep breaths. Okay, this was no time to cry. Endeavor couldn't murder her and make it look like a suicide with the festival going on so long as she surrounded herself with people. He couldn't cremate her either.

"Hey, Little Listener!" Mic chirped as the girl stepped in. Aizawa's eyes shifted over to her, and he reached into his pocket for the drops. Lillian looked beat, eyes clearly very irritated and shoulders slouched. She offered a small, tired smile as she shuffled into the room. Mic continued, "You did amazing out there! You crushed the first portion, and the strategy in the second just- you're doing so great!" He squealed.

"Th-Thanks, Mr. Mic. I-I couldn't h-h-have done it alone." She flushed, taking the eye drops from her homeroom teacher with a thankful smile. She tilted her head back and applied them with ease. Mic watched her with his lips pressed together and eyes wide. How did Aizawa not see this? Hello? She looked just like the guy, and just... god, this was bothering him. As if proving his point, she muttered out a very quiet: "I need a nap."

Aizawa snorted. "You and me both, kid. Go get some food." He urged, taking the small bottle from her. She gave another smile, yawning to herself as she turned around. Aizawa felt a fond sort of warmth fill him. He quickly pulled out the mental baseball bat that was indifference and tried his hand at thwacking the feeling back from the dark pit it crawled from. It didn't do much. If anything, it only made the emotion swell.

"Th-Thanks, M-Mr. Aizawa. M-Mr. Mic. M-Make sure you t-two eat t-too, o-okay?" She flashed one last smile before rushing off to try and make it to the cafeteria before it was time for the final portion of the festival. Mic grinned after her, gaze shifting to Aizawa. The man stared after her with a clear smile under his bandages, seeming more relaxed now that she'd come to get the eye drops. Mic opened his mouth to tell him. To just let him know what he did. He closed his mouth when Aizawa sighed and leaned back, closing his dark eyes.

After the festival, he swore he'd tell them both. He had to.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bakugo's face was pale as he slowly walked down the hall. He hadn't particularly meant to eavesdrop on Icyhot and the Nerd, but he had. And god damn did he regret it. He'd heard some things he wished he hadn't. That he shouldn't have. Details of that half-and-half's life that were gruesome and terrifying even to him. His mother had a temper, but she loved him. There was no doubt in his mind about that, no matter how often they argued or griped at one another. But this...

This was not something small. It wasn't something he could brush off, because Icyhot really wasn't being dramatic or a brat in any way, shape, or form. The situation he was in was serious, and this wasn't the time for Bakugo to be competitive or egotistical. Someone in his class was being abused, and no matter how much he disliked him... it was damn wrong, and fucking disgusting. To think the Number Two Hero was an abusive douche bag. It pissed him off to no end. What other heroes were hiding behind the valiant images they presented to the public?

A stairwell door ahead of him opened, and Lillian popped out. She looked quite possibly worse than she had before. Her uniform had blood wiped all over the front of it, though her eyes seemed less red than before. He'd seen her using the same eye drops their teacher did on occasion, and deduced she must have been going to get some from him. He opened his mouth to growl at her, but closed it. Did she know Icyhot? They had teamed up, but he wasn't sure if they were really friends. They also sat next to one another in class, from what he could recall...

"Oi, you." He snapped at her, drawing her attention. She blinked at him, shrinking back considerably as he stomped forward with a scowl on his face. It wasn't that the explosive blonde specifically cared for half-and-half, but this shit wasn't about Bakugo. This was a case of domestic violence. Endeavor was a shitty father, and Bakugo wasn't sure if he should try and tell someone or not. It was in no way his business. Icyhot hadn't decided to clue him in. But...

"B-Bakugo?" She blinked as he came to a stop in front of her, scowling heavily as he internally debated asking. He could pretend he hadn't heard it. Realistically, that would make the most sense. It wasn't his place to meddle unless asked. Despite that, everything in him was screaming to do something. To help somehow. Icyhot was someone he wanted to surpass. The guy was powerful, so he had some measure of Bakugo's respect. But this had nothing to do with rivalries. 

"Hey... what the hell do you know about Icyhot's home life?" He asked, his voice almost a mumble. He watched with mild surprise as Lillian's nervous expression dropped into something firmer and... angrier. It was all the confirmation he needed. She knew what he did, or at least enough of it to be pissed at that asshat who had the audacity to call himself a hero.

"What do you know?" She looked him dead in the eye, and he found he didn't hesitate to very angrily tell her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Neito and Hitoshi were just beginning to get worried when Lillian appeared. Bakugo was begrudgingly trailing behind her, and she had Midoriya with her as well. The two memers shared a look as she plopped down, urging Midoriya and Bakugo to do the same. The green-haired boy nervously eyed the explosive blonde while tentatively taking a seat next to Hitoshi, his shoulders tense and sweat pouring down his brow.

"What are they doing here?" Neito asked flatly, glaring at Bakugo. He glared back, scowling in Hitoshi's direction. Hitoshi slurped his apple juice loudly through his straw, narrowing his eyes right back at the red eyed boy in the saltiest manner he could manage. Lillian took a deep breath, folding her hands together atop the table.

Bakugo didn't like any of them, especially not Hitoshi and Midoriya, but she didn't particularly care at the moment. She knew her two memers also weren't too fond of Bakugo. Really, nobody was unless you counted Kirishima. The guy was immune to his quirk and as a result could approach without fear of having his face completely blown off. But this was who they had, and there was nothing she could do to change that unless she wanted to break Todoroki's trust and tell others.

"Th-They know." She said, and Neito and Hitoshi shared a look of realization. "So I'm forcing them to join the Todoroki Protection Squad."

Bakugo's expression twisted, and Midoriya looked stunned.

"The fucking what?"

~~~~~~

Y'ALL lazy_apocalypse DREW MORE ART ALKHDLSKDHFLS I HAVE ANOTHER ART THING SOMEONE ELSE DID BUT I HAVE TO PUT IT IN THE NEXT CHAPTER AHHHHHH I DIDN'T SAVE IT