Asshole baiting

[wrecking_yard]

It’s a nice day out. Everything still aches, but I’m finally off the bloody painkillers and can be up and moving. The park is green, Mic’s off picking up a couple coffees, and I can just relax on one of the benches and watch the leaves.

Well, mostly watch the leaves. There’s not a lot of people passing through this part of the park, but it’s still reflex to keep track of who’s around...

Including Endeavor, also out of costume and in civilian clothes. I try not to react; he ignores me so much that I’m not sure he’d recognize me in civilian clothes, and I don’t really want his attention even if I am less likely to say something that would start an Incident without the morphine.

Unfortunately I can see him just well enough to see him notice me and get this gauging, considering look, then pause as he gets within easy conversation distance.

“Eraserhead.” He nods to me respectfully, hands in his pockets.

“That’s new.” He’s usually called me by name if he addresses me at all, and it’s always been a dismissal - refusing to acknowledge me as another hero.

“Yes, well.” He shifts weight uncomfortably, and he’s definitely not fully taking his eyes off me now. “It seems I had greatly underestimated you.”

The bloody press release footage. He can be snide about my lack of raw offensive power all he wants, but I still got dogpiled by about thirty or forty small time to mid tier villains and took them down without getting a scratch on me, and getting trashed by Tomura and his pet wasn’t released at all. He’s a bit of a meathead but he’s also not-stupid enough to probably figure out from the footage that the scarves aren’t mechanical, too. Two quirks that aren’t very flashy being used competently is still two quirks.

Also I’m now his son’s homeroom teacher and the guy in charge of teaching the kid how to function as a hero.

“I am a graduate and part of UA, so it’s only expected. Plus Ultra and all that.”

He definitely noticed the dodge but isn’t saying anything about it. “Shoto is in your class, isn’t he?”

Oh boy, here we go. “Yes, he is.”

“How has he been doing?” It’s very carefully neutral and polite. He was at the Sports Festival, he knows Shoto placed second, I’m sure he’s watching the kid’s scores and assessments like a hawk.

(Translation note this either ends up awkward in English or doesn’t get across at all, going for awkward. Japanese normally omits subject, he’s not only including it but using given name instead of family name for ONLY Shoto Todoroki, which basically translates grammatically to “All this is his accomplishments no thanks to you, also my son now, PS fuck you”.)
“Shoto has been doing incredibly well. Shoto is very clever, very adaptable, and a quick learner, with an incredible amount of fine control, particularly for the amount of power he’s using. Shoto is very good at coordinating with other students, also.” I make a point of that one - it’s something Endeavor himself is lousy at. “Shoto has displayed impressive composure and handled himself during the attack better than half the Pros I know would do in a situation like that. It didn’t make it into the press releases, but Shoto also assisted All Might and I with the more powerful ringleaders - one of three students who got involved in that, cooperating and coordinating off the cuff with Katsuki and Midoriya.” There’s flickers of reflexive power; not activating anything, but definitely agitated by that last bit. Definitely drove home that I’m pointedly not calling Shoto by his family name, just the others as more normal. There was even more of a spike - enough that I’m surprised I didn’t see sparks - at Midoriya’s name in that context.

I wonder if he realizes how transparent he is.

“I am glad to confirm that my son is an exceptional student.” He tried not to, but that was growled.

“I am very impressed by his skill, potential, and effort.” His, not Endeavor’s influence.

I can hear footsteps that pick up faster as they approach; Mic must have gotten the coffee and noticed Endeavor.

“Do you have any plans for his training?”

Like Hell is that something I want to discuss with this asshole, never mind that ‘trying to fix the damage you caused’ is about 80% of it. “Well, besides general training, I plan on encouraging some focus on the non-combat aspect of the job, which he does not seem to have been given much previous coaching on.” Another little power spike. “I also have some health concerns to address for the sake of his stability and continued control.” Little flickers; it’s not outright saying ‘the kid has PTSD because of you and that’s why Katsuki rolled him so relatively easily”, but he can tell there’s SOME kind of jab aimed his way. “It’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before, I’m sure there will be no problems requiring outside attention.”

Fuck off, asshole, and let me clean up your mess in peace.

“HEEEEY ENDEAVOR! Long time no see!” Mic vaults over the back of the bench, sliding in close next to me. As soon as I’ve taken my coffee, he’s got an arm over my shoulder; he’s being outwardly cheerful, but that’s nine kinds of protectively clingy.

Endeavor actually winced at Mic calling out to him, glancing around to see if anyone paid attention, and shoots Mic a glare that gets thoroughly ignored. He also looks baffled at the way Mic’s draped over me, and my lack of reaction to it.

“It has been a while, hasn’t it.” There is a very loud unsaid ‘not long enough’.

“It is a perfect day to take off and just get away from things, isn’t it?” He’s noticed Endeavor’s odd look and I swear he actually shifted the drape closer.

“... Yes, I suppose it is - not a luxury we often have, in our business.” He’s raising an eyebrow and leaning back, and I swear if he thought I’d go for it Mic would go for PDA just to make him more uncomfortable. “I was just checking in with Aizawa about my son.”

“Yeah? I know he’s not really vocal but he’s proud of all his kids this year.” The arm over my shoulder does a brief squeeze. “Shoto’s a great kid, very attentive, when I can get him speaking up he’s got great questions for expanding on things! Just needs a bit more confidence in himself.”

I sink down into my scarves and lean on him a little more a bit to hide breaking out in a grin to match Mic’s; Mic didn’t even hear any of my conversation and is doing the same backhanded jabs at Endeavor.

Of course, there’s a few more sharper flickers of power - Endeavor knows I don’t like him, but wasn’t expecting Mic to pull that at all. He’s shooting both of us a filthy look and leaning away further, the glare weakened by a level of confusion at me going along with Mic’s clinging.

He has a few seconds of squint-glaring before he takes a step back. “Well, I’m sure you two have plans for the day and I should be going.”

He’s very bad at pretending he’s not hurrying away, and I catch a couple surreptitious glances back at us before he rounds the corner out of sight.